The Sabarimala Mandala‑Makaravilakku pilgrimage season got off to a strong start, with the shrine posting revenue of ₹92 crore in the first 15 days. This came despite the arrest of six people linked to the temple over a gold‑scandal that seems to have left Ayappa devotees unaffected.
Early figures suggest that roughly 1.3 million pilgrims have visited the shrine over those first two weeks. This represents a 33.33 % jump over the ₹69 crore collected during the same period last year.
The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) sees the numbers as proof that pilgrim traffic and income handling have rebounded after the pandemic.
Most of the income once again comes from Aravana, the revered sweet rice pudding that netted ₹47 crore versus ₹32 crore a year earlier. Appam sales were about ₹3.5 crore, roughly in line with last year, while the kanikka offerings added ₹26 crore, up from ₹22 crore in the previous season.
After some early logistical teething problems, authorities claim operations have steadied. Crowd flow, reservations and prasadam handouts are now running smoothly, and to help control crowds the temple has cut back on on‑the‑spot bookings, following a High Court order.
Sabarimala also serves three additional traditional payasams—Idichu Pizhinja, Ellu, and Vella Nivedyam—each tied to specific pooja hours. The Idichu Pizhinja payasam, crafted from fresh coconut milk and jaggery, is served at 7:30 am during the Usha pooja. Aravana arrives at 12 noon for the Ucha pooja, and Vella Nivedyam is distributed throughout all pooja periods. Ellu payasam, mainly sesame based, is the special dish during the 9:15 pm Athazha pooja.
During Athazha, Panakam—a herbal spiced beverage made from jaggery, cumin, dry ginger, and black pepper—is presented alongside appam and ada. At 3 am, when the shrine opens, Panchamrutam—a mixture of eight sacred elements—is poured during the abhishekam.
Officially, only Aravana and Panchamrutam are sold as prasadam; the latter is offered in half‑size bottles of the usual Aravana tin for ₹125.
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