Devotees need not worry about Aravana supply, 50 lakh tins in reserve: TDB president

Thiruvananthapuram, The Lord Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala will have 50 lakh tins of Aravana prasadam in reserve for the annual pilgrimage season, ensuring adequate supplies for devotees, TDB president K Jayakumar said on Friday.Devotees need not worry about Aravana supply, 50 lakh tins in reserve: TDB presidentDevotees need not worry about the availability of Aravana during the pilgrimage season, he said."We have the capacity to manufacture 3.5 lakh tins a day and will have a buffer stock of 50 lakh tins by the time the pilgrimage season begins on November 17," Jayakumar told reporters.Aravana, a sweet prasadam prepared mainly with rice, jaggery and ghee, is one of the principal offerings at the hill shrine.Adequate quantities of Appam, another popular offering, would also be available, with around 10 lakh packets expected to meet the demand, he said.The board would set up bank counters and kiosks for the distribution of Aravana. It would also introduce a postal delivery facility for devotees wishing to have the prasadam delivered to them, he added.The temple would open at 4 pm on November 16, ahead of the commencement of the 41-day Mandalam pilgrimage season the following day.Devotees who book their darshan through the virtual queue system would be covered by an insurance scheme providing compensation of ₹2 lakh in case of accidents, the Travancore Devaswom Board president said.The insurance cover would be valid for three days, including the day of booking and one day each before and after it. Details of nominees would be collected at the time of booking, he said.Jayakumar said arrangements were being made to ensure a smooth darshan for pilgrims.All major civil works had been completed, with only a few minor works remaining. Stainless steel seats had been installed at various points along the trekking routes to provide resting facilities for pilgrims.At Nilakkal, coolers would be installed in the German pandal, which can accommodate around 6,000 people.The board had received vigilance clearance to procure ghee from Milma at ₹660 per litre. The price quoted by the dairy cooperative was lower than those offered by other bidders in the tender, Jayakumar said.Parking would also be permitted at Chakkupalom in Pampa during the pilgrimage season.As part of the cleanliness drive ahead of the pilgrimage, around 110 tonnes of waste had already been removed from Sabarimala and other associated locations, he said.On the 'vedi vazhipadu' , Jayakumar said the board was not opposed to the ritual. Those holding valid licences could apply to conduct the offering through the tender process, he added.Earlier in the day, Devaswom Minister K Muraleedharan said he was satisfied with the preparations made so far for the Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season.This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.