Swami” Chatbot Launched with Weather Centers at Three Locations and Extended Darshan Timings
M4 News Rangareddy District Reporter:
The Kerala government has introduced a chatbot named ‘Swami’ to assist pilgrims at Sabarimala. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan launched the ‘Swami’ chatbot logo on Wednesday. The chatbot, accessible through a smartphone interface, provides comprehensive information in six languages: English, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, and Hindi. Pilgrims can get detailed information on puja timings, important updates, and also receive details about flights, trains, local police, and forest department services through the chatbot.
In a first for Sabarimala, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has set up three weather centers to issue weather warnings for pilgrims walking the paths to the temple. IMD Director Neetha K. Gopal released the first weather bulletin on Wednesday, warning of heavy rainfall in Sabarimala on Thursday and Friday.
Meanwhile, as large crowds of devotees continue to visit the temple for monthly rituals, special measures have been implemented by the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) to ensure smooth pilgrimages during the Mandala and Makaravilakku season. TDB President P.S. Prashanth announced that Darshan timings will be extended until 6 PM from Thursday onwards to accommodate the large number of devotees.
“Darshan will be allowed from 3 AM to 1 PM and again from 3 PM to 11 PM. We will release tickets for 80,000 devotees daily, with 70,000 tickets available for online booking and 10,000 for spot booking. Spot booking counters will be available at Erumeli, Vandiperiyar, and Pampa,” he said. Additionally, mobile phones will be prohibited at the Padanilam area.
