In a story that’s buzzing with curiosity, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has launched a thorough investigation into a strange find: honey supplied to the sacred Sabarimala temple was delivered in plastic containers that were actually labeled for acid! Yes, you read that right. The supplier responsible is Kerala’s own Regional Agro Industrial Development Co-operative, called RAYDCO. They handed over the honey in these acid-marked plastic containers, sparking serious questions. The issue came to light during a check by the Devaswom Vigilance department. Thanks to their alertness, the honey was quickly set aside for safety. But here’s the twist – preliminary tests by the Food Safety Laboratory at Pampa confirmed the honey itself is perfectly safe. All edible items for the temple get sampled and tested there. A TDB official explained, “Honey is primarily used for performing the Ashtabhishekam ritual and is never distributed to devotees as an offering or used in preparing other offerings. Therefore, there is no risk of anyone consuming it.” So, it’s the container labels, not the honey, that raised the alarm. Following the probe, a show cause notice has been sent to RAYDCO to explain this surprising mix-up. Meanwhile, in a big move to keep the annual Sabarimala pilgrimage smooth and secure, Devaswom Minister V.N. Vasavan led a review meeting in Erumely. The focus? Strengthening surveillance systems, especially on the forest routes where many pilgrims walk. The meeting made it clear: pilgrims must stick to the traditional path and not sneak through alternate forest trails. To enforce this, the Forest Department and police will monitor key points like Mukkuzhi closely. In fact, they are even thinking about starting spot booking for pilgrims at Mukkuzhi to better manage crowds. But remember, those pilgrims still must report at Pampa before heading to the Sannidhanam. The officials also checked on all preparations and made sure no one sells chemical vermillion in local shops, as per High Court orders. And when it comes to cleanliness, mobile sewage treatment units recently set up in Erumely are working well to handle waste during the busy pilgrimage. Joining the meeting were TDB president K. Jayakumar and Kottayam District Collector Chetan Kumar Meena, underscoring the importance of safe and smooth pilgrim movement this season. So, while the honey container mix-up created a flutter, the temple’s rituals and pilgrims’ safety remain rock solid. And with tighter checks and smart planning, this Sabarimala season looks set to be well-managed and holy as ever!