Thiruvananthapuram | The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), the apex body that manages the Sabarimala Temple, on Friday justified the state government's decision to allow darshan only through virtual queue booking system during the upcoming annual pilgrimage season.

The system is needed to ensure the safety and security of pilgrims and the hill shrine, it said. Addressing a press conference here, TDB President P S Prashant said the decision was taken with a good intention and anyone who arrives at the Lord Ayyappa temple would not have to return without getting darshan.

While the now discontinued spot booking option was just an entry pass, the virtual queue booking on the other hand was an authenticated document for pilgrims at Sabarimala, he said.

The number of spot bookings done during the 2022-23 season was 3,95,634, and it rose to 4,85,063 in the following season, he said.

"Normally, when there is virtual queue system, the spot booking should have got reduced. But, here, the spot booking increased which was not good."

However, he did not give a reason on why spot booking increased despite the availability of virtual booking during the last season.

To a related question, he wondered if anybody would bother to opt for a virtual queue if spot booking was also made available.

The TDB president further said it was good for the Board if the number of pilgrims increases as it would be a boost to revenue by way of hundi collection and sale of "appam and aravana" prasadam.

However, the safety of pilgrims is of paramount importance to the TDB and not the revenue, he said.

"The safety of pilgrims and the temple are equally important. Sabarimala is not like any other temple. Crowd management is of utmost importance at the hill shrine," he said.

The TDB's defence of the virtual queue system came at a time when the government and the Board have been facing flak from various quarters about their decision to do away with the spot booking system.

In the virtual queue system, pilgrims can book their darshan tickets and prasadam online through the official website of the Sabarimala temple.

In spot booking, pilgrims can book slots for their darshan at designated centres identified by the TDB.