ISO Certified Temples

The biggest and richest temples in Chennai are queuing up for an ISO 9000: 2008 tag.

Chennai’s obsession with the ISO certification, a quality standard, is unparalleled in India. Almost all large jewellery shops around the central market area, engineering colleges and even astrologers proudly advertise their ISO credentials. It’s a great marketing ploy for businesses that run up a huge trust-deficit. Now, the biggest and richest temples in the city—Kapaleeshwar, Parthasarathy and Vadapalani (a particular favourite among film folk)—are queuing up for an ISO 9000: 2008 tag. “It’s good publicity for the temple and helps us streamline our administration. There will be greater attention on cleanliness and accountability,” says P Jayaraman, executive officer at Parthasarathy Temple in Triplicane.

The Geneva-based International Organization of Standardizations, which lays down guidelines for certifications, says the system ensures proper documentation, ensures consistency of processes, and facilitates constant improvement of services based on feedback. If only our gods could guarantee customer satisfaction.

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TR Vivek