Daijiworld Media Network - Thiruvananthapuram

Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 3: The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has decided to uphold the long-standing custom at the Sabarimala Sree Ayyappa Temple restricting the entry of women of menstruating age and will submit an affidavit before the Supreme Court of India clarifying its stand.

The decision was taken at a board meeting held in the backdrop of the pending review petitions before a larger bench of the apex court, which is reconsidering its 2018 verdict allowing the entry of women of menstruating age into the Lord Ayyappa shrine. The court has directed all stakeholders, including the Kerala government and the TDB, to state their position before March 14.

TDB president K Jayakumar told reporters that the board’s move is in line with its statutory responsibilities. “It is not a deviation from our earlier stand. The Travancore Hindu Religious Institutions Act mandates the board to protect the customs and traditions of the temple. It is our bounden duty to uphold the age-old practices of Sabarimala,” he said.

He asserted that there is no difference of opinion within the board on the issue and that it will contest the 2018 judgment permitting women’s entry. “The TDB has been constituted to safeguard temple traditions. Therefore, we will defend the existing practice before the Supreme Court,” Jayakumar stated.

He further clarified that while the state government may adopt its own position in court, the board remains committed to discharging its statutory obligation of preserving the rituals and customs associated with the Sabarimala temple.