Sabarimala Aravana Payasam Patent Issue

Talk about Aravana and the first thing that comes into mind is Sabarimala. Aravana payasam is one of the most important ‘prasad’ (offering made to the Lord) distributed at the famous Sabarimala Temple dedicated to Lord Ayyappa in Kerala. Now, Kuok Oils and Grains a Singapore based company has applied for a patent for the name ‘Aravana’ and want to introduce several products including packed meat and fish under the Aravana trade name in India.

The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) which manages the temple does not have the patent for Aravana. The request for patent by Kuok in India was made public in March 2007 and they have also applied for a trade mark. The last date to file objections against the patent is on June 29.

More than 8 million cans – each containing 250 grams of Aravana – are sold at the temple during the two month Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrim season. Travancore Devaswom Board – often in the news for all the wrong reasons – has done nothing to stop an international company from acquiring patent on the most important ‘Nivedyam’ offered to Lord Ayyappa.