THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After the Travancore and Malabar Devaswom Boards banned Arali flowers in Archana and Prasadam, the arrival of flowers to Kerala has dropped. It was learned from markets in Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi that people have stopped buying Arali for house ceremonies and offering to temples. Even before the regulation, a large number of people had stopped purchasing Arali.

Consequently, traders also ceased buying these flowers, resulting in a significant decrease in flower arrivals from Coimbatore to Kochi. Shakil, a wholesaler in Coimbatore, mentioned that while he used to deliver 200 kg of flowers to Kochi, now only provides 20 kg.

Although no restriction or ban was imposed on Arali, it is now primarily used for garlanding in most temples under the Cochin Board. Cochin Devaswom Board maintains that a decision can only be made after the results of the chemical test are released.