The Kerala High Court on October 1 directed the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) to exercise due care in procuring materials for the preparation of prasadam at the Sabarimala temple, ensuring that all supplies meet the prescribed quality standards and comply with the religious customs of the Lord Ayyappa shrine.
The directive followed a 2021 petition filed by S. J. R. Kumar, who alleged that the TDB had been using halal‑certified jaggery to make aravana and appam—sacred offerings distributed to devotees. The petitioner argued that the halal certification implied the jaggery was produced in accordance with practices of another faith, rendering it unsuitable as a satwik, or pure, ingredient for the temple.
A bench of Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and K V Jayakumar reviewed the case and noted that the TDB had procured 19,96,034 kg of jaggery powder through an e‑tender, with the winning bidder being a Maharashtra‑based company that also exported the product to West Asian markets, where the packaging bore a halal mark. The court observed that, despite the certification, analysis reports showed the jaggery to be of satisfactory quality and free from any substances that would disqualify it for use in prasadam.
In its ruling, the court urged the Board to incorporate stricter conditions in future e‑tender documents and to ensure that any material supplied for prasadam does not carry symbols or markings that could raise concerns about conformity with the temple’s religious customs. The petition was dismissed, but the court’s directive emphasizes heightened vigilance in future procurement processes.
