The Kerala High Court has directed the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) to submit a detailed report regarding the procurement of pooja materials used for the 'Nitya Nidhana Pooja' at the Sabarimala temple. The court seeks clarity on whether the items were procured in accordance with store purchase rules to ensure transparency, as well as the current rules and guidelines regulating the sale.
Court Order and Background
The bench of Justices V Raja Vijayaraghavan and K V Jayakumar issued the order while considering a report submitted by the Sabarimala special commissioner. The report highlighted complaints about pooja materials being procured from the same individual for the past 16 years.
According to the report, materials such as rice, malar (puffed rice), jaggery, banana, kottathenga (dried coconut), dried ginger, cumin seeds, cardamom, turmeric, and pepper for the Nitya Nidana Pooja, along with pattu, thorthu, and vella mundu (white dhoti) used at Ganapathy Pratishtha and Malikappuram, have been supplied by one Sunil Kumar alias Sunil Swamy for several years.
Allegations and Observations
The report further stated that the pooja materials are stored in a room under the custody of the administrative officer and that none of these materials is accounted for in the devaswom records, including the 'Nadavaravu Register'. It also noted that no receipt has so far been issued to Sunil Kumar. According to the report, the quality, purity, and quantity of the materials supplied by him are not verified by any competent authority.
The report also stated that Sunil Kumar incurs an expenditure of approximately Rs 3 lakh for Masapoojas and around Rs 18 lakh during the Mandala-Makaravilakku season. Similarly, a vigilance officer's report observed that the continued practice of receiving materials for the Nithya Pooja from a particular individual without any formal authority in a temple like Sabarimala could lead to corruption in various quarters.
Court's Directive
Observing that there was no justification for failing to record the details of the procurement of pooja items in the Nadavaravu Register, the High Court directed TDB to submit a report by May 28 regarding the procurement of pooja items for the Nitya Nidana Pooja at Sabarimala. The court emphasized the need for transparency and adherence to rules in the procurement process.
