The trial run of a new crowd management system at Sannidhanam, designed to allow devotees ascending the 18 holy steps to enter the temple directly without using the flyover, will begin on March 14.

According to officials, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) is set to complete the necessary arrangements within the next few days, ensuring that the system is fully operational when the hill shrine opens for monthly pujas on Friday (March 14, 2025). The new system is anticipated to extend darshan time for devotees to up to 20 seconds, a significant improvement.

Progress reviewed

As part of the implementation process, TDB president P.S. Prashanth visited Sannidhanam on Saturday to review the progress. The revamped plan will route devotees in two rows through both sides of the flagpole via Balikkalpura. To facilitate orderly movement, a hundi box has been installed at this point, functioning both as a donation collection point and a barricade. The 0.75-m-long, 3.5-m-high hundi box will be linked to the main hundi (Maha Kanikka) via a conveyor belt system.

The initiative is aimed at addressing long-standing concerns over devotees being rushed or pushed away near the sanctum sanctorum. Under the current system, devotees enter through the flyover but often have to wait until the temple reopens after pujas, leading to significant overcrowding.

“At present, devotees get a maximum of five seconds for darshan during peak hours, despite waiting in long queues. The new system is expected to address this concern ,” noted a senior TDB official.

Dedicated for offerings

Meanwhile, the first row of the queue in front of the temple, managed by TDB guards, will be reserved for those coming to perform special offerings such as Kalabhabhishekam and Pushpabhishekam.

While the flyover at Sannidhanam will remain intact for now, TDB plan to make use of it for crowd management during emergency situations.