Sabarimala Prasadam Crisis Deepens, Minister Slams Devaswom Board

A shortage of the famed Aravana prasadam at Sabarimala has triggered a confrontation between the Kerala government and the Travancore Devaswom Board, with Devaswom Minister K Muraleedharan expressing strong displeasure over the handling of the crisis and saying he would even examine the possibility of approaching the Kerala High Court against officials responsible for the lapses.

The shortage worsened during the Kanni month puja, forcing authorities at Sannidhanam to restrict the distribution of prasadam. On Sunday, each pilgrim was allowed to buy only one tin of Aravana and three packets of Appam.

As stocks dwindled, the Aravana counters were closed at 1.30 pm on Sunday and reopened only at 5 pm.

The immediate crisis has been attributed to the temporary suspension of production as renovation and repair work is underway at the Aravana manufacturing plant. The shortage was compounded by a higher-than-expected turnout of pilgrims for the Kanni month puja.

Around 2.6 lakh tins of Aravana were produced for the Kanni month puja, according to Devaswom Board officials, around 50,000 more than last year. However, less than 14,000 tins were left for distribution on Monday. Officials have indicated that sales will have to be stopped once the remaining stock is exhausted.

There is no shortage of Appam at present, officials said.

Minister Miffed, Questions Devaswom Board

The crisis has now spilled into an administrative confrontation, with Devaswom Minister K Muraleedharan expressing strong displeasure with the Travancore Devaswom Board.

In an exclusive conversation with NDTV, the minister said his office had not been informed that the renovation and shutdown of the Aravana plant could result in such a serious shortage.

According to the minister, Devaswom Board officials had not communicated any warning about an impending crisis to his office during the last three months.

The minister questioned how such a situation was allowed to develop at one of Kerala's most important pilgrimage centres and indicated that accountability would be fixed.

Muraleedharan said he would also examine the possibility of approaching the Kerala High Court against Devaswom Board officials found responsible for the lapses.

He also said he would hold consultations with Chief Minister VD Satheesan on creating a separate special team to oversee the administration and preparations at Sabarimala, particularly to ensure adequate stocks of prasadam for pilgrims.

Board Says Renovation Aimed At Avoiding Bigger Mandala Crisis

The Travancore Devaswom Board, however, has maintained that the temporary disruption is linked to essential repair and renovation work at the Aravana plant.

According to the Board, the work is being undertaken now precisely to prevent a much larger production crisis during the Mandala-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season, when pilgrim numbers and demand for prasadam rise sharply.

But employees' representatives have questioned the planning behind the shutdown.

The Travancore Devaswom Employees Front has claimed that this is the first time Aravana production has been stopped during a monthly puja at Sabarimala.

The organisation has alleged that only around 3.2 lakh units were produced against a targeted six lakh units and claimed that the shortfall could result in losses running close to Rs 4 crore.

The controversy has now raised larger questions over whether the Devaswom Board adequately anticipated pilgrim numbers and prasadam requirements before taking the production facility offline.

With the Mandala-Makaravilakku season approaching, the government-Devaswom Board confrontation has also put the spotlight on coordination and preparedness at Sabarimala, where even a temporary disruption in Aravana production can affect thousands of pilgrims.