Kochi: The high court has directed the Travancore devaswom board to include appropriate conditions in future e-tenders to ensure that materials supplied for nivedhyam and prasadam at Sabarimala meet prescribed quality standards and conform to the temple’s religious customs.
The jaggery in question was supplied by Vardhan Agro Processing Ltd, Maharashtra, during the 2019-20 season. A bench of Justices V Raja Vijayaraghavan and K V Jaykumar issued the directive while disposing of a petition filed by S J R Kumar of Kochi, alleging that the TDB’s procurement of halal-certified jaggery for preparing nivedhyam and prasadam at Sabarimala temple violated Hindu rituals and posed health hazards. The petitioner contended that using a product certified under another religion’s practices was unsuitable for offerings to Lord Ayyappa.
The Sabarimala special commissioner’s report, citing the designated food safety officer, stated that quality tests conducted by the food safety department found the jaggery satisfactory and that the halal declaration on the packaging did not contravene the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Because the manufacturer also exports to Middle Eastern countries, where such certification was required, and was intended to assure compliance with prescribed quality standards, the TDB explained that the jaggery was procured through e-tender and that the halal certification was affixed. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Kochi | Silver Rate in Kochi | Bank Holidays in Kochi | Public Holidays in Kochi Stay updated with the latest Kochi news.
It further observed, “Ideally, the Travancore devaswom board ought to have exercised greater care to ensure that the quantity of jaggery supplied… did not bear symbols, markings or declarations that could give rise to an apprehension of conflict with the religious customs and practices followed at the temple. ” Subsequently, directing the board to exercise greater care in the future, the bench disposed of the petition. The court, accordingly, noted that while the jaggery’s quality was satisfactory, the TDB should have been more careful to avoid symbols that could cause religious apprehension. Download the TOI App.