Sabarimala Thiruvonam Sadya Controversy: TDB President Rejects Devaswom Minister Comments, Says No Lapse Occurred
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| Sabarimala Annadhanam Mandapam - Archive Image |
Thiruvananthapuram: Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) President K. Jayakumar has rejected Devaswom Minister K. Muraleedharan’s concerns over the Thiruvonam feast at Sabarimala, stating that there was no lapse in serving the traditional feast to devotees.
Jayakumar said the information received by the minister may not have been accurate and suggested that the minister may have been misled.
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| Thiruvonam Sadya served to devotees at Sabarimala on 26.08.2026. Image shared by a devotee. |
“All necessary preparations and procedures were followed for the Onam feast. There is no need to create unnecessary confusion around the Thiruvonam feast,” Jayakumar said.
Usually, three separate Sadyas are organized at the temple—by the police, the Melshanti (chief priest), and the employees. This year, because the police and the Melshanti did not organize their customary feasts, the Devaswom Board stepped in to provide the Sadya directly to employees and 3,000 pilgrims
Jayakumar explained that the police personnel and the Melsanthi did not come forward to organise the feast this year. The Devaswom Board had also decided not to allow employees to collect money and arrange the feast on their own. However, the feast served at the mess was available to devotees, and around 3,000 devotees had it, he said.
The statement comes a day after Minister K. Muraleedharan said a complaint had been received that the Thiruvonam feast at Sabarimala had not been properly served. He had directed the Devaswom Board to investigate the complaint and examine whether there had been a lack of coordination after changes were made to the previous arrangements.
The minister had also directed that strict action be taken if any lapse was found in serving food to devotees. He called for clear procedures to be established for annadanam and other related arrangements.
Jayakumar had earlier said that reports claiming devotees were not served the Onam feast were baseless. The minister’s decision to order an inquiry came despite that clarification.
Muraleedharan had also expressed dissatisfaction over delays in the tender procedures at Sabarimala. He said all sponsors could not be labelled as dishonest and stressed that arrangements should be managed more effectively when handled directly by the Devaswom Board.
The minister had said he received a complaint, along with photographs, claiming that the traditional three-day Onam feast at Sabarimala had been reduced to a single day this year. According to the complaint, the Thiruvonam feast was served only to employees, while devotees were given pulao.
Traditionally, the Onam feast at Sabarimala was served on Uthradam, Thiruvonam and Avittam. This year, it was held only on Thiruvonam. The complaint alleged that employees were served the traditional feast while devotees were given yellow rice instead.
The minister said such complaints would not have arisen if the feast had been properly served to devotees. He also referred to an allegation that different food was served in the same dining row and said traditional practices should not be discontinued abruptly.