Aravana Crisis at Sabarimala: 2 Tins Allowed Per Person, but Stock Remains Limited Amid Higher-than-Expected Pilgrim Footfall
Pathanamthitta: The Aravana shortage at Sabarimala is reportedly worsening, with only around 20,000 tins of Aravana remaining in stock. However, around 15,000 devotees have already made online bookings for darshan today, and with spot bookings included, the total number of devotees expected to visit the temple is estimated at around 17,000.
According to the Executive Officer, each devotee will be allowed to purchase two tins of Aravana. However, reports indicate that even this quantity may not be possible with the available stock.
The shortage has raised criticism over the Travancore Devaswom Board’s preparedness and its failure to maintain an adequate buffer stock despite anticipating heavy crowds during the monthly pooja. The temple will close at 10 p.m. today after the completion of the Kannimasa Pooja.
Devotees have reported having to wait in queues for more than two hours to purchase Aravana, while only one tin per person was being issued until last night. The limit was increased to two tins per person today. The Devaswom Board has attributed the shortage to ongoing renovation and maintenance work at the Aravana production plant.
A shortage of Appam has also reportedly been affecting devotees. Those who arrived this morning hoping to purchase Appam were reportedly disappointed. Some devotees are said to have left Sabarimala without waiting in the queues to purchase Aravana and Appam, expressing disappointment over the situation.
The renovation work is expected to take about 40 days to complete and is targeted to be finished by the second week of October. The Board plans to build a buffer stock of at least 55 lakh tins of Aravana ahead of the annual pilgrimage season.
The renovation is aimed at increasing the plant’s daily production capacity from around 2.25 lakh tins to 3.5 lakh tins. The Board said the current shortage was further aggravated by the higher-than-expected turnout of devotees during the monthly pooja.
Aravana sales are a major source of revenue for the Travancore Devaswom Board, generating more than ₹80 crore during the previous pilgrimage season alone. The increased production capacity and planned buffer stock are expected to help ensure adequate availability of Aravana during the upcoming annual pilgrimage season.