Pandalam royal family to submit memorandum to Kerala govt over requests for new law on Sabarimala Temple

Following the Supreme Court's direction to the Kerala government to come up with a new law for Sabarimala Temple, the Pandalam royal family will submit a memorandum to the administration with a set of requests to be included in the new draft.

Speaking to ANI, PG Sasikumara Varma of Pandalam royal family said that the administrative body should have members from the Pandalam royal family and Tantri family as its members.

"The apex court has given a deadline for the Kerala government to come up with a new draft. This should address the real concerns of the devotees. All the age-old rituals of Sabarimala temple should be followed," he said.

It was the Pandalam Royal Family that had filed the plea in the Supreme Court to be included in the administration of the temple. "We spoke to our advocate in the apex court. We are awaiting the full text and once we receive it, we will submit our requests to the state government," he said.

Varma added that there are over 1,300 temples that are benefiting out of the revenue from Sabarimala Temple, which the royal family is not against."Travancore Devasom Board is getting its main revenue from Sabarimala, which is used to run other temples in the state. This practice can continue. But first preference should be given to Sabarimala when it comes to spending of income," he said.

The royal family was one among the batch of petitioners who had challenged top court's September 28, 2018 judgment, which declared that women of all age groups could enter the shrine.

The court had last week referred these review petitions to a larger seven-judge bench.

The apex court verdict came on 65 petitions - including 56 review petitions, four fresh writ petitions, and five transfer pleas. The petitions challenged the authority of the court to intervene in a belief of the people.

They argued that the Sabarimala deity is a "Brahmachari" (celibate) and "centuries-old beliefs" should not be disturbed by the entry of menstruating women worshippers.