PATHANAMTHITTA: Pilgrims at Sabarimala were left scrambling for aravana on Sunday as the stock of the popular prasadam dwindled, forcing the authorities to ration its distribution and triggering protests at the hill shrine.
The shortage came after the aravana production plant at Sannidhanam was shut for maintenance. With the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) failing to maintain an adequate buffer stock before undertaking the work, pilgrims were restricted to one tin of Aravana and three packets of appam each.
Several pilgrims who had trekked to Sabarimala from neighbouring states reportedly returned without the prasadam after darshan. The shortage had triggered protests on Saturday as well, with devotees waiting for hours in queues to collect even a single tin. Police had to intervene at times to pacify agitated pilgrims.
The situation has raised concerns ahead of the annual Mandala pilgrimage season, which begins on November 16. According to sources, the TDB had kept 3.25 lakh tins as buffer stock for the five-day monthly pooja that began on September 16.
By Saturday evening, the stock had dropped to around 25,000 tins, forcing the authorities to impose restrictions on distribution. A TDB source said, “The board failed to factor in the increase in footfall over the weekend.”
Meanwhile, Devaswom Minister K Muraleedharan expressed displeasure over the situation and said the failure to anticipate the shortage amounted to a lapse on the part of the TDB.
