The Kerala High Court on Friday asked the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) to direct security guards deployed at Sabarimala Sopanam to regulate the entry of devotees near the sopanam and sanctum sanctorum for receiving prasadam and for darshan. A Division Bench comprising Justice T R Ramachandran Nair and Justice B Kemal Pasha issued the order on a petition stating that the TDB has arbitrarily restricted the right of devotees to receive prasadam from the sopanam. It was submitted that the system was being followed from time immemorial and devotees expect to receive prasadam after offering prayers to the deity at Sabarimala. The TDB submitted that it had passed a common order in respect of all the temples in the wake of recommendations by Justice K S Paripoornnan Commission report, including distribution of prasadam away from the sanctum sanctorum. It submitted that arrangements have been made to distribute prasadam from a separate counter. The court observed that even though a separate counter is maintained, the TDB cannot restrict the thantri or other santhies from giving prasadam to the devotees.