The Aravana shortage during the monthly puja for the Malayalam month of Kanni has put the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) on the defensive.
| Photo Credit: Leju Kamal
With only less than two months left for the the Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season at Sabarimala, cracks are beginning to show in the preparations, with the recent Aravana shortage putting the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) on the defensive and political parties and devotees’ organisations stepping up their criticism.
The episode has also put the spotlight on the pace of work on the Aravana production plant, procurement of raw materials, and arrangement of facilities for devotees. Doubts are also raised whether the board will be able to build an adequate buffer stock of aravana before the peak pilgrimage rush.
BJP demand
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), rejecting the TDB’s explanation that the recent disruption in Aravana distribution was due to the closure of the production plant, has now demanded that the temple be handed over to the Union government. The party is also planning to send a delegation to the temple to assess the situation and convey its findings to the Centre.
“Before undertaking the plant renovation, adequate buffer stock of Aravana should have been ensured. Ever since the temple opened for the monthly puja (for the Malayalam month of Kanni), even the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) services to Pampa have been disrupted. There was not even enough coconut at the Pampa Ganapathy temple for preparing the Irumudi kettu,” alleged BJP State general secretary Anoop Antony.
The BJP is not alone in flagging concerns. Devotee organisations too have raised concerns over the preparations for the annual pilgrimage season.
Akhila Bharatha Ayyappa Seva Sangham (ABASS) general secretary D. Vijayakumar said preparations were progressing at a tardy pace. The organisation has urged the TDB to ensure adequate production and distribution of Aravana and Appam and improve drinking water availability, either free of cost or at affordable rates. It has also called for a transparent and legally compliant system for food distribution and other voluntary services.
“Facilities available during the monthly puja should also be assessed carefully. Any failure to ensure the required facilities during the monthly puja could create difficulties for devotees during the pilgrimage season as well,” said Mr. Vijayakumar.
The Hindu Aikya Vedi has also raised concerns over the recent developments at Sabarimala.
TDB races against time
Amid the criticism, the TDB is racing against time to get the Aravana production plant partially operational. Official sources said the work on 12 of the 26 pans at the plant was being expedited, with the board aiming to complete the work by the first week of October.
The immediate challenge is to get enough Aravana ready before the monthly puja for the Malayalam month of Thulam. A review meeting led by Keralam Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan had set a target of a buffer stock of 70 lakh cans of Aravana for the pilgrimage season. The latest assessment, however, is that even a buffer stock of 50 lakh cans can be built only if the plant becomes fully operational immediately after the Thulam month puja.
The concerns do not end with the plant. Procurement of raw materials for Aravana production is also yet to gather pace as agreements are yet to be signed with contractors and sample testing has not been completed. The delay in finalising the contracts has also pushed up costs.
In previous years, jaggery supplies had begun reaching the Sannidhanam godown by August. This year, the process is still pending, sources said.
TDB president K. Jayakumar, however, sought to allay concerns over the preparations and dismissed reports of differences between the government and the board. Speaking to the media after meeting Mr. Satheesan on Wednesday (September 23, 2026), Mr. Jayakumar said the government had assured the board of all support to ensure the success of this year’s Mandalam pilgrimage.
“If there are any issues in communication, they will be resolved and we will move forward,” he said. Mr. Jayakumar said he had assured the Chief Minister that the disruption in Aravana distribution would be resolved and that the coming pilgrimage season would be completed in a manner that would be a matter of pride for both the government and the board.
Jayakumar to continue
The government has also made it clear that Mr. Jayakumar will continue as the TDB president, putting to rest speculation over a change in leadership at the board ahead of the pilgrimage season.
Mr. Jayakumar said several reforms, including the introduction of e-tendering, had been implemented to make the board’s functioning more transparent. He alleged that some people who had benefited from the old system were behind the campaign against the board.
“The campaign that nothing is happening properly is not based on facts,” he said, adding that efforts to prevent the interference of vested interests could disappoint some people. The board, however, would not be deterred by such criticism, he said.
Mr. Jayakumar also said he would meet Devaswom Minister K. Muraleedharan soon.
Published – September 23, 2026 05:29 pm IST
