High Court Suggests More Than One Padipooja Daily; Vacant dates will be available soon

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Kochi: If there are no ritual restrictions, more than one Padipooja can be conducted in a single day at Sabarimala, the High Court observed. The court directed that a decision should be taken after consulting the Tantri (chief priest). The court also stated that there is currently no evidence of irregularities being carried out in the name of Padipooja.

The directive was issued by a division bench comprising Justices V. Raja Vijayaraghavan and K. V. Jayakumar, after the Devaswom Board informed the court that Padipooja bookings had been completed until September 2040. The order came while disposing of a suo motu petition taken up based on a vigilance report that raised suspicion that Padipooja bookings were being transferred after being reserved.

From March 26 this year to September 2040, there are 207 days when Padipooja is still available. The court also directed that it should be examined whether those who have already booked can be accommodated on these available days on a priority basis. So far, 705 people have booked Padipooja until 2040. The fee for Padipooja is ₹1,37,900. Documents related to the bookings had been seized and submitted by the vigilance department as per the court’s direction.

Court’s Additional Directions

• The vigilance department must regularly inspect to ensure that Padipooja bookings are not being transferred after reservation.

• Available Padipooja dates should be published on the official website.

• Detailed information of the person booking the pooja must be recorded, and a nominee should also be specified.

• Bookings should not be confirmed without payment of the bill. Existing bookings without payment must be cancelled if the amount is not paid within the stipulated time.

• Information about available Udayasthamana Pooja, Utsava Bali, Kalabhabhishekam, and Sahasrakalasham should also be published on the website.

• A report on the implementation of these directions must be submitted to the court within two months through the Special Commissioner.

If the Devaswom Board implements the High Court’s suggestion to conduct more than one Padipooja per day, along with better scheduling of other rituals, several currently booked dates could be reorganized. This would help accommodate more devotees and is expected to create additional vacant dates for Padipooja and other offerings in the near future. As a result, devotees who have been waiting for bookings may soon get an opportunity to reserve these rituals if the new system is put into effect.