The Kerala High Court has expressed deep concern over the growing problem of overcrowding at the Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple, characterising it not merely as a temple administration issue, but a broader civic challenge involving sanitation, health, traffic, and law-and-order. A division bench of the Court has directed the formation of a permanent, seven-member multi-departmental committee consisting of the District Collector, the Superintendent of Police, the District Medical Officer, a member of the Devaswom Managing Committee, the Secretary of Guruvayur Municipality, an Environmental Engineer from the Pollution Control Board, and the Co-ordinator of Suchitwa Mission. This committee is to oversee the planning, implementation, and regular monitoring of comprehensive steps to manage the flow of pilgrims to the temple.
The Court considered petitions by devotees demanding restoration of an online queue system, construction of a queue complex, and enhancement of other amenities for pilgrims. The temple’s Devaswom Board had justified the withdrawal of online booking, explaining that a hybrid system combining online and offline reservations proved difficult to manage because of unpredictable pooja timings, the huge and variable influx of devotees, and conflicts between those holding online slots and those arriving in person. The Court rejected a simple focus on managing queue lines and stressed instead on fundamentally minimizing queues by adopting scientific and well-structured crowd-management strategies. It underscored the necessity of determining the temple’s safe carrying capacity via a methodical study, and called for the development of a capacity-based system that groups pilgrims into batches of three hundred to five hundred people, assigning tentative time slots for darshan.
To improve communication and coordination, the Court mandated a mobile application and digital information displays that would provide pilgrims with real-time updates about darshan schedules and crowd status. Moreover, it ordered the temple management to designate a single entry point and a single exit point to streamline movement and reduce congestion. The Court placed significant emphasis on improving basic facilities: it directed the Devaswom Board to ensure adequate provision of drinking water, seating, fans, lighting, and light refreshments for pilgrims waiting in line. Special care must be taken to accommodate senior citizens, children, pregnant women, and nursing mothers, with dedicated facilities to ensure their comfort and dignity during their visit.
Recognizing that the volume of pilgrims now exceeds the temple’s available infrastructure and that multiple government departments need to work in coordination, the Court stressed the need for close inter-agency collaboration. In its judgment, it pointed out that overcrowding at Guruvayur is no longer just a religious issue but has grown into a municipal-level public policy concern that implicates environmental and public health considerations. By constituting the multi-departmental committee, the Court seeks to ensure that crowd management does not remain an ad hoc measure but evolves through planning, monitoring, and continuous improvement.
The Court has also required the temple authorities to submit a detailed action plan within two months. This plan must include the scientific capacity assessment, steps for infrastructure improvement, a communication strategy using technology, and a schedule for upgrading amenities in consultation with the new committee. Through these measures, the High Court aims to ensure that pilgrims enjoy a dignified, safe, and spiritually meaningful darshan experience without enduring the stress and hazards associated with chaotic queues.
0 Comments
Thank you for your response. It will help us to improve in the future.