Pathanamthitta: On Wednesday, P S Prasanth, President of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), stated that the last affidavit submitted by the board to the Supreme Court in 2016 aimed to safeguard the traditional rituals and customs concerning the entry of young women into the Sabarimala temple. He emphasized that no new affidavit has been filed since that time, rendering it no longer relevant. This comment was made in response to inquiries about whether the TDB would alter its position in the apex court regarding the entry of women of menstruating age into the Lord Ayyappa shrine. The opposition parties, Congress and BJP, have called for clarification from the TDB on the matter.
Prasanth noted that for the past four to five years, all rituals and customs at the Sabarimala temple have been adhered to strictly, without any deviations. He mentioned that the issue is currently pending before the constitutional bench of the Supreme Court. According to Prasanth, the last affidavit submitted by the Board in 2016 sought to protect the shrine’s rituals and customs regarding women’s entry. He also reported that operations at the Lord Ayyappa temple are functioning smoothly, with 54 lakh pilgrims visiting the hill shrine during the last annual pilgrimage season. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of the government, TDB, Pandalam royal family, local representatives, and various organizations, the previous pilgrimage season was completed without any complaints.
He added that the objective for the upcoming Global Ayyappa Sangamam is aligned with this goal: the development of Sabarimala.