Sabarimala Tightens Rules After Massive Pilgrim Rush

A huge crowd of almost two lakh pilgrims at Sabarimala forced the authorities to
bring in strict rules from today. Spot booking has been limited to 20,000. More
queue areas, stay facilities, and staff have been added. One woman died while
waiting in line, and a pilgrim bus also overturned.
The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) and the police announced these rules on
Wednesday, a day after the massive crowd made it difficult to manage pilgrims.
These steps were taken after videos showed devotees standing tightly packed near
the 18 steps, long waiting times on the Pamba–Sannidhanam route, and complaints
about no drinking water in the queues.