The doors of the Sabarimala temple will open Friday evening, marking the start of the annual Mandala-Makaravilakku festival. This major pilgrimage event, which draws lakhs of devotees from Kerala and nearby states, will be supported by extensive arrangements from the state government and the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB). Devotees will be allowed to begin their climb to Sannidhanam from the Pampa base camp starting at 1 pm, with the sanctum sanctorum opening in the evening.
The hill shrine, dedicated to Lord Ayyappa, will be accessible to devotees for 18 hours daily: 3 am to 1 pm and 3 pm to 11 pm. In a recent policy shift, the TDB will allow spot bookings at Pampa, Erumeli, and Vandiperiyar in addition to the 70,000 virtual queue slots available each day. An extra 10,000 slots will be available for pilgrims who may not be digitally literate.
Meanwhile, the Kerala High Court has directed TDB to submit an implementation report on the queue systems, also instructing KSRTC to prevent overcrowding on buses. Special vehicle checks will ensure safety.
The India Meteorological Department has set up rain gauges around Sabarimala for real-time, localized weather forecasts—similar to services provided for other major pilgrimages.
The Mandala pilgrimage will conclude on December 26, with the Makaravilakku festival running from December 30 to January 20, 2025, with the main festivities on January 15, 2025. Last year, over 5 million pilgrims visited the shrine.