India
Sabarimala Temple Secures 50 Lakh Aravana Tins for Pilgrimage Season
By PTI
The Lord Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala will have 50 lakh tins of Aravana prasadam in reserve for the annual pilgrimage season, ensuring adequate supplies for devotees, Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president K Jayakumar said on Friday. Jayakumar told reporters that the board can manufacture 3.5 lakh tins a day and will have a buffer stock of 50 lakh tins by the time the pilgrimage season begins on November 17. Aravana, a sweet prasadam made mainly with rice, jaggery and ghee, is one of the principal offerings at the hill shrine. Adequate quantities of Appam, another popular offering, would also be available, with around 10 lakh packets expected to meet demand. The board will set up bank counters and kiosks for distribution of Aravana and will introduce a postal delivery facility for devotees who wish to have the prasadam delivered. The temple will open at 4 pm on November 16, ahead of the commencement of the 41‑day Mandalam pilgrimage season the following day. Devotees who book their darshan through the virtual queue system will be covered by an insurance scheme providing compensation of ₹2 lakh in case of accidents. The insurance cover will be valid for three days, including the day of booking and one day each before and after it. Details of nominees will be collected at the time of booking. Jayakumar said arrangements were being made to ensure a smooth darshan for pilgrims. All major civil works have been completed, with only a few minor works remaining. Stainless steel seats have been installed at various points along the trekking routes to provide resting facilities for pilgrims. At Nilakkal, coolers will be installed in the German pandal, which can accommodate around 6,000 people. The board has received vigilance clearance to procure ghee from Milma at ₹660 per litre, a price lower than those offered by other bidders in the tender. Parking will also be permitted at Chakkupalom in Pampa during the pilgrimage season. As part of the cleanliness drive ahead of the pilgrimage, around 110 tonnes of waste have already been removed from Sabarimala and other associated locations. On the ‘vedi vazhipadu’, Jayakumar said the board is not opposed to the ritual. Those holding valid licences can apply to conduct the offering through the tender process. Earlier in the day, Devaswom Minister K Muraleedharan said he was satisfied with the preparations made so far for the Mandalam‑Makaravilakku pilgrimage season.