Sabarimala faces Aravana shortage risk as transport contract row delays material movement

The Travancore Devaswom Board faces a race against time to prevent a shortage of Aravana as the Sabarimala pilgrimage season is less than three weeks away. A dispute over transportation contracts has delayed the movement of essential raw materials like jaggery and rice to the Sannidhanam.

Transport Dispute

The board failed to reach an agreement with existing transport contractors over rates and has invited fresh e-tenders for October 30. Under a revised arrangement brought in after board president K. Jayakumar intervened, the raw material supplier delivers goods only to Pampa. The board must handle the transport from Pampa to Sannidhanam itself, aiming to double-check weight and quality, but finalizing this separate transport contract has hit roadblocks.

Stock and Production

The board holds a buffer stock of about seven lakh tins of Aravana. This falls far short of the target of at least 50 lakh tins before the season starts. Demand during the pilgrimage averages one lakh tins a day. Meanwhile, the production plant has not yet reached its full capacity after restoration works, though the expansion aims to raise daily output to around 3.25. lakh tins. A previous shortage a few months ago sparked a political controversy when Devaswom Minister K. Muraleedharan openly criticized the board leadership.

Financial Stakes

Aravana sales brought in more than 180 crore rupees for the board during the last pilgrimage season. High demand previously forced the board to limit sales to 10 tins per devotee. In related developments, the Congress-backed Travancore Devaswom Employees Front opposed the board's decision to set up a Festival Control Room in Thiruvananthapuram. The union wants the facility moved to Pathanamthitta to avoid spending money on new facilities when existing infrastructure is underused.

Context

Sabarimala is one of the most prominent pilgrim centers in Kerala, drawing millions of devotees every year for a multi-month festival season. Managing large-scale प्रसाद distribution and crowd logistics requires massive advance preparation from temple administrative bodies. Delays in raw material supply chains directly impact both devotee satisfaction and temple revenues.