Sabarimala's Gold Heist Scandal Amid Pilgrim Feast Upgrade: What's Cooking?

Newly-appointed Board President K. Jayakumar on Tuesday said the traditional offering of pulao and sambar has now been replaced with a full-fledged Kerala-style sadya, complete with pappadam, payasam, and other authentic dishes.

After a TDB meeting, Jayakumar said, "This is not the Devaswom Board's money; it is the devotees' contributions to feed fellow pilgrims in the best way possible. Therefore, we have decided to serve an authentic Kerala sadya made with quality ingredients."

The decision was taken on Tuesday and will be implemented in the coming days.

He also confirmed that annadanam services at Pampa will be improved, and a comprehensive master plan is underway to upgrade the pilgrimage infrastructure.

A review meeting is scheduled for December 18.

The announcement comes amid heavy footfall during the Mandala-Makaravilakku season, with tens of thousands of Ayyappa devotees heading to Sabarimala daily.

Despite the surge, the Devaswom Board maintains that all arrangements for sukhadarshanam (comfortable and orderly darshan) are functioning smoothly.

The annadanam hall at Malikappuram, behind the temple, is one of the largest in Asia and offers free meals to more than 10,000 pilgrims daily.

Since the temple opened for the current season, the number has already crossed one lakh.

Meals are served three times a day: Breakfast from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. (upma, chickpea curry, dry ginger coffee, and boiled water), lunch from 12 p.m. to 3.30 p.m. (currently pulao, dal curry, pickle, soon to be replaced with sadya), and dinner from 6.45 p.m. till temple closure, consisting of gruel and boiled tubers (asthram).

Sunil Kumar, the Special Officer overseeing annadanam, said that despite the high turnout, food is served efficiently, hygienically, and without complaints.

A total of 235 staff are deployed for cooking, serving, and cleaning.

Plates and glasses washed by pilgrims are re-cleaned using dishwashers with hot water to maintain hygiene standards.

The upgraded 'sadya' menu is expected to significantly improve the devotional and cultural experience of pilgrims, aligning with Kerala's traditional hospitality.

- IANS