THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Travancore Devaswom Board(TDB) will modernise the ‘Prasadam’ production in major temples under its fold. The drive will begin with the Sabarimala temple for which the TDB has roped in the Central Food Technological Research Institute(CFTRI) for technological support.It will be extended to the other major temples in a phased manner. Prasadams selected for the programme, include the ‘Unniyappam’ of Kottarakkara Sree Mahaganapathy temple, ‘Uzhunnu vada’ of Kaviyoor Mahadeva temple and ‘Ottayappam’ of Vazhappally Siva temple.
TDB president A Padmakumar said the new technology will be used in appam and aravana production at Sabarimala from May 15. “Sample prasadam handed over by the CTFRI had good quality, taste and longer shelf life. The soft ‘appams’ will definitely make the devotees happy,” he said. The existing manufacturing units will be used and the current stock of aravana cans will be used till it is cleared. An expanded production facility complying with the CFTRI’s specifications will be set up before the next Mandalam-Makara season.
“When the new production facility is set up, the prasadam production will be fully mechanised except for the manual mixing of the blessed prasadam,” Padmakumar said. Ten staff members each from the CTFRI and TDB will oversee the production. The CTFRI will also impart training to the TDB staff on the new production system . The institute has also been asked to design a paper package for unniyappam.
The TDB, however, does not have an immediate plan to revise the prices. “The new technology will help to reduce the use of jaggery by upto 50 per cent, but the new packaging will cost more,” he said.
“Our aim is to provide good quality and tasty prasadams in all their divinity. The quality improvement of prasadams is one of the key features of the modernisation programme devised for selected shrines,” he said.