Hyderabad: Over three lakh devotees from the twin cities are facing difficulties in their pilgrimage to Sabarimala owing to restricted railway connectivity.
The sole available train, the Hyderabad-Trivandrum Sabari Express, is fully booked until Sankranti, without any scope for waitlist accommodation. Upon announcement, it reaches full occupancy within a few hours of ticket reservations. Devotees say the rush warrants more special train services from Hyderabad.
Some devotees are also considering travelling via Chennai or Bengaluru, from where train connectivity to Kerala is relatively better. However, this indirect route adds extra time and cost to their journey. The journey from Secunderabad to Chengannur, the nearest railway station to Sabarimala in Pathanamthitta district, takes about 26 hours. Many passengers, despite having waitlisted tickets, are travelling in crowded conditions to reach their destination.
Devotees urge for toll fee exemptions
“Additional special trains should be arranged by South Central Railway (SCR) to address overcrowding, as current services are insufficient, forcing multiple devotees to share a single berth,” said K Radhakrishna, convenor, Telangana Ayyappa Devotees JAC. He also requested that the state govt hold discussions with Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari regarding toll fee exemptions for vehicles transporting Ayyappa devotees through Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.
The SCR has acknowledged the demand for additional trains and is reviewing the possibility of introducing more special services. “We have scheduled 60 special train services during Dec, connecting Hyderabad with Kottayam and Kollam, to accommodate devotees going to Sabarimala. Additional special train services are planned for Jan when pilgrim numbers are expected to reach their highest levels,” said a senior official in SCR.
Airfares go through the roof
The travel limitation by trains has triggered a significant escalation in airfares, with a one-way trip to Kochi presently surpassing 10,000, in contrast to the regular 5,000-6,000.
As a result, many pilgrims are resorting to travel by road via minibuses or private vehicles, notwithstanding the extensive 2,000 km expedition. Large groups are now organising shared minibus journeys, splitting costs amongst themselves to make the pilgrimage more affordable.
“Greater Hyderabad has more than six lakh Ayyappa devotees, with half of them undertaking the Sabarimala pilgrimage. Between 5,000 and 10,000 devotees travel to Sabarimala each day using various modes of transport. When railway reservations are unavailable, pilgrims opt for private vehicles, spending 5,000 per journey,” said K Sudhakar, president, Sree Sabari Sastha Seva Samithi.
Warning against lighting camphor onboard trains
SCR has appealed to rail users to refrain from lighting camphor onboard trains as pilgrim passengers have been found performing aarti as part of pooja, and lighting matchsticks/incense sticks inside coaches of trains.
These activities constitute a punishable offence under sections 67, 154, 164, and 165 of The Railways Act-1989, for which the offender is liable to be punished with imprisonment of up to three years or a fine or both, besides being liable for the loss, injury, or damage caused. Intensive checks are being conducted by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and the commercial department to prevent such practices in the interest of safety.
