NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday in its order refused to interfere with the Kerala High Court's September 11 order, which refused to restrain the Travancore Devaswom Board and the state government from holding "Global Ayyappa Sangamam" on September 20, 2025, an event or using temple funds/properties/contributions for it.
"The High Court already has considered the matter in detail and issued elaborate guidelines for the event. The conditions laid down by the High Court should be followed," said a two-judge bench of the top court, headed by Justice PS Narasimha and Justice AS Chandurkar.
While refusing to consider the three petitions -- challenging the HC order -- the top court dismissed them all, after finding no merit.
The petitioners in the top court argued that the holding of the event, where several delegates are expected to attend, at an ecologically sensitive area will lead to environmental problems.
One of the petitioners, Ayyappa devotee P S Mahendrakumar has in this regard, had recently moved the apex court seeking a direction to stay the Kerala High Court's September 11 order and restraining the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) and the state government from holding "Global Ayyappa Sangamam" on September 20, 2025, event or using temple funds/properties/contributions for it.
The Kerala High Court had on Thursday, September 11 ordered the State and TDB to conduct of the 'Global Ayyappa Sangamam' event at Pamba and directed that the event does not affect the Sabarimala temple's sanctity or disrupt access for devotees visiting the temple in any way. It passed the direction after hearing a batch of petitions challenging the involvement of the State and the TDB in conducting the event. The petitioners raised concerns that temple funds may be used for the event, which could involve the participation of individuals opposing Sanatana Dharma.
Mahendrakumar in his appeal, accessed by TNIE, filed in the top court has sought a direction for staying the impugned order of 11.09.2025.
"Restrain the Respondents, their officers, agents, and assigns from proceeding with or conducting the proposed "Global Ayyappa Sangamam" scheduled for 20.09.2025, or from utilising temple funds, properties, or contributions in the name of the deity for any such purpose, pending the hearing and final disposal of this Special Leave Petition," said the plea of Mahendrakumar.
The impugned judgment of the HC travels far beyond the plain intent of Section 15A of the Travancore-Cochin Hindu Religious Institutions Act, 1950, by reading into it powers that the Legislature never envisaged, Mahendrakumar said.
The plea condones active State sponsorship of a religious conclave and sanctions the potential misuse of temple trust property.
"These issues raise grave constitutional questions touching upon the very basic structure of the Constitution secularism as well as the fiduciary nature of temple property. The existence of such substantial questions of law of general public importance establishes a compelling prima facie case for interim relief," the plea added.
The balance of convenience also tilts decisively in favour of the petitioners. The Sangamam is conceived as a one-day event with overt political, cultural, and religious overtones, requiring large-scale mobilisation of resources and deployment of temple infrastructure.
"If permitted to proceed, it will irreversibly divert Devaswom funds, distort the character of the sacred pilgrimage, and compromise the ecology of the River Pampa. By contrast, if the event is deferred or stayed until this Court adjudicates the matter, no prejudice of comparable gravity will befall the Respondents. On the contrary, public interest, constitutional governance, and temple sanctity will be preserved," said the plea in the HC.
The petition of Mahendrakumar further added that once trust property is diverted, political dignitaries occupy sacred precincts, and temporary structures are erected on the fragile riverbanks, the harm to devotees' rights, to the sanctity of Sabarimala, and to the environment of the River Pampa will be irreversible.
"The Sabarimala pilgrimage is rooted in austerity and simplicity; if commercialised and politicised, its character cannot be restored. The injury in question is not merely to the Petitioners but to the collective spiritual rights of millions of devotees," Mahendrakumar said.
He further stated that the Sangamam is scheduled for 20.09.2025, barely days away, and preparatory works are proceeding apace under the cover of the impugned judgment.
The HC's Division Bench of Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and KV Jayakumar issued the direction while hearing petitions that sought to prevent the conduct of the upcoming event on concerns that it was a political event that misused Lord Ayyappa's name.
While rejecting the pleas, the HC had issued strict guidelines to ensure that the sanctity of the sacred Pamba river and the temple environment is preserved, and so that the rights and spiritual experience of the temple's devotees are not compromised. The rights, safety, and spiritual experience of ordinary Sabarimala pilgrims are paramount, the HC said.
The HC also in its order clarified that there must be financial transparency in the funds used to hold the event, and issued various directions on this aspect.