Only Same Day Manufactured Aravana Will be sold; TDB

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Thiruvananthapuram, June 10, 2025 – The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has announced a major shift in its approach to aravana production at Sabarimala. Moving away from the longstanding practice of preparing aravana a month in advance, the Board will now produce and sell the prasadam daily based on real-time demand.

Aravana, a sweetened rice offering, is the highest revenue-generating prasadam at Sabarimala. During the previous pilgrimage season, sales touched ₹200 crore. Currently, the production plant can produce up to 2.7 lakh tins per day, while daily demand can go as high as 3.25 lakh tins.

According to Board President PS Prasanth, To meet the increased demand, the Board plans to modernise the production facility at a cost of ₹4 crore ahead of the Mandala-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season. The upgrade is expected to raise the plant’s capacity to 3.5 lakh tins daily.

Traditionally, aravana production would begin a month before the season, with the Board maintaining a stock of over 40 lakh tins. This early production required hiring around 200 temporary workers, along with expenses for their food and accommodation. The new system, relying on daily production, will eliminate these costs and improve efficiency.

In addition, the Board is addressing logistical changes following a Kerala High Court directive to halt tractor movement in Sannidhanam. At present, aravana and appam are transported from the plant to the counters in Malikappuram by tractor. To comply with the court order, TDB is setting up a conveyor belt system, estimated at ₹5 crore. The proposed system will transport up to 500 tins of aravana per minute using two trays.