Pilgrim Rush Exceeded Estimates, Aravana Shortage Reported; Plant Renovation to Finish by October 10
New Delhi: There is no major crisis in the distribution of Aravana at Sabarimala, Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) President K. Jayakumar said. He attributed the difficulties to an unexpected increase in the number of pilgrims visiting Sabarimala during the monthly pooja, which was higher than the usual turnout.
Jayakumar said the Board had planned its Aravana stock based on the usual requirement for the five-day monthly pooja.
“Normally, when Sabarimala opens for the five-day monthly pooja, around 2 lakh to 2.5 lakh tins of Aravana are required. We had produced and stocked around 3.25 lakh tins before shutting down the plant for renovation and maintenance work. The plant was closed because the work was expected to take one to one-and-a-half months,” he said.
He said the renovation is being carried out to increase the production capacity of the Aravana plant and prevent shortages during the annual pilgrimage season. The Board is working to increase the plant’s production capacity by another one lakh tins per day.
“The renovation work will be completed by around October 10. The difficulties in distribution occurred because the number of devotees increased unexpectedly, contrary to our estimates. If the plant had been operational, we could have produced Aravana and supplied it,” Jayakumar said.
He said the increased pilgrim turnout was also reflected in the revenue generated during the monthly pooja. While the usual revenue during a monthly pooja is around ₹5 crore, the revenue this time reached ₹7.5 crore.
With the plant undergoing renovation, Sabarimala witnessed heavy pilgrim footfall for two consecutive days. As the available stock had to be managed, devotees who requested 10 tins of Aravana were given five tins each, he said.
“The present situation is like being on a war front. Those with financial interests may not want things to proceed smoothly. They are trying to take advantage of the confusion,” Jayakumar said.
He also said that special arrangements will be put in place for the Mandala season. Liaison officers will be assigned to coordinate with various departments, and a 24-hour Festival Control Room will be opened to oversee and coordinate the arrangements.