Sabarimala women entry issue: TDB to submit affidavit in SC
The Travancore Devaswom Board will file an affidavit in the Supreme Court to protect traditional practices at Sabarimala regarding women’s entry. It also announced administrative and financial reforms to improve facilities, sanitation and transparency at the hill shrine
Thiruvananthapuram: The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) on Monday said that it will file an affidavit before the Supreme Court of India to preserve existing traditions when the court considers petitions related to the entry of women of menstruating age at the hill shrine of Sabarimala Temple.
Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president K Jayakumar said the issue of filing the affidavit was discussed at a board meeting held here, and a decision was taken to maintain the current practice.
The prevailing practice at Sabarimala restricts the entry of women of menstruating age at the Lord Ayyappa temple.
“The board has no difference of opinion on this. The TDB is constituted under rules that mandate the protection of the temple and its traditions. So we will contest the decision of the Supreme Court,” he said at a press meet, referring to the women’s entry issue.
He said the board’s stand is that the existing tradition regarding women’s entry at Sabarimala should continue.
“It has to be informed to the Supreme Court before March 14. We have decided to appoint the concerned persons to inform the court, and a resolution in this regard was taken during the board meeting,” he said.
He clarified that the TDB does not support the Supreme Court’s 2018 verdict permitting the entry of women of menstrual age at the temple, but added that whether the judgment should be reviewed is not within the board’s purview.
“Advice received by us was to take the matter as a resolution in the board meeting and file an affidavit in court,” he said, adding that the Devaswom has only one stand – that traditions should be protected and followed.
Asked whether the Communist Party of India (Marxist) government held the same position, the TDB president said that the enquiry should be directed to the government itself.
He said the TDB’s earlier stand had also been the same and that the board had not taken any other position in the matter.
“Whether a review of the court decision is required does not come under us. We can only explain our stand when the review is considered,” he said.
When asked about the earlier stand reportedly taken by the TDB’s counsel against reviewing the 2018 verdict, Jayakumar said that might have been the counsel’s view, but the board’s policy remains the protection of temple traditions.
In 2018, the Supreme Court allowed the entry of women of menstruating age into the Sabarimala temple.
The review petitions are currently under consideration, and the apex court has asked the aggrieved parties, including the state government, to state their stand before March 14.
Jayakumar announced that a festival office will commence operations at Pampa on April 14, Vishu day, and that board meetings would be held there.
He said the board has decided to prepare a detailed budget for Sabarimala covering revenue and expenditure to curb unnecessary spending, identify revenue leakages, and ensure proper auditing.
A modern tendering system for commercial spaces will be introduced, with clear conditions regarding cleanliness, electrical safety, and employee health, he said.
To improve sanitation, a scientific waste-disposal system will be introduced, and a detailed protocol will be prepared in consultation with experts, Jayakumar said.
Sponsorship guidelines will be reviewed, and sponsors will be permitted to contribute only in accordance with the temple’s requirements.
“There should not be a practice of individuals approaching the board offering various sponsorships. We will publish our requirements on the website if sponsorship is needed. We will accept sponsorship only on our terms. There will be no intermediaries,” he said.
The guidelines in this regard were formulated following the Sabarimala gold loss case, in which the prime accused, Unnikrishnan Potty, had volunteered to replate gold artefacts, a move that later became controversial.
Jayakumar said the availability of rooms at the hill shrine would be streamlined for pilgrims.
“We came to know that some rooms are occupied by certain people. We will take back all such rooms and renovate them for allotment to pilgrims. A database will be prepared, and rooms will be allotted through a housekeeping agency,” he said.
Announcements during the pilgrimage season will be made in Telugu, Kannada, Tamil and Malayalam, and kiosks will also support these languages.
Jayakumar said that to strengthen ties with devotees in other states, the TDB is considering launching a 24-page monthly magazine in Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada, English and Tamil.
The board has also decided to limit the number of daily-wage workers during the Sabarimala pilgrimage season and will not appoint them in sensitive areas, he added.
