KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Tuesday banned flex boards praising the state government and Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) on the premises of the temples under the board.
Observing that temples are places of public worship, the court directed the administrative officer of the Thuravoor Mahakshetram (temple) near Cherthala to take steps to remove the flex boards having the photographs of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Devaswom Minister V N Vasavan, TDB president and the local MLA, praising them for allowing ‘annadanam’ for Sabarimala pilgrims during the ongoing Mandala-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season.
A division bench comprising Justice Anil K Narendran and Justice Muralee Krishna S directed the TDB and the devaswom commissioner to ensure that flex boards like the one seen at the Thuravoor temple are not placed on the premises of any temple under the management of the board. The court issued the order on a case initiated suo motu based on a complaint by P S Sreekumar of Thuravoor against a flex board placed at Kizhakkenada of Thuravoor Mahakshethram.
The court orally observed that the devotees go to the temple to worship God. The money collected for offerings should be used for temple’s needs and not for erecting flex boards, it said.
The court also noted that the facilities being provided to pilgrims were not concessions given by the TDB. It is the statutory duty of the board to ensure that proper facilities are provided to Sabarimala pilgrims at temples under its management which are identified as ‘edathavalam’ for the devotees, it said.