The Kerala government on Thursday declared the premises of Lord Ayyappa Temple at Sabarimala and its nearby areas as "liquor and drug-free zone" as the annual two-month-long Mandalam-Makaravilakku festival is just days away.

The annual festival, which used to attract millions of devotees from and outside the country to the hill shrine, begins on November 17 and concludes on January 15, 2023.