Travan Core Devasthanam Issues Guidelines for Ayyappa Devotees Visiting Sabari

In preparation for the upcoming Mandal-Makaravilakku festival for the year 2024-25, the Travan Core Devasthanam Board has issued important guidelines aimed at Ayyappa devotees planning to visit the sacred site of Sabari. The Board emphasized the necessity of utilizing online services for booking time slots for darshan, encouraging devotees to help preserve the sanctity of the Pamba River.

Given the high volume of visitors—estimated between 70,000 to 80,000 daily—the Board pointed out that only 10,000 devotees can access Sannidhanam each day. To manage this influx and ensure a smooth experience, devotees are urged to make advance arrangements online, selecting their preferred date and time for the visit.

In an official announcement directed especially at Ayyappa devotees from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala, the Board highlighted the importance of adhering to several rules. Devotees planning to use the entry point at Pamba must present their Aadhaar card, while those from abroad need to provide copies of their passports.

The Board has also called for environmental consciousness, requesting devotees to avoid using plastic Irumudu cut, thus promoting a plastic-free environment around Sannidhanam. They urged visitors not to discard their initiation clothes into the Pamba River, stressing the need to maintain the river’s cleanliness and sanctity.

To ensure that every devotee has the opportunity for darshan of Lord Ayyappa, Board President P.S. Prashant confirmed that measures are being implemented to accommodate all visitors, asserting that it should not be the case that any devotee is unable to have darshan.

As the festival approaches, the Devasthanam Board encourages all devotees to follow the outlined guidelines to ensure a respectful and environmentally friendly pilgrimage.