Sabarimala Aravana Production to Resume on October 14
PATHANAMTHITTA: The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) is set to resume Aravana production at Sabarimala on Wednesday, October 14, following renovation and upgrading work at the production facility at Sannidhanam. The move comes amid efforts to ensure an uninterrupted supply of the prasadam ahead of the upcoming Thulamasa pooja and the Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season.
According to officials, 15,000 kg of raw rice is expected to reach Pampa by Monday evening. The upgraded section of the Aravana plant is scheduled to become operational on Wednesday morning, after fumigation and cleaning of the premises.
The preparations follow a shortage during the previous monthly pooja, when Aravana stocks were exhausted before the five-day ritual concluded. At the time, the temple reportedly had only 27 sacks of raw rice remaining, enough to produce approximately 27,000 tins of Aravana. The board has since placed an order for fresh supplies to replenish its stocks.
The existing production facility has a capacity of 2.6 lakh tins a day After renovation of plant it will generate around 3.65 lakh tins per day.
Aravana consumption during monthly poojas is estimated at around 70,000 tins a day. Demand is expected to increase during the Thulamasa pooja, which precedes the Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season by about a month, making adequate production and stock management crucial for the coming months.