TDB, MDB to keep oleander oˆ most temple rituals
The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) and the Malabar Devaswom Board (MDB) announced on Thursday their discontinuation of the use of Arali ©owers (oleander) in the most sacred rituals conducted at temples under their administration. This decision was prompted by concerns regarding the toxic nature of these ©owers, which could pose harm to humans and animals.
TDB president P.S. Prasanth announced the decision following a board meeting on Thursday. “It has been decided to completely
Prompted by the toxic nature of oleander, the Travancore and Malabar devaswom boards decide to discontinue the flower’s use in Nivedyam and Prasadam in temples under them.
avoid using Arali ©owers in the Nivedyam and Prasadam oerings in the temples under the TDB. However, the ©ower will continue to be used for performing pujas. Devotees
will be permitted to oer Tulsi, Thechi (ixora), rose, etc., to the temples under the board,” he said.
The MDB will issue an o¢cial order on Friday based on a directive from its president M.R. Murali. There are around 1,500 temples under the MDB.
“Although the Arali ©ower is not widely used in rituals in temples, its use is banned considering the safety of devotees. Studies have found that the ©ower contains toxic substances,” Mr. Murali said.
The TDB move, according to Mr. Prasanth, aims at eliminating the possibility of Arali reaching the hands of the devotees directly from the temples. The decision to exclude the ©ower will be communicated to the Devaswom Assistant Commissioners via letter. Additionally, the sub group o¢cers and administrative o¢cers of the temples will be instructed to ensure that Arali ©owers are not used during Nivedya Samarpana Puja.
Woman’s death
Recently, a young woman from Alappuzha collapsed and died after she inadvertently ingested oleander ©owers and leaves. Similarly, there were reports of a cow and calf in Pathanamthitta dying two days ago after consuming oleander leaves. According to some studies, oleander, a tough and pretty shrub, grows well in tropical and subtropical areas. The studies suggest that inside their leaves and ©owers, oleanders have cardenolides, which can aect the heart of animals and humans, making it beat stronger.