Overview
- Nearly 1,96,600 devotees were recorded by noon on November 18, two days after the shrine opened, with day-wise counts showing the flow quickly exceeding planned limits.
- Temple authorities extended darshan hours, moved to regulate inflow from Nilakkal and Pampa, added seven spot‑booking counters at Nilakkal, and reiterated a 20,000 daily cap on spot entries.
- Travancore Devaswom Board president K. Jayakumar acknowledged strains in water, sanitation and queue management, deploying 200 personnel for water distribution and bringing in about 200 additional cleaning staff.
- Police said 18,000 personnel are sanctioned for the season with about 3,500 currently on the ground, noting spot bookings had briefly exceeded the cap and that many virtual‑queue holders arrived off schedule, prompting temporary holds at waypoints.
- Reports described waits of up to 12–14 hours, barricade breaches and bus‑boarding congestion, as opposition leaders accused the government and TDB of poor preparation and sought High Court intervention; central forces traditionally assisting were reported as absent or expected.