Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 26 The Keralam Assembly on Monday witnessed a heated exchange between the ruling and opposition benches over preparations for the upcoming Sabarimala pilgrimage season, with Chief Minister V D Satheesan strongly responding to CPI(M)’s criticism of the government’s handling of arrangements at the hill shrine.
The exchange took place during the discussion on the Madras Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which was passed by the House.
Participating in the discussion, CPI (M) member K U Janeesh Kumar questioned Satheesan’s statement during his visit to Sabarimala that the government would develop the shrine along the lines of Tirupati. He also criticised the Chief Minister for posting social media reels during the visit, saying there was a difference between reels and reality.
According to him, the Tirupati model is not feasible at Sabarimala, given its terrain.
Responding strongly, Satheesan said the government would prove at Sabarimala that “reels and reality are the same”.
“If we post a reel, it will become reality. If we say that we will make Sabarimala like Tirupati, we will make it like Tirupati,” he said. The famous hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara is located in Andhra Pradesh’s Tirupati.
The CM added that a review meeting was held to oversee preparations for the pilgrimage, while responsibility for managing the shrine rested with the current Travancore Devaswom Board, appointed by the previous Left government.
This prompted Kumar to question why the government held review meetings on pilgrimage arrangements if the TDB was responsible for managing the shrine.
The CPI (M) MLA also criticised the government for failing to take the necessary steps to prevent a recurrence of the Aravana shortage reported during the previous Kanni month. Aravana is the sweet prasadam offered to devotees.
“The government must intervene in advance. It is not enough for the government to intervene; the plant must also function properly. Aravana must be produced at the plant and supplied to devotees,” he said.
Kumar also pointed to traffic congestion on the road from Chalakayam to Erumeli on the day of the chief minister’s visit, saying devotees had faced considerable difficulties.
Replying to him, Satheesan said the TDB, appointed by the previous Left government, was responsible for preparing Aravana, Appam and other prasadam, and that the government had no role in their production.
He said the government had held meetings to coordinate infrastructure development and other arrangements involving departments such as Public Works, Forest, Police, Fire and Rescue Services, Water Authority and Irrigation.
“The Board is responsible for that. The government has no role in preparing them,” Satheesan said, referring to the prasadam.
He said the government had also intervened to speed up road work between Chalakayam and Pampa, which required the Devaswom Board’s permission.
The Board’s resolution had been delayed, preventing the Public Works Department from taking up the work earlier. After the government held a meeting and completed the tendering procedures, work began, he added.
Satheesan also referred to problems involving waste disposal and water flowing from the area near the Annadana Mandapam into the Bhasmakulam, saying the departments concerned had been directed to take corrective measures.
“We are cooperating with the Devaswom Board that you appointed because we want everything to proceed smoothly,” he said.
Satheesan further said a system would be put in place before the pilgrimage season to check whether decisions taken by the government and the departments concerned were being implemented properly.
This prompted objections from members who pointed out that previous governments had also undertaken development and pilgrimage-related work at Sabarimala.
Earlier, Devaswom Minister K Muraleedharan said the government wanted the pilgrimage and darshan arrangements to proceed smoothly and that the Board had assured it that 75 lakh tins of Aravana would be available.
The minister also praised the workers at the Aravana production unit, saying they worked long hours under difficult conditions to ensure supplies for devotees.
“I consider them the real devotees,” he said.
Muraleedharan also said the government was preparing a comprehensive law to give the Malabar Devaswom Board greater authority and independence, on a par with the Travancore and Cochin Devaswom Boards.
On the Madras Hindu Religious Endowments (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which was introduced in the Assembly on October 12 and scrutinised by the Subject Committee, the minister said the legislation was intended to address a shortcoming related to the financial year, adding that a comprehensive law could be introduced later.
Muraleedharan said the Bill was introduced to change the accounting and audit year for religious institutions governed by the law from the Fasli year to the financial year.
The Fasli year runs from January to December, while the financial year runs from April to March. The change aims to align the Malabar Devaswom Board’s accounting system with that of the state government, particularly as most temples under the Board depend on state grants.
The Bill was later passed by the House.
(PTI News)
