A senior police officer told IANS that temple authorities had prepared 'puliyogare' (tamarind rice) early in the morning while the pooja and other rituals were only completed post noon.

"Hence, prasadam that was prepared early in the morning had become stale but the temple authorities still distributed it among devotees and they consumed it too out of faith," the officer added.

The police stated that most of the patients were complaining of severe stomach aches  with vomiting and in some some cases, loose stools.

However, that of the nearly 100 devotees, only seven were seriously ill and admitted to the government hospital, while the police, along with temple authorities and villagers, set up a makeshift hospital at the spot to treat the patients, who were administered drips.