As Kerala prepares for one of its largest annual pilgrimages in Sabarimala, the State Police and the largest telecom operator in Kerala, Vi, have once again joined hands to ensure a worry-free, safe pilgrimage.

Vi has strengthened its network to ensure pilgrims stay connected on the route by enhancing connectivity across Sannidhanam, Pampa, and Nilakkal.

It has deployed 70 MHz of spectrum across the spectrum bands in L900, L1800, L2100, L2300, L2500 and added 13 new sites in Pathanamthitta district.

To ensure seamless connectivity across the locations, Vi has also deployed advanced FDD and TDD layers with Massive MIMO technology to ensure strong data and voice services even during peak pilgrimage traffic.

Connectivity has been substantially strengthened at Ganapathi Kovil, Nadappanthal, the administration offices, the Pampa–Sannidhanam trekking path, and Nilakkal parking and bus stand, enabling devotees to stay in touch with their families, access information, and share their spiritual experiences without disruption.

Vi has introduced a simplified pre-registration process this year, enabling families to register well before reaching the base camp and collect the safety bands from any of the Vi Suraksha kiosks at Pamba base camp upon arrival:

  • Parents / Guardians can pre-register their children for a Vi Suraksha Wrist Band by logging in to visuraksha.online or by visiting any Vi Store or Vi Mini Store across Kerala, and get a digital registration ID before embarking on their pilgrimage
  • During the pilgrimage, parents can show the digital registration ID at any of the Vi Suraksha kiosks at Pamba base camp and collect the QR-coded wristbands that are already linked with their contact number
  • This facility is free of cost and is available for ALL pilgrims

Over the years, the Kerala Police has witnessed a significant rise in the number of child pilgrims, with around 10-15% of the total pilgrims last year being children.

Simultaneously, each season, Kerala Police records hundreds of missing children cases, making child safety a key challenge during crowd management.

Pathanamthitta District Police Superintendent Anand (IPS) officially inaugurated the pre-registration for the Vi Suraksha initiative in the presence of George Mathew, Business Head, Kerala, Vi, at the Pathanamthitta District Police Office.

The facility will be available at all 25 Vi Stores and 103 Vi Mini Stores across Kerala, with 3 Vi Suraksha kiosks set up at Pamba – conveniently located right next to the Virtual Queue Kiosks.

Commenting on the efforts, Vodafone Idea – Kerala Business Head George Mathew said, “At Vi, our focus remains on leveraging technology to create safer and smarter communities.

Each year, millions of devotees undertake the pilgrimage to Sabarimala, and ensuring their safety is of utmost importance.

With Vi Suraksha’s innovative QR Code bands, families can stay connected and locate their children quickly in case of any unforeseen situations.

Through our partnership with Kerala Police on the Vi Suraksha initiative, we are proud to once again help make this pilgrimage safer for children and worry-free for families.

Our enhanced network across Nilakkal, Pampa, and Sannidhanam ensures devotees stay connected during their spiritual journey.”