Pilgrims protest at Sabarimala following Aravana shortage

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The Travancore Devaswom Board has failed to ensure adequate buffer stock, forcing the authorities to restrict Aravana distribution.

The Sabarimala Ayyappa temple witnessed widespread protests on Sunday (September 20, 2026) after a shortage of Aravana, a key offering at the temple, left pilgrims waiting for hours, with several returning without the prasadam after darshan.

The shortage hit the temple as the Aravana production plant at the Sannidhanam remained shut for maintenance. The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), meanwhile, failed to ensure adequate buffer stock, forcing the authorities to restrict Aravana distribution.

On Sunday, pilgrims were given only three packets each of Appam and one tin each of Aravana. The shortage had triggered protests on Saturday (September 19, 2026) as well, with pilgrims waiting in queues for hours to get a single tin. At times, the protests also warranted police intervention, with personnel stepping in to pacify the agitated devotees.

The crisis assumes significance as it comes just weeks ahead of the annual Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season, which is slated to begin on November 16, 2026. In preparation for the season, works are now under way to increase the production capacity of the Aravana plant by around one lakh tins a day. The board, however, failed to ensure adequate stock of the offering even for the five-day monthly puja that began on September 16, 2026, before taking up the work.

Official sources said the board had set aside 3.25 lakh tins of Aravana as buffer stock for the five-day period. By Saturday evening, however, the stock had fallen to just 25,000 tins, prompting the authorities to impose restrictions on distribution. The TDB has attributed the shortage to a higher-than-expected turnout of pilgrims. “What actually happened was that the board had failed to factor in the expected rise in footfall over the weekend,” a source said.

Devaswom Minister K. Muraleedharan expressed his displeasure over the restrictions, saying the failure to anticipate the shortage was a lapse on the part of the TDB. He said the Minister and the government would ultimately face criticism whenever pilgrims encountered difficulties.

According to Mr. Muraleedharan, the renovation work on the Aravana plant should have been carried out when the temple was closed. Taking up the work at a time when large numbers of pilgrims were arriving for darshan ahead of the Mandalam-Makaravilakku season had caused unnecessary difficulties, he said.

“The shortage has also raised concerns among pilgrims about the coming season. There is apprehension over how the authorities will cope with the demand once the pilgrimage season gets into full swing,” the Minister said.

A TDB official confirmed that pilgrim footfall, particularly from other States, had risen sharply during the ongoing monthly puja season. “Compared with the same period last year, the inflow for the monthly puja has risen by 30-40%. This trend was not factored in while determining the buffer stock,” the official said.

The board moving ahead with the Aravana plant renovation as soon as it secured Kerala High Court permission also led to inadequate buffer stock. “The work will take about 40 days to complete. We plan to finish it by the second week of October and build a buffer stock of at least 55 lakh tins of Aravana ahead of the annual pilgrimage season,” he said.

Aravana sales are a major source of revenue for the TDB from Sabarimala, generating more than ₹80 crore during the previous pilgrimage season alone.

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