Sabarimala Row: Temple Board to Contest Women’s Entry Order in Supreme Court

The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has announced that it will contest the court order permitting the entry of women of menstruating age into the Sabarimala temple in Kerala. The board said it will file an affidavit before the Supreme Court reaffirming its commitment to uphold what it describes as the temple’s age-old traditions.

The development comes as review petitions against the Supreme Court’s landmark 2018 verdict are currently under consideration by a larger bench. In that ruling, the apex court had allowed women of all age groups to enter the Lord Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala, overturning a long-standing restriction on women between the ages of 10 and 50.

The Supreme Court has directed all concerned parties, including the Kerala government and the Travancore Devaswom Board, to clarify their stand before March 14. Responding to this directive, TDB President K Jayakumar said the decision to contest the order was taken during a board meeting held in light of the ongoing proceedings.

Jayakumar stated that the board is bound by the Travancore-Cochin Hindu Religious Institutions Act to protect and preserve temple customs and traditions. “It is the bounden duty of the Travancore Devaswom Board to uphold the age-old custom of Sabarimala,” he said, adding that there is no difference of opinion within the board on the issue.

He further clarified that while the state government may adopt its own position in court, the board’s statutory responsibility requires it to defend the existing practice at the temple. According to the TDB, its stance is not contradictory to previous submissions but consistent with its legal mandate to safeguard religious traditions.

The Sabarimala issue has remained one of the most debated legal and social questions in recent years, triggering widespread protests and political discussions across Kerala and beyond following the 2018 verdict.

The larger bench of the Supreme Court is expected to revisit constitutional questions related to religious freedom, gender equality and essential religious practices while hearing the review petitions.

With the March 14 deadline approaching, the TDB’s affidavit is likely to play a significant role in shaping the next phase of hearings in the long-standing Sabarimala case.