Pathanamthitta (Keralam) [India], November 7 (ANI): Revenue Minister A P Anilkumar inaugurated the Sabari Portal and WhatsApp Chatbot, a comprehensive digital platform designed to provide essential services to Sabarimala pilgrims and enable real-time monitoring of pilgrimage-related activities.
The portal aims to bring various pilgrim services under a single platform, eliminating the need to approach multiple government offices and departments for information and assistance. It will also enable authorities to monitor the functioning of different departments, track complaints and review the progress of action taken.
Speaking at the inauguration, the Minister said the platform would help monitor different stages of the Sabarimala pilgrimage using digital technology and make essential services easily accessible to pilgrims.
Accessible through sabariportaldcpta.in, the portal can be used on mobile phones and computers without downloading a separate application. A link for Virtual Queue booking is also available.
A major feature of the portal is the facility to report missing persons and lost belongings. Complaints regarding missing pilgrims will be automatically forwarded to the Police Control Room, and complainants will receive WhatsApp updates on the action taken. The system also allows users to report lost mobile phones and other articles, provide details of found belongings and attach photographs to complaints.
The portal’s Sabari Map provides location details of drinking water points, toilets, medical assistance centres, hospitals, police services, parking facilities, rest centres and ATM counters at Pamba, Nilakkal and Sannidhanam. Using mobile location services, pilgrims can identify nearby facilities and access directions through Google Maps.
Information on darshan waiting time, the number of pilgrims who have completed darshan, pooja timings, darshan schedules and the water level at the Pamba Triveni bathing ghat is also available. The portal provides updates on whether the bathing ghat is open or closed, besides official announcements, alerts, pilgrim guidelines and trekking routes.
The platform has been technically integrated with the KSRTC system to provide details of long-distance services from Pamba, Nilakkal-Pamba chain services and special Sabarimala bus services. Pilgrims can check services available within the next 30 minutes and one hour and proceed to the KSRTC website for ticket booking.
Train schedules at Chengannur, Thiruvalla and Kottayam railway stations are also available. The portal includes the locations and contact numbers of government hospitals and medical colleges across Kerala, with an option to directly call the hospitals. Details of accommodation and parking facilities are also provided.
A dedicated price-monitoring facility has been introduced for shops at Pamba, Nilakkal and Sannidhanam. Official prices of various commodities are available in multiple languages. Through the ‘Check My Bill’ facility, pilgrims can verify prices and register complaints if shops charge excess amounts or fail to issue bills.
Complaints relating to sanitation, public toilets, KSRTC and the Devaswom Board can also be submitted through the portal. Such complaints will be forwarded to the respective control rooms and inspection squads, with updates on subsequent action sent to complainants through WhatsApp. Direct calling facilities for emergency numbers 112, 1077, 108, 100 and 101 are also available.
The WhatsApp-based Sabari Chatbot provides information on travel, transportation, accommodation, healthcare, darshan and emergency assistance through a conversational interface.
Besides public services, the portal incorporates an administrative dashboard to coordinate government departments involved in pilgrimage arrangements. It facilitates staff nomination, duty allocation, attendance monitoring and submission of activity reports. Duty orders are communicated to employees through WhatsApp and to concerned offices through email. Attendance is recorded on a duty-block basis, while Duty Magistrates and Executive Magistrates can submit signed PDF activity reports every four hours.
Sanitation activities at Sannidhanam have been divided into 15 sectors, each supervised by designated officers. The system enables monitoring of approximately 300 to 400 sanitation workers. Supervisory officers receive automated tickets on their mobile phones every three hours to record cleaning activities and report issues.
Healthcare services have also been integrated into the platform. Outpatient and inpatient details, patient referrals and follow-up treatment are digitally recorded. Information on patients transferred between hospitals can also be monitored. Hospitals have dedicated referral login facilities, while reports of deaths automatically trigger email notifications to senior officials, including the District Collector.
Three Emergency Operations Centres functioning under the State Disaster Management Authority and District Disaster Management Authority have been upgraded into Integrated Control Centres. Representatives of various departments will coordinate operations at these centres, enabling complaints to be directed to the concerned departments.
A geofencing facility ensures that complaints are registered from the relevant geographical area and automatically routed to the appropriate control centre and departmental login. The dashboard also provides information on weather, temperature, reservoir water levels, wildlife attacks, road accidents, KSRTC services and inspections by price-monitoring squads.
The portal was developed in-house by Ajith Srinivas, Junior Superintendent at the Pathanamthitta Collectorate, and Yagesh B., Revenue Inspector at the Land Revenue Commissionerate, without engaging external software companies. The development work was undertaken during nights after official working hours and on holidays.
The initiative is an expansion of the digital system introduced last year to monitor government departmental activities, now extended to include services directly accessible to pilgrims.
Pathanamthitta District Collector Nizamuddin A. said the initiative would improve the coordination of Sabarimala pilgrimage arrangements by integrating technology into governance and prioritising pilgrims’ needs. He said the platform would benefit officials through real-time information, departments through coordinated functioning and pilgrims through easy access to services.
Ajith Srinivas said the portal, developed at minimal cost without external agencies, would be further improved in the coming years. Yagesh B. said the system would facilitate inter-departmental coordination and faster decision-making based on real-time information. (ANI)
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