Appeals for Eligibility Relaxation Rejected; Five Remain on Sabarimala Melshanthi Shortlist
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has rejected appeals seeking relaxation of the eligibility criteria for the appointment of the Melshanthis (head priests) of Sabarimala Sree Ayyappa Swamy and Malikappuram temples.
The decision was taken after the Board heard 38 applicants in person. The TDB had received 48 applications for Sabarimala and 30 for Malikappuram.
As per the eligibility criteria, applicants must have at least 12 years of experience as a priest at a public temple, including a minimum of 10 years of continuous service as a Melshanthi.
To verify the applicants' claims, the Devaswom Vigilance wing visited the respective temples this year and collected information directly. Following the verification, the shortlist was reduced to five candidates for Sabarimala and three for Malikappuram. All three candidates shortlisted for Malikappuram are also included in the Sabarimala shortlist.
Subsequently, 47 applicants approached the Board seeking relaxation of the eligibility criteria. Of these, 38 appeared before the Board in person to present their cases. The hearings, which began on Saturday morning, continued until around 9 p.m.
After considering the representations, the Board decided not to add any new candidates to the shortlist, citing the findings of the Devaswom Vigilance report.
The Kerala High Court has already approved the existing shortlist. TDB President K. Jayakumar said the Board could not include additional candidates by overriding the findings of the Vigilance wing.
Interviews of the shortlisted candidates will be held on Monday, after which the final shortlist will be prepared. The Melshanthis of Sabarimala and Malikappuram will subsequently be selected through a draw at Sabarimala Sannidhanam.