By The Pulseline News Desk
What appears to be a complete Atapirikara set on a shop shelf may not always contain everything promised on the outside.
A special islandwide inspection conducted by the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) has uncovered a range of irregularities in the sale of Atapirikara and Pirikara items, including incomplete sets, substituted or inferior products, damaged bowls and even blunt razor blades.
The CAA has conducted 92 successful raids on August 10, as part of a special operation aimed at ensuring that traders comply with legal requirements governing the sale of religious items and protecting consumers from misleading or substandard products.
With another 35 raids carried out between January and July 2026, the total number of CAA raids targeting Atapirikara and Pirikara sales this year has risen to 127.
The latest operation was conducted to verify compliance with the requirements stipulated under Order No. 55 of Extraordinary Gazette No. 1918/20 dated June 11, 2015. CAA officers also examined bills, invoices and other documents maintained by traders.
Problems hidden inside packaging
One of the more significant findings was that officers did not rely solely on the information displayed on the outside of packages.
Selected Atapirikara sets were randomly opened and their contents examined — revealing problems that could easily go unnoticed by consumers purchasing sealed packages.
Among the irregularities identified were sets containing only one robe instead of a pair, while some sets were missing components from the eight items traditionally associated with an Atapirikara.
Officials also found instances where the contents of sets had been changed according to the price advertised, raising concerns over whether consumers were receiving the products they believed they were purchasing.
Other items found during the inspections included aluminium and damaged bowls, as well as blunt or unusable razor blades.
The CAA said such deficiencies may not be immediately visible from the outside of a package, making it particularly important for consumers to verify the contents before purchasing an Atapirikara set.
Information missing from products
The majority of violations detected during the latest operation related to the failure to display information required under the relevant regulations.
These shortcomings were found on Atapirikara, Tanipata Sivuru, Adanakada, Bandapati, bowls and other Pirikara products or their packaging.
CAA officials had seized 436 items in connection with the violations. The seized products included Atapirikara sets, robes, Adanakadas, Bandapatis, bowls and other accessories.
The Authority has said legal proceedings will be initiated against the traders responsible for the violations before the relevant Magistrate’s Courts.
CAA puts traders on notice
The CAA has stressed that responsibility does not rest solely with consumers to identify defective or incomplete religious items.
Traders are required to provide the information prescribed for Atapirikara and Pirikara products and their packaging, ensure that the items sold are in proper condition and comply with all applicable legal requirements.
The latest findings highlight a broader concern in the retail sale of religious goods: the appearance of a complete package does not necessarily guarantee that all the required items are inside or that the products meet acceptable standards.
The CAA has therefore urged consumers to carefully inspect Atapirikara and Pirikara items, particularly when purchasing complete sets for religious observances.
The Authority has said random market inspections and special islandwide raids will continue, signalling that traders selling these religious items will remain under scrutiny.
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