A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court on Friday set aside the order of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) granting permission for the government to use the premises of the Chakkuvally Sree Parabrahma temple in Kollam for the Navakerala Sadas on December 18.
The Bench comprising Justice Anil K. Narendran and Justice G. Gireesh issued the order while disposing of a writ petition filed by Jayakumar J. and another person from Kollam challenging the decision of the district administration to hold the Navakerala Sadas on the temple ground.
The court found that the TDB had not considered the statutory provisions such as the Travancore-Cochin Hindu Religious Institutions Act and various decisions of the High Court against the use of the temple premises for activities not related to temple functions, while granting permission for holding the Sadas. Such activities could not be permitted on the temple premises by putting up a temporary pandal, which is only a few meters away from the temple structure.
The government and the TDB took the stand that there was only a small religious structure situated outside the temple boundary wall and it was now separated with a temporary barricade put up as part of the construction of a shed for the Navakerala Sadas. The programmes in connection with the Navakerala Sadas would not affect the pujas and functioning of the temple. The entry of devotees would not be restricted. Besides, there was no decision to demolish the compound wall or any other construction for the event.
