Kerala’s Devaswom minister K. Muraleedharan says he has sent an additional district magistrate to Sabarimala to check supplies after reports that raw materials for aravana prasadam were running short.
The review will examine stocks of ingredients including jaggery and coconut oil. Muraleedharan said the government would decide what action to take after receiving the magistrate’s findings, and warned that devotees’ interests must be protected if aravana and appam are unavailable.
The minister said a dedicated ADM had been appointed for Sabarimala and would collect information on supplies. The temple’s next Thulam-season period is due to run from October 18 to November 16, according to the dates given by the minister, who also said Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan planned to visit during that period.
BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar criticised the Congress-led UDF government’s handling of the temple. The reported shortage and the competing political claims have not yet been resolved by the stock review; the government’s next steps are expected to depend on its findings.