Sabarimala shrine to serve Sadhya as Devaswom board brings in key change

“Money for annadanam is not taken from the Devaswom Board. It is the fund entrusted to the Board by the devotees to provide good food to the Lord Ayyappa pilgrims,” Jayakumar said after a board meeting.

He said it is a good decision taken by the Board, which has the responsibility to ensure the quality of annadanam at Sabarimala. Further, he said the decision taken by the Board has already been conveyed to the respective officials and it is expected to come into effect from Wednesday or Thursday.

A review meeting will be held on December 18 to discuss the Sabarimala masterplan and take necessary decisions related to the preparations for the annual pilgrimage next year. The preparations for the next year’s pilgrimage season will begin by February 2026, he added.

Though there were some issues in the initial days of the ongoing pilgrimage season, everything is going smoothly in Sabarimala at present, he added.

What is Sadhya ?

Sadhya, which translates to “banquet” in Malayalam, is a lavish spread of nine courses (but may include over two dozen dishes) served on a banana leaf. It is a culinary spectacle that showcases the diversity of Kerala’s cuisine and the unique flavours of the region.

It includes chips (especially banana chips), Sharkaraveratti (fried pieces of banana coated with jaggery), pappadam, various vegetables and soups such as injipuli (also called puli inji), thoran, mezhukkupuratti, kaalan, olan, avial, sambhar, dal served along with a small quantity of ghee, erisheri, molosyam, rasam, puliseri (also referred to as velutha curry), kichadi (not to be confused with khichdi) and pachadi (its sweet variant), moru (buttermilk or curd mixed with water), pickles both sweet and sour, and coconut chutney.