THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Travancore Devaswom Board is in financial crisis due to Covid pandemic. The reason for the current situation is the low income from Sabarimala. The revenue from Sabarimala was Rs 270 crore in 2019 as against Rs 21 crore last season. Although there are 1250 temples under the Travancore Devaswom Board, Sabarimala is the main source of income.

The Travancore Devaswom Board has demanded that more devotees be allowed for the Karkadaka Masa Puja, taking into account the loss of income. Those vaccinated and those with a Covid negative certificate can be admitted in accordance with the Covid norms. The board also said that at least 10,000 people should be allowed on Sabarimala every day through virtual queues. Employees under the Devaswom Board need around Rs 40 crore per month for salaries and pensions. The board had last month submitted a letter to the government seeking Rs 100 crore as emergency relief. But no decision has been made in this regard.

Earlier in the day, Board President N Vasu had said that 374 temples under the Travancore Devaswom Board would be equipped with online offerings within three months. Though the possibility of setting up a system in 500 temples was sought, it was found to be impractical in smaller temples . The decision to continue the online system even if the Covid crisis is over.

At present, apart from Sabarimala, offerings can be booked online at 27 major temples including Ambalapuzha Sri Krishnaswamy Temple, Kottarakkara Ganapathi Temple, Aranmula Parthasarathy Temple, Harippad Subramanyaswamy Temple, Pampa Ganapati Temple, Ettumanoor Mahadeva Temple and Chettikulangara Devi Temple. It will cost around Rs 2 crore to set up the facility in more temples. In view of the financial crisis of the board, a decision has been taken to implement it through sponsorship of banks. Negotiations with the banks are in progress.

The board currently has a contract with Dhanlaxmi Bank. Although the online system is managed and set up by Keltron, there are complaints that their operation is inefficient. With the decision to expand the online system to more temples, private companies may also be considered. The development of a mobile app is also under active consideration of the board. Online booking is now available through the website www.onlinetdb.com.