KOCHI: Pandalam Kottara Nirvahaka Sanghom and Revathi Nal P Ramavarma Raja, Valiya Raja of
Pandalam Palace on Wednesday sought a review of the order passed by the Kerala High Court to stop elephant parade at Sabarimala during Makaravilakku festival.
According to the petitioners, Makaravilakku is the most important festival of Sabarimala and it has been celebrated according to the 'Padahadi' system. “The ezhunnallathu of Lord Ayyappa on an elephant, which starts from the Manimandapam, is the most important customary ceremony of the festival. All the customary rites, traditional rights, and precedents, which have been followed for centuries, should be preserved in connection with the Pandalam palace and Sabarimala temple, without any change,” they stated.
The High Court had issued the ban order last year based on suo motu proceedings initiated by it following a pilgrim's death after an elephant ran amok. The court had also sought the opinions of former Sabarimala Tantri Kandararu Rajeevaru and present Tantri Kandararu Maheshwararu Mohanararu regarding the use of elephants during the Makaravilakku and the annual festivals.
Though both the Tantris had concurred with the view that elephants could be dispensed with during Makaravilakku festival, there were differences of opinion on the use of elephants in the annual festival.
The review petitioners submitted that they were not parties in the proceedings last year and the bench passed the order without hearing them.