The Kerala High Court has directed the managing committee of Guruvayur Devaswom Board to prepare a comprehensive crowd management action plan at Sree Krishna Temple in Guruvayur within two months.
The directive was passed after the court heard multiple petitions on issues at the temple, mainly those pertaining to crowd management. The Board submitted that it had introduced an online booking system for darshan during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was followed by a hybrid system, having online and offline options.
The temple management submitted that due to the special and unique religious customs at the temple, the timing and duration of poojas cannot be precisely predicted. It was thus decided to stop online booking for darshan and to return to only offline darshan, since the hybrid system was found not viable. Only 10 to 11 hours of darshan time are available each day, during intervals between poojas.
The court observed that the issue should not be seen only as “how to manage the queue”, but fundamentally as “how to avoid the queue”, since any sudden or concentrated influx of pilgrims in the limited space leads to multiple concerns. Citing the need to introduce a modern and scientifically designed system to ensure a dignified and spiritually fulfilling experience, the court issued a dozen guidelines that ought to be considered.
