The Kerala High Court on 3 September 2025 admitted a public interest litigation (PIL) challenging the Travancore Devaswom Board’s (TDB) decision to organise the “Global Ayyappa Sangamam” at Sabarimala later this month. The court has sought a detailed explanation from the Board regarding the nature and financing of the event.
A division bench of Justices Devan Ramachandran and Syam Kumar V.M. was hearing the petition filed by Ajeesh Kalathil Gopi, who appeared in person. He argued that the programme was “political” in nature and could not be permitted in the name of Lord Ayyappa. He also urged the court to direct the removal of temporary structures erected in and around the temple and the Pampa riverbank, where the event is scheduled on 20 September 2025, saying it would compromise the sanctity of the shrine.
The bench observed that there was a lack of clarity on the true nature of the event. “What we have been told are peripheral things, which do not really explain the event fully,” it remarked. The judges reminded the TDB that it must act strictly within the mandate of the Travancore-Cochin Hindu Religious Institutions Act, 1950.
Defending the initiative, TDB’s standing counsel G. Biju told the court that the “Global Ayyappa Sangamam” was conceived to highlight Sabarimala as a global pilgrimage centre, spread the universal message of “Thathwamasi,” and promote religious harmony and global unity. He added that the programme coincided with the Platinum Jubilee of the TDB and assured the bench that “no funds from the public exchequer or TDB resources would be spent.” Instead, the event would be “financed entirely through sponsorships.”
The court, however, directed the Board to ensure transparency. It asked the TDB to file on record comprehensive details of the sponsorships, emphasising that the funding must come from “verifiable and credible sources.” The bench underlined that “every step taken by the Board must align with its statutory duties and the trust reposed in it by millions of devotees.”
Appearing for the state, Senior Government Pleader S. Kannan clarified that the government had no role in organising the programme. Its involvement, he said, would be limited to assisting with crowd management, given the large number of devotees expected to participate.
The court also stressed that the Pampa riverbank, chosen as the venue, should be treated with the “highest sanctity,” noting its reverence as the “Dakshina Ganga” for devotees. “Their duties and responsibilities are only to the religious institutions under the Act; bound in full by the trust, beliefs and conscience of the multitude of devotees on the deity,” the bench observed.
Admitting the PIL, the court directed the TDB to submit complete details of the event, including its schedule, structure, and financing, before the next hearing on 9 September 2025.
(With inputs from LawBeat)
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