Sabarimala Temple Honey Offering Faces Container Controversy
The sacred rituals at Kerala's renowned Sabarimala temple faced an unusual disruption when temple authorities made the decision to return a significant quantity of honey intended for religious offerings. The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), which administers the temple, took this precautionary step after discovering that the honey had been transported in containers that bore seals indicating previous storage of acid.
Vigilance Discovery and Immediate Action
The devaswom vigilance team uncovered serious procedural lapses during their routine inspection of materials arriving at the temple. Their investigation revealed that the honey, supplied for various puja ceremonies at Sabarimala, had reached the temple premises in containers that still carried markings identifying them as acid storage vessels. This immediately raised concerns among temple officials about potential contamination and ritual purity.
Following this discovery, the vigilance department promptly issued a show-cause notice to the supplier, demanding an explanation for this serious breach of protocol. The contract for supplying honey to Sabarimala temple had been awarded to Raidco, a cooperative society owned by the state government, adding another layer of complexity to the situation.
Quality Assurance Amid Container Concerns
In a significant development, the food safety department conducted thorough examinations of the controversial honey and certified that the product itself was of good quality and safe for consumption. This created a peculiar situation where the substance was deemed pure, but the containers raised sufficient concern to warrant rejection.
A devaswom vigilance official provided crucial clarification about the situation. The containers in question were originally manufactured for storing acid, but the specific units used for honey transportation had never actually been used for acid storage. However, the problematic seals remained on the containers, creating the alarming appearance of potential contamination.
"The problem was not with the honey quality, but exclusively with the containers in which they were brought," the official emphasized, while confirming that the honey transported in these containers would be returned to the supplier.
Temple Management's Precautionary Measures
Despite the food safety clearance, the Sabarimala temple officials decided not to take any chances with the ritual purity of the offerings. They made the cautious decision to avoid using the newly arrived honey for temple ceremonies. Instead, the temple management relied on existing stocks of honey to maintain the continuity of daily pujas and rituals without interruption.
This incident has highlighted the stringent standards maintained by the Travancore Devaswom Board regarding materials used in temple ceremonies. The board's proactive approach in identifying potential issues and taking immediate corrective action demonstrates their commitment to maintaining the highest standards of ritual purity and devotees' trust.
The situation continues to develop as the investigation progresses and the supplier responds to the show-cause notice issued by temple authorities.
