Use of Arali flowers in temples likely to be banned soon

Thiruvananthapuram: Use of Arali flower (Nerium oleander) for ritual purposes in temples might soon come to an end. The decision barring its use will be taken if the Travancore Devaswom Board receives an authentic report confirming the presence of fatal poisonous elements in the flower. The Malabar Devaswom Board is also looking into the matter.

The development follows after the tragic demise of Surya Surendran, a Harripad native, who reportedly died after chewing the leaf and flower of Arali. 

On April 28, the 24-year-old woman collapsed at the Cochin International Airport where she had arrived to board a flight to the United Kingdom. She later died while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Parumala.   

Travancore Devaswom Board P S Prasanth said, “In case it it is confirmed from Surya’s postmortem report that the poison from Arali is the reason behind her death, then the use of the flower will be stopped in all the 1,252 temples.”

“We are looking into the matter seriously. I have been reading everything that is being written about the flower. Will soon hold discussions with the Health Department and tantris regarding this. If it is proven that the use of the flower is harmful for the devotees, then it will be banned for sure,” said the TDB president.

M R Murali, the Malabar Devaswom Board president, also voiced a similar opinion. 

The Arali flower is apparently not being used at the Guruvayur temple. Its use was restricted at the Triprayar temple as well.

There have been findings suggesting the presence of poisonous substances in flowers, leaves and roots of the plant. The flower is largely being sent to Kerala from the state of Tamil Nadu.