Sat Aug 02 13:56:33 UTC 2025: **Headline: Aranmula Temple Vallasadya Controversy Resolved as Board Withdraws Competing Feast**
**Pathanamthitta, August 2, 2025 (The Hindu) -** The dispute surrounding the Vallasadya ritual at the Aranmula Sree Parthasarathy temple has been temporarily resolved after the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) retracted its decision to independently organize the event.
TDB President P.S. Prasanth confirmed the withdrawal, stating that all bookings made through the board for the Sunday feast have been cancelled. “As the authority responsible for administering the temple, the board does not wish to turn Aranmula into a site of discord,” he explained.
The move comes after strong protests from the Palliyoda Seva Sangham (PSS), the traditional organizers of the Vallasadya, regarding the TDB’s plan to conduct the feast without involving the iconic Palliyodams (snake boats) and by charging devotees directly. Tensions peaked when PSS members protested inside the temple as guests arrived for the TDB’s scheme.
Meanwhile, the PSS has announced that its paid feast for KSRTC Budget Tourism Cell package tour participants will proceed as planned. K.V. Sambadevan, president of the PSS, stated that online bookings for the special paid meal are temporarily suspended due to limited seat availability, with bookings for September reopening in mid-August.
A last-ditch attempt by the TDB to hold conciliatory talks on Friday failed after the PSS boycotted the meeting, alleging some of their representatives were denied entry. The TDB denies barring anyone, claiming they only sought to limit participation to the agreed-upon number of delegates.
“We had already accepted bookings for Sunday and requested the PSS to accommodate our guests at the auditorium outside the temple for one last time,” a board official said. “However, the PSS was unwilling to relent. To avoid any disturbances inside the temple, the board has decided to cancel the package altogether.”
Vallasadya is a cherished tradition where a grand feast is offered to Lord Parthasarathy and served to the oarsmen of the Palliyodams, arriving from villages along the Pampa river. Devotees typically sponsor the Vallasadya through the PSS after obtaining approval from one of the participating Palliyodams. The current resolution offers a temporary truce, and the future of the event and who controls it remains to be seen.
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