Kerala HC Orders Submission of Padi Pooja Booking Records Till 2045 Amid Irregularity Concerns
Kochi: The Kerala High Court has taken serious note of suspected irregularities in connection with the Padi Pooja ritual at the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala and ordered an inquiry into the matter. A division bench of Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and K. V. Jayakumar directed the Chief Vigilance and Security Officer of the temple to immediately take custody of all records related to Padi Pooja bookings and produce them before the court in a sealed cover to ensure their integrity and proper judicial scrutiny.
The direction followed a vigilance enquiry which found that some Padi Pooja bookings were allegedly made using false or fictitious addresses and later transferred unofficially to others for higher amounts of money. Reports indicate that bookings were made, money collected, and the slots subsequently resold. The High Court has also sought detailed information about devotees who have booked Padi Pooja slots up to the year 2045, observing that the issue was not merely administrative but related to the sanctity of temple rituals and the credibility of the booking system.
Padi Pooja is a special ritual performed at the 18 holy steps, known as Pathinettampadi, at the Sabarimala Temple. Conducted in the evening after the Pushpabhishekam ceremony, the ritual involves decorating the sacred steps with flowers and silk cloth and lighting traditional lamps on each step. The ceremony is performed by the Thantri in the presence of the Melsanthi and concludes with aarathi. Temple records state that the Padi Pooja ritual was introduced after the installation of the temple Dwajam (flag mast) in 1969.
The court noted that five Padi Poojas are conducted every month and that bookings have already been made up to 2045, reflecting the high demand among devotees. The vigilance officer also informed the court that two persons who had made bookings failed to appear when identity verification was sought, strengthening suspicion of possible misuse of the booking system.
The matter has been posted for further hearing on March 4.