Stung by a barrage of complaints about the rude behaviour of its employees on duty at the temples it manages, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) is undergoing an image makeover.
Bhaktha Sukhadam Kshethra Darshanam, a training programme launched by the TDB for all its employees in different batches from Neyyattinkara to North Paravur, aims at supercharging their soft skills and making the temples more appealing to devotees. The crash course, led by M. Nandakumar, a civil servant-turned-motivational guru, focusses on three components: behaviour, motivation, and awareness.
“There is an urgent need for the board to reorient the attitude of its employees on duty at temples as we have been receiving a flurry of complaints regarding their confrontational behaviour. This training seeks to transform how our staff interacts with devotees, enhancing their experience by guiding them through unique temple rituals, and share captivating stories about the temples’ origins and legends,” explains P.S. Prasanth, president, TDB.
The training, scheduled to run till June 6, will cover all 4,200 employees across the 20 Devaswom Groups, including Sabarimala. “Although the board is primarily a spiritual organisation, it also serves as the mainstay for about 80,000 families, both directly and indirectly. Ensuring a peaceful atmosphere for devotees in the temples is crucial for our existence,” he added.
According to Sunil Arumanoor, official spokesperson of the board, the move is aimed at unlocking the growth potential of the temples under the board’s wing other than the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple. With some 5,000 employees on its rolls and almost the same number of pensioners, it incurs a cost of around ₹50 crore every month.
“We’ve identified several historic temples with massive growth potential to redesign the board’s economic model, which has long centred on Sabarimala. By boosting our interactions with devotees, we’re aiming to improve the footfall at these temples,” he added.
HC rap
The TDB, which manages 1,252 temples, has faced sharp criticism over its employees’ confrontational antics, especially at Sabarimala. Last year, the Kerala High Court openly slammed a TDB guard for his aggressive demeanour during the Makaravilakku festival.
While around 350 employees from each of the 20 Devaswom Groups, including Sabarimala, will take part in its behavioural boot camp, the board will also be launching a separate programme to crank up the efficiency of its staff in administrative offices.
