THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Travancore Devaswom Board will file an affidavit before the Supreme Court to preserve existing traditions at Sabarimala temple, opposing the 2018 ruling that opened the hill shrine to women of all ages, board president K Jayakumar said Monday.The decision was taken at a board meeting as the court considers petitions on the entry of women of menstruating age into the temple in Kerala’s Pathanamthitta district. On Sept 28, 2018, a five-judge Constitution bench struck down by a 4-1 majority the restriction at Sabarimala – the centuries-old practice that bars women aged 10 to 50. The top court held that the ban violated equality and freedom of worship. It said biological factors cannot justify denial of access to a place of worship.
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“We will contest the Supreme Court decision. The board has no difference of opinion on this,” Jayakumar said. “TDB is constituted under rules that mandate the protection of the temple and its traditions.”TDB is an autonomous statutory body headquartered in Thiruvananthapuram that manages more than 1,000 temples in Kerala. Formed in 1950, it is the largest of the state’s five devaswom boards and oversees iconic shrines, most notably Sabarimala. Addressing the board’s counsel having opposed a review of the 2018 verdict in 2020, Jayakumar said that reflected a legal view at the time and not a shift in policy. “The devaswom has only one stand – that traditions should be protected and followed,” he said, adding that the board can place its position when the court takes up the review. The court has asked all parties to communicate their stand by March 15. The meeting was convened in that context, and the board resolved to adopt a position “aligned with the sentiments of devotees”, Jayakumar said. Asked whether Kerala govt would mirror the board’s stand, he said the question should be put to govt.
