Jejuri is home to Khandoba temple, one of Maharashtra’s most significant pilgrimage sites and a prominent kuldaivat (ancestral deity) for families across the state. Thousands of devotees visit the temple daily, following the age-old tradition of offering and showering turmeric powder on the deity and the temple structure. As a result, bhandara is sold in large quantities in and around the shrine. However, locals and temple priests alleged that over the years, vendors have increasingly sold chemically adulterated turmeric powder, ignoring its impact on public health and safety. They have squarely blamed the state Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for failing to conduct regular inspections or take action against errant traders. “Had the FDA taken strict and regular action, no vendor would have dared to sell such chemical-laced bhandara. How can officials ignore the safety and health of devotees?” a senior temple priest asked, expressing anger over official apathy. Digambar Bhogawade, joint commissioner, FDA, Pune, told TOI, “We have taken samples from the town and a vehicle carrying turmeric (bhandara) has been seized. These samples will be tested in our lab and then only we will come to know about the adulteration.” Concerns over adulterated bhandara are not new. In 2015, a team of experts from Deccan College Post Graduate and Research Institute (DCPR) and College of Engineering Pune (CoEP) inspected the temple premises and warned that contaminated turmeric powder used during rituals was causing damage to the stone structure of the temple and its porch. Priests working inside the temple said prolonged exposure had taken a toll on their health. “Many of us have developed skin diseases because of this chemical-mixed bhandara. I developed a black spot on my forehead due to daily application of the turmeric powder, as confirmed by a doctor. But we cannot stop applying it or prevent devotees from offering it,” a priest told TOI. Another said he, too, has developed persistent skin problems after years of direct contact with the powder. Local activists have demanded that FDA trace and shut down production units manufacturing adulterated bhandara. “Action against vendors will not solve the problem. The source must be stopped to make a real difference,” chief trustee Mangesh Ghone told TOI. Meanwhile, newly elected Jejuri municipal council president Jaideep Barbhai said, “We will not spare those involved in selling such bhandara. This is a matter of devotees’ safety and the prestige of our temple town. It is unfortunate that faith is being exploited in this manner.”
