Sabarimala pilgrimage preparations have come under scrutiny after Kerala Devaswom Minister K Muraleedharan raised concerns over unfinished maintenance work, delayed renovation of the aravana prasadam plant and coordination gaps between the Devaswom Board and police ahead of the Mandalam season.
Muraleedharan’s remarks followed a review visit by him and Chief Minister V D Satheesan to locations linked to the pilgrimage. The review took place a day before the minister publicly expressed dissatisfaction with the arrangements for managing devotees and ensuring adequate supplies at the Sree Dharma Sastha Temple.
The minister said the repair and renovation of the plant manufacturing aravana payasam had not been completed. He added that the Board’s contract for procuring rice had not yet been finalised. According to the assurance given to him, the plant is expected to be ready by November 5, after which production will begin.
Aravana, a thick sweet preparation made with red rice, jaggery, ghee, cardamom and ginger powder, and appam, a traditional sweet rice preparation made with rice and jaggery, are the two principal prasadam offerings distributed to pilgrims at the shrine.
“I am not completely satisfied with the steps being taken to ensure the prasadam sufficiency,” Muraleedharan told a television channel, according to the report. He said he had instructed the Devaswom Board to give specific attention to the supply issue and to take additional care until October 22, when the shrine is scheduled to close after the five-day Thula masam puja period.
The minister said around 29,000 devotees had reached the shrine on Saturday ahead of the commencement of the Thula masam puja. The shrine currently had two lakh units of aravana in stock, he said. The figures underline the operational pressure created by short pilgrimage windows, during which large numbers of devotees converge on the temple and associated facilities.
Crowd regulation was another concern identified during the review. Muraleedharan said there appeared to be insufficient coordination between the Devaswom Board and the police regarding crowd control. He described regulating the large number of devotees and maintaining adequate supplies of appam and aravana as his two main concerns.
The Chief Minister said after the review meeting that arrangements concerning temple rituals and prasadam were under the control of the Devaswom Board. The Board’s president had assured the government that there would be no shortage of prasadam or other facilities at the shrine, according to the report.
Muraleedharan also said that temple maintenance works had been delayed, while stating that the government was carrying out the measures required. The immediate five-day opening runs from October 18 to October 22. The Sabarimala temple is scheduled to reopen on November 17 for the 41-day Mandalam pilgrimage season, making the completion of the plant renovation, rice procurement and coordination arrangements the next operational milestones.
