Sabarimala Melshanthi Selection: Samajam Seeks Relaxation of Eligibility Criteria
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| Sabarimala Malikappuram Melshanthi Samajam |
The Sabarimala Malikappuram Melshanthi Samajam has urged the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) to relax the eligibility criteria for the appointment of Melshanthis (head priests) at Sabarimala and Malikappuram temples, arguing that the existing conditions exclude several qualified priests from the selection process.
The Samajam, represented by its president and former Malikappuram Melshanthi, Puthumana Manu Namboodiri, has submitted a petition to the Travancore Devaswom Board and the Chief Minister seeking a review of the current regulations.
Under the existing rules, applicants must have completed 10 years of continuous service in temples where three daily pujas are performed. Manu Namboodiri contended that the requirement was impractical, particularly for priests employed by the Devaswom Board, who are generally transferred every three years. He pointed out that only a limited number of temples within each administrative group conduct three daily pujas, making it difficult for priests to meet the continuous-service requirement.
The Samajam also expressed concern that experienced priests who have served at prominent temples, including Chettikulangara, Malayalappuzha, the OTC Hanuman Swamy Temple, Kottarakkara Ganapathy Temple and Pamba Ganapathy Temple, are being excluded from consideration because of the existing eligibility conditions.
The issue has come into focus ahead of the selection of the next Melshanthis at Sabarimala and Malikappuram. The lottery for the appointments is scheduled for the first day of the Malayalam month of Thulam. The initial list contained five candidates, but following the intervention of the Kerala High Court, five additional names were included. Only two priests serving under the Travancore Devaswom Board feature in the final list.
The Melshanthi Samajam has called for a review of the eligibility criteria to ensure that experienced and qualified priests receive fair opportunities to apply for the prestigious appointments in future selection cycles.