Kerala HC Halts MDB Order on Officials’ Travel and Food Costs for Global Ayyappa Sangamam

quick Summary

• the Kerala High Court has stayed an order issued by the Malabar Devaswom Board (MDB) concerning funding for the Global Ayyappa Sangamam event at Pampa.
• The MDB’s order allowed shrine officials attending the event to use temple funds to cover travel and food expenses.
• The interim stay was passed by a Division Bench comprising Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan and Justice K.V. Jayakumar in response to a plea by Ramachandran A.V., a clerk at a temple in Nileshwaram, Kasaragod.
• The petitioner argued that temple funds are trust property meant for the deity and its devotees, not general expenditures such as employee travel.
• Ramachandran highlighted that many temples face financial difficulties, including salary delays, repair needs, and dilapidated conditions. Using these limited resources for other purposes was termed illegal and arbitrary.
• Notices have been issued to the State government, MDB, and its commissioner for their responses.

Indian Opinion Analysis
The Kerala High Court’s intervention raises critical questions about how sacred trust properties are managed under state supervision. Temple funds are legally intended for maintaining religious institutions or supporting associated rituals and worshippers’ rights. Diverting these funds risks undermining public trust in fiduciary stewardship models used across India.

The move also brings attention to broader management challenges faced by temples under resource constraints – particularly those struggling financially while entrusted with significant cultural obligations. This decision could set an vital precedent regarding governance boundaries of entities like Devaswom Boards operating under statutory frameworks. Ensuring accountability while protecting cultural heritage remains key as this legal challenge unfolds.

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