Sabarimala pilgrims' aravana quota reduced by 50%
Aravana prasadam sales are now restricted at Sabarimala
Aravana prasadam sales are now restricted at Sabarimala
Aravana prasadam sales are now restricted at Sabarimala
Stricter limits have been imposed on the sale of aravana prasadam at Sabarimala following a surge in pilgrim numbers. Authorities have reduced the quota to just 10 tins per person as buffer stocks continue to dwindle.
Pilgrims are now seen standing in long queues, many visibly distressed, as they wait to purchase the offering. With the buffer stock of aravana falling below 5 lakh tins, officials were compelled to further tighten sales restrictions.
Limits on aravana sales were first introduced on December 12, when buffer stocks fell to eight lakh tins, capping purchases at 20 tins per person. The quota has now been halved in response to the continuing decline in reserves.
When the temple opened in November for the Mandalam season pilgrimage, a buffer stock of 45 lakh tins had been prepared. However, the initial target was to build a reserve of 60 lakh tins ahead of the pilgrimage season, a goal that could not be met.
The daily sale of aravana currently ranges between 3.5 lakh and 4 lakh tins. The inability to ramp up production in line with demand has emerged as the primary reason for the present crisis. On Monday, the buffer stock slipped to below five lakh tins, necessitating the imposition of stricter controls.
For the preparation of aravana, 26 steel pans are currently available. Of these, 13 are used for boiling jaggery, while the remaining 13 are used for preparing aravana. This setup allows for the production of 208 batches (koottu) of aravana per day. Facilities are now in place to install six additional vessels to boost output.
Although there were plans to install more hearths for aravana production earlier, they did not materialise. Efforts are now underway to increase production by installing gas-based hearths. At the same time, the limited availability of cooling infrastructure is posing a challenge, with only six cooling chambers currently in operation, further constraining production.
At present, around 2.8 lakh tins of aravana are being produced daily at Sabarimala.