Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Thursday allowed the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) to increase the price of aravana vazhipadu offered at resting points along the Sabarimala pilgrimage route.

A Bench of Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and KV Jayakumar held that it would be “just and proper” to revise the price of aravana vazhipadu from ₹65 to ₹85 at Achankovil, Aryankavu, Kulathupuzha, Erumely, Pandalam Valiyakoikkal and Nilakkal.

The order was issued on a petition filed by the TDB seeking permission to revise rates.

Aravana vazhipadu, a sweet prasadam made of rice and jaggery, is a traditional offering to Lord Ayyappa at Sabarimala. The Board told the court that the price was last revised in 2021, and since then, the cost of raw materials has risen sharply.

The State government argued that providing prasadam cannot be treated purely as a commercial activity and that a balance must be maintained between devotees’ ability to pay and the Board’s financial sustainability.

A report submitted by the Department of Economics and Statistics showed a substantial increase in the prices of raw materials between early 2021 and 2025.

The Ombudsman had suggested revising the price to ₹80, but the Board contended that the rate would still leave it with significant losses due to rising material costs and expenses for aravana sealing machines.

After reviewing the submissions and the pricing data, the court authorised the Board to raise the price to ₹85 at the designated centres.

PTI inputs