Kerala High Court Issues Directions to Ensure Transparency in Sabarimala Padi Pooja Bookings
The Kerala High Court has issued important directions to the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) to ensure greater transparency and better utilisation of available days for conducting Padi Pooja at the Sabarimala Sree Ayyappa Swamy Temple.
A Division Bench comprising Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V. and Justice K. V. Jayakumar issued the directions while considering a suo motu petition initiated on the basis of a monthly report submitted by the Sabarimala Special Commissioner. The report concerned activities carried out during the Kumbham Masa Pooja at the temple.
Earlier, the Court had expressed concern that the booking system for Padi Pooja may have been misused. It suspected that some individuals might have used false credentials to obtain bookings and later sold them for profit.
Following these concerns, the authorities submitted a detailed report before the Court along with the relevant registers and records. The report revealed that bookings for Padi Pooja have already been completed from March 2026 to September 2040, with approximately 705 devotees having secured slots.
The report also highlighted several exceptional situations. Many devotees who had booked Padi Pooja during the COVID-19 pandemic or during flood periods were unable to perform the ritual on their scheduled dates. In some cases, the devotees who made the bookings have since passed away. The number of such cases has been reported to be around 71.
Despite bookings being completed up to September 2040, the Court observed that there are still 207 days on which no Padi Pooja has been scheduled, even though the temple remains open on those days and rituals could be conducted.
The Court noted that the Vigilance Wing of the Board currently conducts proper verification of devotees who appear for Padi Pooja and that no similar irregularities have been reported in recent times. The Chief Vigilance Officer has also submitted recommendations to streamline the process.
To address the issue, the Court issued several directions to the Travancore Devaswom Board to improve transparency and streamline the process of conducting Padi Pooja. The Court directed the Board to identify all valid days on which Padi Pooja can be performed and explore the possibility of scheduling the ritual on those days for devotees who have already secured bookings up to 2040. This measure is intended to reduce the long waiting period currently faced by devotees.
The Court also instructed the Board to publish the details of all vacant days available for conducting Padi Pooja on its official website. This step is expected to improve transparency and ensure that devotees have clear access to information about available booking opportunities.
Further, the Court directed the Board to establish and implement an appropriate mechanism to reallocate vacant slots in a phased and transparent manner. The objective is to ensure that pending bookings up to September 2040 are cleared efficiently.
In addition, the Court asked the Board to examine the feasibility of conducting more than one Padi Pooja on eligible days, subject to the concurrence of the Temple Tantri. If feasible, this could help accommodate more devotees and reduce the waiting list.
The Court also emphasized the need for proper verification during the booking process. It directed the Board to ensure that devotees produce valid identity documents and provide complete contact details at the time of booking. Devotees must also nominate a person who can perform the pooja in case unforeseen circumstances prevent them from attending.
Finally, the Court directed the Board to publish information on its official website regarding vacant dates not only for Padi Pooja but also for other important rituals such as Udayasthamaya Pooja, Ulsava Bali, Kalababishekam, and Sahasra Kalasam. This measure aims to enhance transparency and help devotees make use of available opportunities to perform these rituals.
The Court issued these directions and further directed the Travancore Devaswom Board to submit a compliance report within two months.