PATHANAMTHITTA: The delay in construction of the Aravana plant, coupled with a shortage of ghee, is likely to affect the availability of Aravana at Sabarimala. The Travancore Devaswom Board aims to prepare at least 70 lakh tins of Aravana as reserve stock before the Mandala pilgrimage season. This will require 7,000 to 7,200 batches of Aravana and 72,000 litres of ghee. The stock currently available is only 36,000 litres.
Allegations of corruption had surfaced over the purchase of ghee during the last pilgrimage season. This year, the Devaswom Board has decided against purchasing ghee from outside and will instead use the ghee brought by devotees in their Irumudikkettu. The ghee offered by devotees at the Neythoni is stored at the Sannidhanam.
Before the Mandala pilgrimage season, the temple will open for five days for the Thulamasa Pooja and for one day for the Chithira Atta Visesham. Even if the ghee offered by devotees on these days is taken into account, there will not be enough to produce 70 lakh tins of Aravana. Even if construction of the plant is completed, it will not be possible to produce more than 30 lakh tins of Aravana.
The ghee offered by devotees at the Neythoni is collected in four tanks in a room near the Aravana plant. The tanks can together hold 42,000 litres of ghee.
The tanks, which were built years ago, have not been cleaned for more than 10 years. Sludge and other waste have accumulated at the bottom. Employees said the waste had accumulated to a height of two to two-and-a-half feet inside the tanks.
If that is the case, there could be a shortfall of at least 5,000 litres in the 36,000-litre stock of ghee. The Devaswom Board's Works Department is responsible for cleaning the tanks. Though funds are allocated every year for the purpose, the tanks are reportedly not cleaned.
(Up to 1,000 tins)
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