The temples in Kerala have banned the offerings of ‘Arali’ flowers (oleander) in sacred rituals after a decision by two major temple administration boards following the death of a woman in the Alappuzha district. In Kerala, oleander is known as ‘Arali’ and ‘kanaveeram’, and grows in different colours and varieties.
The decision to ban oleander flowers was taken by the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), which is entrusted with the task of administrating 1,248 temples, and the Malabar Devaswom Board with over 1,400 temples under its jurisdiction.
According to a report, the decision was made after incidents were reported in Alappuzha and Pathanamthitta. In Alappuzha, a woman allegedly died after consuming some Arali flowers and leaves by mistake. A cow and calf also reportedly died in Pathanamthitta last week after eating oleander leaves.
Surya Surendran (24), a nurse who was set to leave for the UK on April 28, died prima facie due to accidental oleander poisoning. On April 28, she chewed some leaves of the oleander plant, which grew outside her house in Alappuzha’s Pallipad. After that, she developed uneasiness and vomited a few times. Later that day, she collapsed at the Kochi airport and died a couple of days later at a hospital, according to the report.
Flowers like tulsi, thechi (Ixora), jasmine, jamanti (hibiscus), and rose will be used instead of oleander in temples.
It has been decided to completely avoid using Arali flowers in the ‘naivedya’ and ‘prasad’ offerings in temples under the TDB, quoted PS Prasanth, the president of the TDB, as saying.
Although the ‘Arali’ flower is not widely used in rituals in temples, its use is banned, considering the safety of devotees. Studies have found that the flower contains toxic substances, MR Murali, Malabar Devaswom Board President, told.
According to the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, an oil prepared from the root bark can be used to treat skin diseases.
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 flowers, oleanders have cardenolides, which can affect the functioning of the hearts of animals and humans, reported.