Claim
An old photo of a bottle of 'Aravana payasam' manufactured by Al-Zahaa, a United Arab Emirates (UAE) based company has resurfaced on social media with a false claim that it is the 'Aravana prasadam' sold by Kerala's Sabarimala temple to devotees. The photo is being shared on Facebook with a Telugu caption, "The Communist government of Kerala called a tender to prepare Sabarimala prasadam and gave the deal to a Muslim. Aravana Prasad is now Halal certified. Very sad thing. Share through WhatsApp, Facebook to change the contract and give pressure to remove them Swamye Saranam Ayyappa."
Fact
BOOM found the viral claim to be false. Both the UAE-based company Al Zahaa Sweets and the Travancore Devaswom Board, which oversees the Sabarimala temple, had refuted this claim back in 2021. At the time, BOOM contacted the Travancore Devaswom Board, which confirmed that the prasadam is prepared within the temple itself. Additionally, Rashid, one of the owners of Al Zahaa, denied the claim, clarifying that the company is based in the UAE and manufactures various snacks and sweets. BOOM had fact-checked the viral photo in November 2021, when it was being shared with false and communal claims.