The High Court asked Tiruvitamcoor Devaswom Board to make sure that the materials purchased for nivedyam and prasadam of Sabarimala temple comply with quality standards as well as the religious customs and requirements.
The Court’s directive, dated September 29, was in connection with a petition raising objections to the use of Halal-certified jaggery. The petition was filed by S.J.R. Kumar, a devotee of Swami Ayyappa and national convener of Sabarimala Karma Samiti.
The Division Bench of the High Court said that the Board should have ensured that the supplies for the temple did not carry symbols or declarations which could create apprehensions over whether the materials complied with the customs followed in Sabarimala.
Meanwhile, the Court did not find any discrepancy in the quality of the jaggery. The laboratory reports stated that it was satisfactory and did not contain any substance or element which could make it unfit for preparing prasadam and nivedyam.
SJR Kumar filed the petition in 2021. He raised objections to the use of expired or Halal-certified jaggery for preparing Aravana Payasam and Unniyappam. The petition said that the use of spoiled materials would cause health hazards for innocent devotees. The offerings before the deity carrying the certification associated with some other religion would break the customs and rituals of Sabarimala temple.
The Devaswom Board submitted before the Court that Vardhan Agro Processing Limited, Maharashtra, had supplied about 20 lakh kgs of jaggery to the Board during the 2019–2020 season. Few of the packets carried the label ‘HALAL FUH/HRC/437/2018’. The Board added that the manufacturer had explained that they exported jaggery to Arab countries and had obtained a Halal certificate for that purpose.
The Sabarimala Special Commissioner reported that the certification was affixed to the packets because Halal declaration was required for exports to West Asia. The designated Food Safety Officer also stated that such declaration did not violate the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
The Court examined the quality reports from the Food Safety Laboratory and found that the jaggery supplied by the company complied with the parameters tested.
The Court noted the Devaswom’s undertaking that greater care would be taken in procurement in the future and disposed of the petition.
The Court directed the Devaswom Board to incorporate appropriate conditions in the e-tenders in the future. Such conditions should ensure that materials purchased for prasadam conform to the prescribed quality standards and the religious customs followed in Sabarimala.
