Sabarimala pilgrims will be able to use toilets and bathing facilities without paying from the upcoming Mandala-Makaravilakku season, after the Travancore Devaswom Board decided to end the existing fee-based and auction arrangements for these amenities.
The free facilities will be available at Sannidhanam, Pamba, Swami Ayyappan Road and the traditional pilgrim route, according to the board. The decision is intended to address complaints from devotees about the condition of toilets and the charges collected for their use during the pilgrimage.
The Travancore Devaswom Board will no longer auction the facilities. Instead, it plans to appoint an experienced agency through a contract process to manage and maintain the toilets and bathing points. The arrangement places responsibility for upkeep with an external service provider while removing direct user charges for pilgrims.
Sabarimala’s pilgrimage network includes high-footfall areas at the hilltop shrine, the Pamba base point and along routes used by devotees travelling on foot. Toilets and bathing facilities in these locations are essential public amenities, particularly during the Mandala-Makaravilakku season, when large numbers of pilgrims use the access routes and stay in or around the pilgrimage area.
The board’s decision follows what it described as widespread complaints about poor facility conditions and the fees charged for access. The supplied report does not specify the number of complaints, the earlier fee structure or the number of facilities covered by the new contract arrangement.
Devotees will continue to have the option of contributing ₹5 or more to the Pilgrim Relief Fund when booking virtual queue slots. The board said the contribution would remain voluntary and would not be connected to access to toilets or bathing facilities. This separates the donation process from the use of basic sanitation amenities.
The next operational step is the appointment of the agency through the proposed contract process. The free-use arrangement is scheduled to take effect with the Mandala-Makaravilakku season, while the board’s facility-management system will determine how consistently the amenities are maintained across Sannidhanam, Pamba and the pilgrimage routes.
