The Sabarimala temple in the southern state of Kerala could see the use of AI-based crowd management systems during the upcoming annual pilgrimage.
The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), the managing authority of the temple, held a meeting with an expert committee and the police on Saturday in this regard, officials said.
Representatives of three AI firms from Delhi, Chennai and Mumbai briefed the expert committee, as well as senior TDB functionaries and police officers, about the proposal, according to a report by The Indian Express.
“AI-enabled crowd management has been effectively used in the Maha Kumbh Mela and other festivals with large gatherings. Sabarimala requires tailor-made AI solutions, considering that the temple is situated within a dense forest,” Pathanamthitta district police superintendent R Anand said.
“We are planning to deploy the system in a phased manner in the coming season,” he added.
“The system will incorporate high-resolution cameras, infrared cameras and drones to analyse the crowd movement,” TDB president K Jayakumar said.
The temple attracts millions of devotees during the two-month-long pilgrimage, which starts in November.
In 2011, Sabarimala saw a stampede which killed more than 100 people. More than 30 million pilgrims had visited the temple during that year’s pilgrimage season.
