Sabarimala’s Annadanam Hall Serves Lakhs: Asia’s Largest Free Meal Facility Delights Pilgrims
Food is served three times a day at the Annadhanam hall, every day the temple is open, including for monthly pujas.
Published : November 23, 2025 at 2:27 PM IST
Pathanamthitta: More than ten thousand pilgrims make use of the Annadanam (free meal) facility provided by the Devaswom Board at the Sabarimala Temple, officials said.
Devotees leave the Annadanam Mandapam (dining hall), which the authorities claim to be one of the largest such halls in Asia, sharing their joy after having a meal that satisfies both the stomach and the mind. Since the temple opened this year, the number of people who have been fed here has crossed one lakh by Saturday.
Food is served three times a day at the Annadhanam hall, every day the temple is open, including for monthly pujas. Special arrangements will be made for the Makaravilakku season. Special Officer Sunil Kumar, who is in charge of the Annadanam, expressed great happiness that they are able to serve food cleanly and without any complaints, despite the large number of devotees.
“235 staff members are assigned for cooking, serving, and cleaning. Plates and glasses used by the devotees are first washed by them and then cleaned again using a dishwasher with hot water. The hall can serve about a thousand people at a time, and arrangements are adjusted to accommodate more people as the crowd increases. The Sabarimala Annadanam Mandapam is one of the largest in Asia, located behind the Malikappuram Temple,” he said.
RAF Deployed for Security
As in previous years, a contingent of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) has been deployed to ensure security in Sabarimala. A 140-member team, led by Deputy Commander Bijuram from Kollam, took charge at the Sannidhanam on Saturday. The team is from the CRPF's Coimbatore Base Camp. Their services are currently available at the Sannidhanam and Marakkoottam. They operate in three shifts, with 32 personnel in each shift. Additionally, a Quick Response Team (QRT) of 10 members will be on standby 24 hours a day to handle emergencies. The team will remain in Sabarimala until the end of the Mandala-Makaravilakku season.
Pilgrimage Updates
Since the Sabarimala temple opened on November 16 for the Mandala-Makaravilakku pilgrimage, nearly five lakh pilgrims have had darshan. As of 7 PM on November 21, 4,94,151 pilgrims had visited the temple. On November 21 alone, 72,037 pilgrims had darshan by 7 PM.
The High Court observed that the Devaswom Board can decide how many people should be given a relaxation on the spot booking limit, depending on the situation. The court directed that the Travancore Devaswom Board and the Police Chief Coordinator at Sabarimala can decide on the number of spot bookings based on the prevailing circumstances. The instruction is to decide the number of spot bookings by considering the rush at any given time.
The court had recently ordered that spot bookings be limited to 5,000. It was in this ruling that the High Court Devaswom Bench directed that the Devaswom Executive Officer and the ADGP in charge of the Sannidhanam can take necessary decisions based on the situation. The spot booking facility is available at Nilakkal. Limiting the daily spot booking to 5,000 had earlier reduced the rush at Sabarimala.
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