The revenue collection at Sabarimala surpassed Rs 200 crore on Tuesday, marking the culmination of the first leg of the two-month-long annual pilgrimage season with the auspicious Mandala Pooja on December 27. The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), the apex temple body managing the Lord Ayyappa shrine, reported that the temple received Rs 204.30 crore in the last 39 days until December 25. TDB President P S Prashanth mentioned in a press conference that the revenue amount would increase as coins offered by pilgrims as “kanikka” were yet to be counted. Of the total revenue, Rs 63.89 crore was offered as “kanikka” by devotees, and Rs 96.32 crore was garnered through the sale of “aravana” (sweet offering).
Prashanth noted that “Appam,” another sweet offering sold to pilgrims, earned a revenue of Rs 12.38 crore. Despite the heavy rush during the pilgrimage season, he stated that the TDB ensured better facilities for pilgrims, providing free food to 7,25,049 people through its “Annadana Mandalam” until December 25. After the Mandala Pooja, the shrine will close at 11 pm on Wednesday and reopen on December 30 for the Makaravilakku rituals. The Makaravilakku ritual at the Sabarimala hill shrine is scheduled for January 15.
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