Sabarimalai: The Travancore Devaswom Committee in Thiruvananthapuram in a release on Tuesday, revealed that the Sabarimalai Temple Trust had collected a record income of Rs. 114 crores so far, for the Mandalam Makaravilakku season of religious activities, from devotees thronging the hills In lakhs to meet Lord Ayyappa, after a bath in Pampa river and climbing 18 steps.

The income comprises of Rs.48.97 crores from ‘Aravana’ prasadam and ‘Hundi’ Box offerings crossing Rs.41.58 crores, the Temple Trust stated on Tuesday here.

Last year, the temple earning were only just around Rs. 60 crores, but in 2011 all records had been broken.

This, in spite of Tamil devotees returning half-way to their home state, after a dispute over Mullaperiayar Dam heights had raged between Tamilnadu and Kerala governments. The collections would be colossal till the season ends on Makara Sankramana (around January 15,2012), the Trust hoped.