The Supreme Court rejected a petition on Monday seeking “compulsory registration” for pilgrims intending to visit the Sabarimala temple in Kerala. The petitioner, K.K. Ramesh, was directed by a bench of Justices Surya Kant and K.V. Viswanathan to approach the Kerala High Court. Ramesh proposed a registration system akin to the one implemented by the Amarnath Shrine Board and suggested formulating a master plan to manage the crowd at the temple.
The justices advised Ramesh to study crowd management practices in places like Tirupathi, Vaishno Devi, and gurudwaras, emphasizing the need for contextual understanding by the Kerala High Court’s Devaswom Bench, which is familiar with the specific circumstances and sentiments of devotees.