Kerala High Court Directs Travancore Devaswom Board to Ensure Ritual Compliance for Sabarimala Offerings
· India · Indian Express, The Hindu
The Kerala High Court has directed the Travancore Devaswom Board to exercise caution in procuring worship materials for the Sabarimala temple to ensure they align with religious customs. The court's directive follows a petition by S J R Kumar, who alleged that the use of halal-certified jaggery for temple offerings like aravana and unniyappam violated Hindu rituals. Records show the Board procured nearly 20 lakh kilograms of jaggery from a Maharashtra-based company, Vardhan Agro Processing Limited, through an e-tender process. The court noted that the supplier holds halal certification for its exports to the Middle East, which led to the labeling on the temple supplies. The bench emphasized that all materials must meet both quality standards and the specific religious requirements of the shrine.
Why it matters
The ruling impacts the procurement protocols for the Travancore Devaswom Board, requiring stricter oversight to ensure all offerings at the Sabarimala temple strictly adhere to traditional religious customs.
Read the original report — Indian Express
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