The Kerala High Court on Tuesday said flex boards praising or congratulating the state government and the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) are not permitted in temples, as devotees go there to see God, not the faces of the Chief Minister, MLA, or board members.
A division bench comprising Justices Anil K Narendran and Justice Muralee Krishna S, while hearing a plea initiated by the High Court suo motu based on a complaint against a flex board put up at the Thuravoor Mahakshetram (a temple) near Cherthala in Alappuzha district, emphasised that devotees visit temples to worship God, not to see the faces of politicians or board members. The court ruled that flex boards praising or congratulating the state government and the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) are not allowed in temples.
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The flex board featured photographs of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, State Devaswom Minister VN Vasavan, the TDB president, and the local MLA. The message on the board congratulated the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the TDB for allowing ‘annadanam’ (free meals) for Sabarimala pilgrims during the Mandalakala-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season.
“Such activities cannot be permitted. Do not assume that the TDB owns the temples; it is merely a trustee managing them,” the court said.
The court said that the Thuravoor temple serves as an ‘edathavalam’ (resting point) for Sabarimala pilgrims, and it is the responsibility of the TDB to provide facilities for the pilgrims, not to promote political achievements. The bench has asked the TDB to clarify whether similar flex boards have been placed in other temples, including ‘edathavalams,’ under the board‘s management. The court also directed the formation of committees to remove illegal flex boards and festoons across the state.
