Hit by the rising popularity and revenue of the temples run by private trusts and individuals, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) under the Kerala government led by the Left Democratic Front (LDF) has decided to embrace a new strategy to remain afloat in the highly competitive spiritual market.
In the first phase, the TDB will introduce best hospitality practices among the 6,200 odd employees under the Board to enhance the spiritual experience of devotees and pilgrim tourists.
Given training
For instance, the new breed of recruits appointed under the Board lacks deep knowledge of the age-old customs, practices, and legends associated with the 1,252 temples under the Board. Therefore, all the employees, including new recruits, will be given training on a variety of subjects, including behavioural patterns at temples, age-old customs being followed in various temples, pujas, and the specialties of the deities in each temple, and so on.
Also, storytellers would be appointed to guide pilgrims who will brief the legends associated with the temples to other-State pilgrims and those who want to know more about the culture and heritage of different regions where the temples are situated.
Master plan
In the next phase, a master plan would be prepared to make use of the 540 acres under the Board to increase the ‘non-offering’ revenue by undertaking construction and arranging amenities helpful to increase the revenue of the Board, said P.S. Prasanth, president of TDB.
Among the temples under the Board, Sabarimala accounts for the highest share of revenue, where around one crore devotees visit annually. On the other hand, the footfall of devotees and share of revenue in other temples under the Board is relatively low compared to neighbouring private-run temples, say TDB officials.
During the outbreak of the pandemic COVID-19, the TDB had to not only exhaust its reserves, but also seek government assistance of ₹149 crore to foot the salary bills of employees under the Board after the temples across the State remained closed for a year.
In the changed scenario, the temples will also have to change tracks to stay afloat by reaching out to devotees and providing quality services, including enhancing the temple ambiance, says Mr. Prasanth. The training would be provided by dividing the workforce under the Board into 10 zones, and former IAS officer Nandakumar will lead the training sessions.
