TDB to Present Sabarimala Rituals, Customs Before Supreme Court: President P S Prasanth
Thiruvananthapuram: Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president P S Prasanth on Monday said the temple body would make all efforts to convince the Supreme Court about the unique rituals and customs of the Sabarimala shrine.
“Everybody knows about the rituals and customs of Sabarimala. We will try to convince the Supreme Court about this. We have to consult with legal experts, and we will do whatever we can in this regard,” Prasanth told reporters in the state capital, adding that the board would seek legal opinion before making its submissions.
The issue traces back to 2018, when the Supreme Court struck down the ban on women of menstruating age from entering the Sabarimala temple, calling the restriction “unconstitutional.” The ruling triggered widespread protests across Kerala and is currently under review by a larger bench.
Prasanth’s remarks come a day after BJP Kerala chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar criticised the TDB for organising the upcoming Global Ayyappa Sangamam and urged it to firmly oppose women’s entry into the hill shrine.
The Global Ayyappa Sangamam is scheduled to be held on September 20 at Pampa as part of the TDB’s 75th anniversary celebrations, in association with the Kerala government.
The Travancore Devaswom Board, an autonomous body, manages 1,248 temples in the erstwhile Travancore region, including the Sabarimala temple dedicated to Lord Ayyappa.