Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 7 (PTI) The state police on Tuesday said that spot booking for pilgrims during the makaravilakku festival at the Lord Ayyappa shrine in Sabarimala will be capped at 5,000 persons per day from January 8 to January 15 to avoid overcrowding.

This decision follows the Kerala High Court's directive to improve crowd management during festival seasons at the temple, according to a release issued by the State Police Media Cell (SPMC).

Also Read | Jagjit Sing Dallewal Fast-Unto-Death: If Something Happens to Dallewal, Centre May Not Be Able To Handle Situation, Say Farmer Leaders.

Virtual queue bookings via the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) website have been set at 60,000, 50,000, and 40,000 on January 12, 13, and 14, respectively, it said.

Devotees have also been advised against camping on the hillock, the release noted.

Also Read | Uttar Pradesh Shocker: Man Kills 15-Year-Old Daughter With Sharp Weapon Over Love Affair in Shahjahanpur.

Preparations are underway to prevent overcrowding on January 14, the day of makaravilakku, as devotees customarily begin gathering at parnasalas from January 10 to view the makara jyoti, the release said.

The police will enforce guidelines to regulate cooking and other activities by devotees at the parnasalas, while also taking measures to ensure security at the designated sites prepared for pilgrims to view the jyoti, the release stated.

The SPMC stated that the Thiruvabharnam procession for the makaravilakku festival will depart for Sabarimala at 1 pm on January 12 from the Valiya Koyikkal Temple in Pandalam, following the darshan of devotees and various ceremonies.

The procession will halt at Laha on the night of January 13 and reach Sabarimala by 4 pm on January 14, the release stated.

The police are making necessary arrangements to ensure the safety of pilgrims along the procession routes, it added.

The SPMC release also highlighted a significant increase in the number of devotees visiting the shrine during this year's mandala-makaravilakku pilgrimage season.

"A record 39,02,610 Ayyappa devotees visited the shrine from November 15, when the pilgrimage began, to January 5 this year. Last year, 35,12,691 devotees visited the shrine during the same period," the release noted.

Over six lakh devotees visited the shrine between December 30, when the makaravilakku season began, and January 6, it added.

The SPMC attributed the rise in the number of devotees to the police's successful preparations, ensuring a smooth and safe darshan for pilgrims.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)