Sabarimala Aravana shortage: Why did supplies fall short despite 3.25 lakh tins?

Pathanamthitta: Travancore Devaswom Board president K. Jayakumar has said there is no major crisis in Aravana distribution at Sabarimala, attributing the current shortage to a higher-than-expected rush of devotees during the recent monthly pooja.

Speaking to Mathrubhumi News, Jayakumar said the number of pilgrims was significantly higher than anticipated, resulting in a mismatch between available stock and demand.

Normally, around two to 2.5 lakh tins of Aravana are required during the five-day monthly pooja. This time, the production facility had prepared about 3.25 lakh tins before being shut for scheduled maintenance.

Despite the stock being higher than the usual requirement, an unexpected surge in devotees over two consecutive days increased demand.

Revenue rises amid higher pilgrim turnout

The unusually high turnout was also reflected in Sabarimala's revenue during the monthly pooja.

According to Jayakumar, the usual revenue during a monthly pooja is around ₹5 crore, but this time it reached approximately ₹7.5 crore.

With production temporarily halted for maintenance and demand rising sharply, distribution had to be regulated. Jayakumar said devotees who requested 10 tins of Aravana were given five tins each in order to manage the available stock.

The Aravana production facility is currently undergoing work aimed at increasing its capacity.

Jayakumar said the plant's production capacity is being increased by an additional one lakh tins per day. The work is expected to be completed by October 10, ahead of the Mandalam pilgrimage season.

The additional capacity is intended to reduce the possibility of shortages when the number of pilgrims increases substantially during the main pilgrimage period.

Special arrangements planned for Mandalam season

Jayakumar said preparations are also being made to coordinate various government departments during the Mandalam season.

Liaison officers will be appointed for different departments, while a 24-hour festival control room will operate during the pilgrimage season.

He said complaints connected with the pilgrimage would be addressed promptly through the arrangements being put in place.

Jayakumar also described the current situation as highly challenging and alleged that some people with financial interests were attempting to take advantage of the disruption.

The current Aravana issue appears to have resulted from a combination of higher-than-expected pilgrim numbers and temporary production constraints.

The plant had reportedly produced 3.25 lakh tins before maintenance, compared with the usual requirement of about 2–2.5 lakh tins for a monthly pooja. However, the sharp increase in pilgrim turnout pushed demand beyond those calculations.

The planned increase of one lakh tins in daily production capacity is therefore particularly important ahead of the Mandalam season, when Sabarimala typically sees a much larger pilgrimage than during regular monthly pooja days.

The proposed liaison officers and 24-hour control room are also aimed at improving coordination between departments as pilgrim numbers rise.