Published Sep 25, 2026 | 12:36 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 25, 2026 | 12:36 PM
Of the 27 donors about a dozen are from the film industry with the rest being industrialists and businesspersons.
Synopsis: Days ahead of the Sabarimala season, differences between Devaswom Minister K. Muraleedharan and Travancore Devaswom Board president K Jayakumar expose a larger coordination gap. Sources told South First that political differences over Jayakumar’s appointment in the previous government have also added to the friction. With the pilgrimage season nearing, the government and the board are yet to get on the same page.
With the Sabarimala pilgrimage season only weeks away, the Kerala government and the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) appear to be struggling with something basic—getting everyone on the same page.
The latest public sparring between Devaswom Minister K Muraleedharan and TDB president K Jayakumar has brought an old administrative problem into the spotlight: who is communicating what to whom?
What began with complaints over the shortage of aravana (the famed payasam tins) during the recent monthly pooja soon turned into a very public disagreement between the minister and the board. Muraleedharan warned that he would take an ”aggressive stand” if the interests of the devotees were compromised and has now appointed a dedicated Additional District Magistrate for Sabarimala to collect details on the availability of raw materials such as jaggery and coconut oil.
The TDB, however, has maintained that the aravana shortage was linked to an unexpected increase in pilgrim numbers and ongoing efforts to expand production capacity. The board has announced plans to raise daily production from 2.6 lakh tins to 3.6 lakh tins and target a stock of 75 lakh tins ahead of the pilgrimage season.
The differences have not stopped there.
The minister had earlier raised questions over arrangements for the Onam sadya at Sabarimala, prompting an inquiry. Jayakumar initially rejected the allegations, while later acknowledging that some devotees had received pulav instead of the traditional sadya.
There have also been disagreements over the timing of works at Sabarimala and the appointment of officials facing scrutiny in connection with the gold-loss case. Muraleedharan’s criticism has increasingly made the functioning of a board appointed by the previous government a politically sensitive issue.
Interestingly, neither side now wants the dispute to be described as a full-blown confrontation.
Jayakumar, after meeting Chief Minister VD Satheesan, has described the problem as a ”communication gap”.
The Chief Minister has also ruled out any immediate move to reconstitute the TDB.
Jayakumar has said the board will provide regular updates on the preparations, while the government and the board have agreed to improve coordination.
But behind the public assurances, there is another story.
Sources told South First that the coordination problem is not limited to the Devaswom department. ”Most of the ministers’ offices have been battling with the same issue. There is a lack of coordination between officials and the ministers’ offices,” a source said.
In Jayakumar’s case, the political equation is further complicated by the fact that he was appointed during the previous government. Sources said there are sections within the minister’s circle who are opposed to Jayakumar, adding another layer to what is otherwise being projected as an administrative dispute.
For now, however, both sides appear to have pressed the pause button on an open confrontation.
That may be necessary. The Mandala-Makaravilakku season is approaching, and Sabarimala is hardly the place for the government and the board to discover their differences in real time.
The immediate challenge is therefore less about who wins the Muraleedharan-Jayakumar argument and more about whether the two sides can finally coordinate before millions of devotees begin arriving.
Also Read:
Sabarimala gold row: 55.72-sovereign crown triggers fresh controversy
(Edited by R Rajesh Kumar.)
