Amid shortage fears, Aravana production to resume at Sabarimala on October 14

As concerns mount over a possible shortage of Aravana, a key offering at the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) is set to resume its production on Wednesday (October 14, 2026) after renovation and upgradation work at the plant.

Officials said 15,000 kg of raw rice would be transported to Pampa by Monday evening. A section of the Aravana plant at the Sannidhanam, where the upgradation work has been completed, is expected to resume operations on Wednesday morning after fumigation and cleaning.

The move comes amid fears that the shortage witnessed during the previous monthly puja could recur during the upcoming Thulamasa puja. Ahead of the five-day puja, the temple was reportedly left with just 27 sacks of rice, enough to produce 27,000 tins of Aravana. The board subsequently placed an order for raw rice, which will be transported to the Sannidhanam after quality checks.

“The plant currently has a production capacity of 1.15 lakh tins a day. With production resuming, we expect to build up a buffer stock of 4.5 lakh tins by November 17, when the temple opens for the next monthly puja,” an official said.

The average demand for Aravana during monthly pujas is around 70,000 tins a day, the official said. Demand is expected to be higher during the Thulamasa puja, which falls about a month before the annual Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season. Some devotees prefer to visit during the monthly pujas to avoid the heavier crowds during the main pilgrimage season.

During the five-day puja last month, more than three lakh tins had been stocked, but supplies ran out by the third day, triggering widespread protests by devotees. The shortage also snowballed into a political controversy, with Devaswom Minister K. Muraleedharan openly criticising the TDB leadership over the issue. The dispute was eventually resolved following the intervention of the Chief Minister.

The board is also racing to build up stocks ahead of the annual pilgrimage season in November, targeting a buffer of more than 45 lakh tins. The ongoing expansion of the plant, expected to be completed in another couple of weeks, is set to increase its daily production capacity by 85,000 to one lakh tins, taking the total to 3.25 lakh tins.

Ensuring an adequate supply of Aravana has long been a challenge for the TDB. During the last pilgrimage season, the board had to cap sales at 10 tins per devotee after demand outstripped production capacity.

Aravana sales are a major source of revenue for the TDB, generating more than ₹180 crore during the previous pilgrimage season.