To taste the dishes and then offer them to the Lord would be a sacrilege. Namboodiri, who has been at this job for the past 62 years, counts it an act of Grace that he is able to add all the ingredients like salt, spices, chillies etc in the correct proportion without even once needing the help of his tongue to check the quality of the product. Nor do the devotees who throng the 5000-capacity dining hall of the temple ever feel that the food offered to them has not been checked with the tongue.

82-year-old Namboodiri is the present head of the Muttas family that has been doing this service for many generations.

Although aged has made wrinkles on his skin, Namboodiri's memory and eyesight are intact. He gets up early in the morning and goes on with the chosen task.

His own 3 sons and 2 brothers help him in preparing the 16-dish, 2-payasam Onam feast.