Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Wednesday ordered the Travancore Devaswom Board to immediately stop the distribution of 'aravana', made with pesticide-laced cardamom, in Sabarimala.
Aravana is given to devotees of Lord Ayyappa Temple in Sabarimala as an offering. Recently, a food safety authority report confirmed that the cardamom used for making aravana in Sabarimala has around 14 types of pesticides in them.
After receiving the HC direction, TDB said that it would stop the distribution on aravana.
In its order, the HC said that the food safety officer of Sabarimala should ensure that aravana that has cardamom that's not suitable for consumption is not distributed anymore. The court also said that the sample of aravana should be examined again. Either aravana should be made with quality cardamom after discussing with Spices Board, or the porridge can be made even without cardamom, said the court. The Devaswom bench of the court, which took up the case, will consider the case again after two weeks.
As per a Manorama News report, the High Court had sought a report on the quality of the spice based on a petition filed by 'Ayyappa Spices', an agency that used to supply cardamom for making 'aravana'.
A report released by a food testing laboratory in Thiruvananthapuram stated the presence of chemicals beyond permissible limits in the cardamom used.
In the past, cardamom for aravana was supplied by the Kerala Forest Development Corporation's plantation in Gavi.
Last November, the Sabarimala Special Commissioner informed the High Court that there was a need to ramp up the production of aravana. The commissioner had also recommended the need to procure more quality cans for the purpose.
