‘Halal-certified’ jaggery in Sabarimala prasadam: Kerala HC asks TDB to ensure ingredients conform to quality standards and religious customs
The Kerala High Court has ordered the Travancore Devaswom Board to ensure that ingredients used for Sabarimala temple offerings meet strict quality and religious standards. This follows a petition alleging the use of 'Halal-certified' jaggery and spoiled goods in temple prasadam.
Why it matters
The case highlights the intersection of religious customs, food safety regulations, and administrative accountability in public temple management.
The Kerala High Court has directed the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) to exercise due caution when procuring materials for “Nivedyam and Prasadam” so that they conform to prescribed quality standards and religious customs at the Sabarimala Temple.
The Division Bench of Justices V. Raja Vijayaraghavan and K.V. Jayakumar also directed the Board to incorporate the necessary conditions in the e-tender documents to ensure that the quantity of jaggery supplied by the manufacturer were unsuitable.
The Bench considered a petition filed by a Lord Ayyappa devotee in 2021 claiming that the Board had procured “Halal-certified jaggery powder” to prepare Prasadam at Sabarimala Temple, allegedly in violation of the rituals and customs prevailing in the Hindu community.
The petitioner stated that this jaggery was prepared in accordance with the religious practices of another religion, and offering it to the deity would violate long-standing religious customs and rituals followed at the Temple.
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