Chamarajanagar: Prasada including ladoos and Dasoha meal prepared at Dasoha Bhavan of Sri Male Mahadeshwara Swamy Temple has now secured food safety certification from Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

Sri Male Mahadeshwara Kshetra Development Authority had sought registration under FSSAI six months ago. FSSAI officials, who visited the temple, had carried out food safety and quality audit three months ago and now, the MM Hills Temple has secured FSSAI certification. The licence is valid for one year and needs to be renewed every year, subject to the conditions laid down under the Food Safety and Standards Act. The food authority regulates and checks for safe food manufacture, storage and handling practices. 

Price of ladoo revised

The Male Mahadeshwara Kshetra Development Authority has revised the price of ladoo  prasada with effect from Nov. 8 based on the expenditure incurred on making ladoos. The price of each ladoo has been now revised from Rs. 20 to Rs. 25.

Secretary of Temple Authority Jayavibhava Swamy stated that the price of ladoos had been increased from Rs. 15 to Rs. 20 in 2015. In the last five years, the cost of food prices has gone up by 50 percent. The salaries of permanent staff members working in food section has also been increased by up to 35 percent. Outsourced employees are now getting 30 percent more remuneration compared to that of five years ago. As a result, temple authorities had no option other than revising the price of ladoos.

Deepavali: No entry for devotees at MM Hills

The Male Mahadeshwara Development Authority has restricted entry of devotees to the hill temple as part of Deepavali from 7 pm on Nov. 13 to 7 am on Nov. 16, as a measure to contain COVID-19, ahead of the festival. The order was issued by Deputy Commissioner M.R. Ravi on Monday.