Fake Documents in Sabarimala Melsanthi Appointment: Action Will Be Taken, Says Devaswom Board President K. Jayakumar
Thiruvananthapuram: Travancore Devaswom Board President K. Jayakumar has responded to a media report alleging that the current Melsanthi (chief priest) of the Sabarimala Sree Ayyappa Swamy Temple, E.D. Prasad, secured the position using forged documents. Speaking to the media, Jayakumar stated that Prasad was appointed by the previous Devaswom Board and assured that the allegations would be Investigated based on the information that has now emerged.(sabarimalauptodate.in)
He noted that the process of selecting the next Sabarimala Melsanthi is currently underway and said that, in light of the recent revelations, the Board would exercise greater caution in scrutinizing applications and related documents. “We cannot simply ignore the matter without taking appropriate action,” Jayakumar said.
News18 media had earlier published documents that allegedly indicate E.D. Prasad obtained the position of Sabarimala Melsanthi by submitting false records. One of the key eligibility criteria for the post is that an applicant must have served continuously for ten years as Melsanthi in temples where three daily poojas are conducted. According to the report, this requirement was overlooked in Prasad’s case.(sabarimalauptodate.in)
Documents submitted by Prasad to the Travancore Devaswom Board claim that he had served as Melsanthi at the Chottanikkara Temple under the Cochin Devaswom Board. However, records indicate that he actually served at Keezhkavu, where only two daily poojas are conducted.
Furthermore, eligibility rules for serving as Melsanthi at Chottanikkara Melkkavu require the priest to be at least 45 years old. In 2015, Prasad was only 35 years old. This discrepancy raises serious questions about the authenticity of the records claiming that he served as Melsanthi there during that period.
The report also states that service rendered at Chottanikkara Keezhkavu between 2015–2017 and 2019–2020 cannot be counted toward the eligibility requirement for appointment as Sabarimala Melsanthi, since the temple does not conduct three daily poojas. It is alleged that records relating to his service at Keezhkavu in 2016 and 2019 were altered to show that he had served as Melsanthi at Melkkavu and were submitted along with his application.(sabarimalauptodate.in)
In addition, from 2022 until his appointment as Sabarimala Melsanthi, Prasad reportedly served at the Areshwaram Temple in Thrissur, where only two daily poojas are conducted. If accurate, this would constitute another violation of the eligibility criteria.
Taken together, these allegations suggest that Prasad may not have met the fundamental qualification required to apply for the post of Sabarimala Melsanthi—namely, ten consecutive years of service as Melsanthi in a temple conducting three daily poojas. The allegations are now expected to come under official scrutiny.