Sabarimala temple assistant priest's helper collapses and dies; shrine opening delayed by 20 minutes

Pathanamthitta: In an unfortunate incident, the helper of Sabarimala assistant priest (keezh shanthi) collapsed and died on Thursday (Dec 7). The deceased is Ram Kumar (43), a native of Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu. He was found lying down in the room. Despite being brought to the Sannidhanam hospital, his life could not be saved. The temple opened twenty minutes later than scheduled today due to the event. Following a ritual of purification, the temple reopened. The temple took a while to open, so pilgrims had to wait a long while.

Meanwhile, Sannidhanam is experiencing a significant rush. Yesterday, the Pathanamthitta district collector and police chief were instructed by the high court to act promptly to manage the massive rush. The court's decision is based on the fact that in the previous few days, people have been waiting for darshan for longer than ten hours.

On the other hand, the Devaswom Board implemented the Tirupati Model Queue trial to manage the crowd and was proved successful. The process of filling the queue complexes and allowing people to move forward has been tried and tested. The pilgrims are also relieved by the new way since it allows them to relax without feeling rushed. On Sunday afternoon, Sabarimala conducted an experimental four-hour queuing system for devotees based on the Tirupati model. The influx of devotees prompted the decision, even though there were sporadic evening and nighttime showers.

Three queue complexes were used between Saramkuthi and Marakoottam to implement the queue system. Following the regulation of pilgrims at these complexes, the police instruction from Sannidhanam determined when to open them. The Devaswom Board authorities declared that the queue system had been successful and that it will be used on days when there is a large influx of pilgrims.

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