Kerala HC rejects priests’ customary claims over temple Vahanams

The Kerala High Court on 3 November dismissed a petition from the Akhila Thantri Pracharak Sabha that challenged a 2012 Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) circular. The circular requires that metal sculptures known as ‘Vahanams’, removed from old temple flag masts, be retained as Devaswom property. The priests had argued that under the traditional text Thantra Samuchayam, such items were customary offerings (Dhanam) to the Thantri.

A Division Bench of Justices K.V. Jayakumar and Raja Vijayaraghavan ruled that the Thantri’s ritual authority does not confer ownership over temple assets. The court said property dedicated to a deity is held in trust, and any customary entitlement must be established independently in law. The judgment upheld the TDB circular as valid and found no grounds to interfere after 14 years of its implementation. The Hindu reports the court distinguished religious ceremonies from secular property administration. Onmanorama notes the ruling does not mention Sabarimala but is relevant to the ongoing controversy over the gold-coated ‘Vaji Vahanam’ seized in January 2026 from Thantri Kandararu Rajeevaru's residence.