Caste conditions withdrawn; Now on, non-Brahmins can also prepare Sabarimala prasadam

Thiruvananthapuram: The Travancore Devaswom Board has withdrawn the ‘caste conditions’ in the tender for preparing the prasadam of the Sabarimala Sree Dharma Sastha Temple. Previously, the advertisement used to specify that only Malayali Brahmins shall make the Unniyappam, Vella Nivedyam, Sarkara Payasam, Avil Prasadam for the temple.

Ambedkar Cultural Forum president Sivan Kadali had alleged that the advertisement of a government-controlled office providing opportunity for a particular caste is against the principle of equality. He sent complaints to the state government and the Human Rights Commission. Though the Commission had in 2001 itself ruled that the advertisement cannot discriminate over religion, it was not followed.