Travancore Devaswom Board president K. Jayakumar met Kerala Devaswom Minister K. Muraleedharan as preparations continue for the Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage, scheduled to begin on November 16. After weeks of public criticism over delays and an Aravana prasadam shortage, both sides said they would coordinate to reduce difficulties for pilgrims.
The meeting at the minister’s office lasted more than 15 minutes and focused on preparations at the Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala. Muraleedharan had criticised the Travancore Devaswom Board over delays and complaints about shortages of Aravana prasadam, a sweet offering distributed to devotees. After the discussion, he said the government and the Board would work together to make this year’s pilgrimage run smoothly. Board president Jayakumar had also met Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and assured him of cooperation.
The disagreement became more visible after Aravana supplies ran short during pre-season pujas. Jayakumar attributed the shortage to an unexpected increase in devotees while the production unit was under maintenance ahead of the main pilgrimage season. Muraleedharan questioned the timing of the repairs and said the Board should have maintained sufficient stocks while the temple was open. He also said the shortage reflected poorly on the state government and that oversight should be examined.
The Board has outlined production and stock targets for the main season. It proposes to raise daily output at Sannidhanam from about 260,000 tins to 360,000 and build a reserve of 7.5 million tins before the temple opens for Mandalam. Pending tenders are expected to be completed by mid-October, with preparations due to be in place by the end of that month. The Board has also announced an AI-enabled crowd-monitoring system at Nilackal to help regulate pilgrim movement.
The pilgrimage season is due to start on November 16. Jayakumar has described the earlier disputes as communication gaps rather than a confrontation, while the Chief Minister has said the government does not intend to enter into conflict with the Board. The practical test for the coordination pledge will be whether supplies, procurement and crowd arrangements are ready before the seasonal influx begins.