Sabarimala ghee under scanner: Minister seeks quality checks ahead of Mandalam season

Thiruvananthapuram: Devaswom Minister K Muraleedharan has written to the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president seeking quality checks on ghee brought by devotees to Sabarimala for preparing appam and aravana, officials said on Saturday.

Thousands of devotees bring ghee to the temple, where it is deposited in designated collection containers and stored in six tanks. The minister has proposed that samples be collected and tested whenever the tanks are filled.

Muraleedharan has also suggested setting up joint laboratories of the Health Department, Food Safety Department and Forensic Medicine Department at the hospitals in Sannidhanam and Pampa to conduct the tests.

According to the minister's proposal, the Food Safety Department would check for adulteration, while the Health Department would examine possible contamination and the Forensic Medicine Department would test for toxic substances.

Three samples would be collected from each storage tank for testing. One would be tested at Sabarimala, another sent to the central laboratories of the three departments, while the third would be stored in a freezer for any further examination or action, officials said.

Muraleedharan has directed the TDB to take urgent steps to establish the laboratories before the start of the upcoming Mandalam season.

The TDB has also been asked to allocate funds for purchasing the required equipment and provide the necessary infrastructure, including electricity and water facilities, while extending support to the departments involved.

The minister said ensuring the health and safety of devotees arriving for the Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage was a joint responsibility of the state government and the TDB.

(PTI)