Coconut water unit opened at Punnai Nallur temple

In a move to avoid coconut water going waste during the offering of coconut, the IIFPT which has been developing a series of technologies for making value-added products, has come out with a technology that would save the coconut water and make it prasadam which can be distributed among devotees. 

The unique unit which was developed at an estimated cost of Rs 7 lakh, has a water collection unit which would filter the coconut water and send it to two chiller units from where the purified coconut water can be taped from the main mounted unit for distribution as prasadam. 

Union Minister Prahalad Singh Patel inaugurated the unit at Punnai Nallur Mariamman Temple in Thanjavur in the presence of Collector Dinesh Ponraj Oliver, IIFPT Director Ananda Ramakrishnan, Thanjavur Palace Devasthanam Hereditary Trustee Babaji Rajah Bhonsle and other officials. 

Speaking to reporters, IIFPT Director Ananda Ramakrishnan said, the institute has been creating awareness among people about the value-added product in coconut water. “There are several nutrients available in coconut water and in most of the temples, the water from the broken coconuts offered by devotees go waste and so we have come out with a technology which is the first of its kind in India and make use of the rich nutrient and ensure its distribution to the devotees in the form of prasadam,” he said and added that there are around 5,000 coconuts offered each day in Punnai Nallur Mariamman temple.