Kalady’s shelter for Sabarimala pilgrims remains without several basic facilities less than two weeks before the Mandalam season begins, raising concerns over the town’s preparedness to receive thousands of devotees.
The Mandalam season is scheduled to begin on November 17, while pilgrims are expected to start arriving in Kalady about a week earlier. According to a report by Mathrubhumi, arrangements at the shelter centre operated on the local panchayat ground have not yet been completed.
Kalady is an important halt for Sabarimala pilgrims, who also visit temples associated with Adi Shankaracharya, whose birthplace is identified with the town. Many devotees also bathe at Muthalakkadavu, treating the visit as part of their pilgrimage. The town has provided temporary shelter facilities to thousands of pilgrims in previous years.
The centre is usually equipped with space for pilgrims to rest, water, lighting, toilets and facilities to prepare food. The panchayat generally leads the operation, while the civic infrastructure is arranged with support from voluntary organisations. Pilgrim groups traditionally provide services including free food distribution.
However, toilets and showers have not yet been arranged this year, the report said. The shelter also has leakage, and the surrounding area does not have adequate lighting. Parking arrangements for pilgrims’ vehicles remain another pending requirement.
The location has faced operational difficulties in the previous pilgrimage season as well. Construction of a shopping complex near the shelter centre had led to the facility remaining closed. After pilgrim organisations held a protest, a temporary tent was arranged in cooperation with Sai Shankar Shanti Kendra. The Vishva Hindu Parishad and Sai Shankar Shanti Kendra provided free food distribution during that period.
The panchayat had convened a meeting a month earlier to decide the preparations required for the pilgrimage season. The meeting discussed the facilities to be arranged and the steps needed to make the centre operational. Despite that planning exercise, several services had not been put in place by the time of the report.
The delay places pressure on a local support system that must manage accommodation, sanitation, water, lighting, food preparation and vehicle movement within a limited period. For pilgrims, the absence of toilets, showers, safe lighting and usable shelter can directly affect the conditions in which they wait, rest and move through the town.
Various pilgrim organisations have called for the facilities to be completed quickly and for the shelter centre to be opened before arrivals increase. The immediate requirement is to complete the pending arrangements and make the centre functional ahead of the November 17 start of the Mandalam season.
