Kerala High Court Suspends Vapuran Swami Temple Construction in Erumeli
Ernakulam – The Kerala High Court has issued an interim order halting the construction of the Vapuran Swami Temple in Erumeli, directing the Erumeli Grama Panchayat to take necessary steps to enforce the suspension. The Division Bench, comprising Justices Anil K. Narendran and S. Muraleekrishna, issued the directive in response to a petition filed by K.K. Padmanabhan, a resident of North Paravoor.
The court has also instructed the Erumeli police to provide protection to the Grama Panchayat authorities to ensure compliance with the order. Additionally, the Erumeli SHO has been directed to report to the District Police Chief in case of any law-and-order issues at the site. The court’s intervention comes just as the consecration ceremonies for the Vapuran Swami Temple were scheduled to commence on Monday.
The Erumeli Grama Panchayat informed the High Court that the temple construction lacks the necessary permits under the Kerala Panchayat Raj Act. Meanwhile, the Vishva Hindu Parishad clarified to the court that it is not associated with the temple’s construction. The petition is slated for further consideration by the High Court on Monday.
The decision to build the temple near Puthanveedu in Erumeli was based on an Ashtamangala Devaprashna ritual led by astrologer Padmanabha Sharma from Iringalakkuda, which recommended the construction and consecration of Vapuran Swami at the Ayyappan Kavu site.