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PATHANAMTHITTA: Responding to the controversial remarks made against Vavar, the legendary companion of Lord Ayyappa, during the recently concluded Sabarimala Samrakshana Sangamam, a member of the Pandalam royal family stated that Vavar Swamy represents an ancient belief. Earlier on Monday, during the Sabarimala Samrakshana Sangamam held in Pandalam, Sreeramadasa Mission seer Sandananda Maharshi had alleged that 'Vavar was an extremist and aggressive.' Countering this, royal family member Suresh Varma clarified that the traditions and legends surrounding Vavar Swamy have been part of Sabarimala rituals for a long time and must continue without dilution. Varma told the media that the beliefs, customs, and traditions associated with Sabarimala should remain preserved in their original form for all time. "Customs should not be changed or altered. Those customs associated with Sabarimala should remain forever regardless of the generation or the times. The rituals should remain intact," he said. Earlier, another Pandalam royal family member Pradeep Varma had came down heavily against the Sabarimala Samrakshana Sangamam organised by the Sangh Parivar outfits, terming it a communal event. He said the meeting, held under the guise of protecting
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], October 10 (ANI): In a scathing attack on the Kerala government amid the escalating Sabarimala gold plating controversy, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader V Muraleedharan on Friday accused the state administration of betraying the trust of devotees and demanded the immediate dismissal of the Devaswom Minister along with the dissolution of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB). Muraleedharan said that the Kerala High Court's intervention in the matter was a "clear indictment" of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijay ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], October 22 (ANI): Kerala BJP chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Tuesday demanded the resignation of Devaswom Minister VN Vasavan and the dissolution of Travancore Devaswom Board over the Sabarimala gold "theft" issue. He also accused Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of trying to "brush the issue under the carpet." "Our position as the BJP has been a sharp contrast with the attempts of the CM to try and brush this under the carpet. When 4.5 kgs of gold from a sacred shrine like Sabarimala go missing, we consider it a crime...So, we have maintained from day 1 that ...Read More >
President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday offered prayers at the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala in Pathanamthitta. IMAGE: President Droupadi Murmu offeres prayers at the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala. Photograph: Courtesy @BJMM4Kerala/X President Murmu is the first woman head of state to visit the Lord Ayyappa shrine at Sabarimala for offering prayers. She is also the second president to visit the shrine as before her, former President V V Giri had visited Sabarimala in the 1970s and had tr ...Read More >
The outcome of the local self-govt elections was not as expected for the LDF and the reasons for this will be examined in detail. Necessary corrections will be made moving forward, said chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan.Although a significant victory was anticipated across the state, such progress was not achieved, he said in a statement. "The fact that the NDA gained an advantage in the capital city and the influence of communalism in the election campaign are concerning to those who believe in se ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram: Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala on Sunday said he shared all the information available with him regarding the Sabarimala gold scam with the special investigation team (SIT) probing the case.Speaking to the media after giving his statement to the SIT, Chennithala said he informed the probe team about the possible links between the theft and international antique smuggling networks. He clarified that the details he provided were information he received in his capacity ...Read More >
New Delhi, Feb 16 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Monday said a nine-judge bench will on April 7 commence the final hearing on petitions relating to discrimination against women at religious places, including Sabarimala Temple, and on the ambit and scope of religious freedom practised by multiple faiths. In September 2018, a five-judge Constitution bench, by a 4:1 majority verdict, had lifted the ban that prevented females between the ages of 10 and 50 from entering the Ayyappa shrine at Sabarimala in Kerala and held that the centuries-old Hindu religious practice was illegal and unconstitutional. ...Read More >
New Delhi: The Akhil Bharatiya Sant Samiti has moved the Supreme Court seeking to intervene in the Sabarimala review proceedings, contending that courts should not determine essential religious practices. A nine-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant is scheduled to begin final hearings on April 7 on petitions concerning entry of women into religious places, including the Sabarimala temple, and the scope of religious freedom across faiths. In its plea, the organisation said courts are not equipped to act as experts in matters of religion and should intervene only when practi ...Read More >
Pathanamthitta: E D Prasad from Chalakudy has been selected as the new Melsanthi (chief priest) of the Sabarimala temple. The selection was made through the traditional draw of lots held at Sannidhanam around 8 am on Saturday. Prasad, a member of the Erannoor Mana in Chalakudy, is currently serving as the Melsanthi of the Areshwaram Sree Dharma Sastha Temple. The draw for the Sabarimala Melsanthi was conducted by Kashyap Varma of the Pandalam royal family. He is the son of Shailendra Varma from Thiruvalla Paliakkara Palace and Pooja Varma from Vailyakottaram Krishnavilasam Palace in Mavelikka ...Read More >
Bengaluru/T'puram: The special investigation team (SIT) probing the alleged gold theft at Sabarimala Ayyappa temple, raided a house at Nagappa Block, Srirampura, in northern Bengaluru on Saturday and recovered materials and documents in connection with the case.A senior officer from Bengaluru said a Kerala police inspector and sub-inspector led the search. A source said the house belongs to Unnikrishnan Potti, the prime accused in the case. Meanwhile, the SIT has recovered the gold Potti handed over to the gold trader Govardhan of Ballari. The SIT led by SP Sasidharan recovered the gold from t ...Read More >
Pathanamthitta (Kerala) [India], November 20 (ANI): The Special Investigation Team on Thursday arrested former Travancore Devaswom Board president A Padmakumar in the Sabarimala gold theft case, officials said. He was the Devaswom Board president in 2019, when the gold theft took place. The arrest came after the SIT questioned him for several hours at the State Police Headquarters since this morning. Also Read | 5G Network Expansion: India Set To Cross 1 Million 5G Subscription by End of 2031, Reflecting Rapid Growth in Adoption in Just 3 Years of Service Rollout, Says Report. On November 1 ...Read More >
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that India's foreign and economic policies are being dictated by the United States and President Donald Trump. Addressing a public gathering in Kerala ahead of April 9 polls, Gandhi claimed that India's ability to independently purchase oil has been compromised under the current government. "If India wants to buy oil from Russia, Iran or Saudi Arabia, we need to get permission from Donald Tru ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], October 6 (ANI): The General Secretary of Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam, Vellappally Natesan has heavily criticised Kerala's temple administration system, questioning whether "Devaswom Boards have become a curse." Criticising the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) for sending gold-plated panels from the temple's Dwarapalaka idols to Chennai for repair without informing the High Court, Natesan wrote in 'Yoganadam', the official mouthpiece of the SNDP Yogam, that such an incident is "deeply painful for Ayyappa devotees" and highlighted that the a ...Read More >
President Droupadi Murmu's helicopter wheels got stuck in a newly concreted helipad at Pramadam, Kerala, due to the concrete not having fully set. The helipad was prepared last minute after a change in landing plans due to weather. The President proceeded to Pamba by road. The wheels of helicopter which carried President Droupadi Murmu to Sabarimala got stuck in a depression in the newly concreted helipad at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium at Pramadam when it landed in Kerala's Pathanamthitta on ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], April 7 (ANI): The Supreme Court has commenced hearing in the long-pending Sabarimala temple entry review along with a batch of connected matters, which raise significant constitutional questions concerning the scope of religious freedom, the doctrine of essential religious practices and the limits of judicial intervention in matters of faith. The nine-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and comprising of Justices Joymalya Bagchi, B. V. Nagarathna, R. Mahadevan, M. M. Sundresh, Ahsanuddin Amanullah, Aravind Kumar, A. G. Masih and Prasanna B. Varale, w ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 7 (PTI) With the Assembly polls just a day away, the BJP in Kerala on Tuesday criticised both the ruling LDF and opposition UDF over their stand on the Sabarimala issue, accusing them of taking a "U-turn" on the entry of young women into the hill shrine. Addressing a press conference at Nemom here, state BJP chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar sought to know the reasons behind the alleged shift in the positions of the CPI(M)-led LDF and the Congress-led UDF. Alleging that the state government had registered over 3,000 cases against those who protested against the entry of youn ...Read More >
Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], October 26 (ANI): The Special Investigation Team (SIT), appointed by the Kerala High Court has questioned Pankaj Bhandari, CEO of Smart Creation in Chennai, over the alleged disappearance of gold linked to the Sabarimala temple's restoration work. The company had undertaken the electroplating of gold-clad copper coverings for the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols at the Sabarimala Ayyappan Temple. The SIT brought the accused, Unnikrishnan Potti, to Chennai after raiding his residence in Bengaluru. Potti, the prime accused in the Sabarimala gold theft case, was ...Read More >
PM Modi said that Kerala has great potential, yet continues to lag behind other states. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that the countdown for removal of the LDF government in Kerala has started, and a BJP-led NDA will come to power in the state. Speaking at a BJP-led NDA rally here in Pathanamthitta district, Modi said that the saffron party workers in the state have signalled a strong mood to bid farewell to the Left rule. Elections to 140 Assembly seats will be held on April 9 ...Read More >
The Kerala Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Saturday conducted a raid at the Bengaluru residence of Potti Unnikrishnan as part of the ongoing probe. Unnikrishnan, the prime accused in the Sabarimala gold theft case, was taken to Bengaluru on Friday for evidence collection, has been remanded to police custody until October 30. The SIT is examining his involvement in the 2019 theft of the gold-plated panels from the Sabarimala temple's Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) panels. Meanwhile, on Thursda ...Read More >
The SIT probing the Sabarimala gold theft has requested permission from the Thantri to conduct a scientific inspection at the Sannidhanam. The SIT aims to examine the gold-plated sheets on the Dwarapalaka sculptures and door frames. Pathanamthitta: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Sabarimala gold theft case has requested permission from the Thantri to carry out a scientific inspection at the Sannidhanam. The formal request was submitted to Thantri Mahesh Mohanaru through the Deva ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 31 (PTI) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday hit back at Rahul Gandhi for targeting the ruling CPI(M) over the Sabarimala gold loss case during a poll campaign, questioning how the accused in the case had managed to reach the Congress leader's home. The Marxist veteran was apparently referring to a widely circulated purported photograph in which the prime accused in the Sabarimala gold loss cases, Unnikrishnan Potty, accompanied by some senior Congress leaders, was seen with Sonia Gandhi at her residence in Delhi. He also said people have already given a ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday criticised the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in Kerala and the opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) over their "U-turn" on Sabarimala women entry issue. The saffron party added that though it was "happy" with their stance now, it sought clarification over the shift. Both LDF and UDF had hailed the SC's 2018 verdict which allowed entry of women of all ages into Sabarimala temple. However, both the parties have softened their stance on the same."BJP is the only political party which has taken a consistent stand to protect the faith of Sab ...Read More >
The Supreme Court on Tuesday indicated that the concept of "untouchability" may not be an appropriate ground to test the validity of restrictions on the entry of menstruating women into Kerala's Sabarimala temple, with the nine-judge bench observing that Article 17 (prohibiting untouchability) cannot be stretched to cover a practice that operates for a limited period each month. "Untouchability has its own history in India and to get over that Article 17 was made a fundamental right. But Article ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], October 10 (ANI): In a scathing attack on the Kerala government amid the escalating Sabarimala gold plating controversy, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader V Muraleedharan on Friday accused the state administration of betraying the trust of devotees and demanded the immediate dismissal of the Devaswom Minister along with the dissolution of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB). Muraleedharan said that the Kerala High Court's intervention in the matter was a "clear indictment" of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijay ...Read More >
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the loss of gold from Sabarimala temple conducted searches at the prime accused Unnikrishnan Potty's Bengaluru apartment and a jewellery shop in Ballari. Gold bars were seized from the shop, owned by Govardhan, who reportedly funded the temple's Sreekovil door frame gold-plating work sponsored by Potty. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the loss of gold from the Sabarimala temple conducted searches at the apartment of prime accused Unnikris ...Read More >
PM Modi said that Kerala has great potential, yet continues to lag behind other states. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that the countdown for removal of the LDF government in Kerala has started, and a BJP-led NDA will come to power in the state. Speaking at a BJP-led NDA rally here in Pathanamthitta district, Modi said that the saffron party workers in the state have signalled a strong mood to bid farewell to the Left rule. Elections to 140 Assembly seats will be held on April 9 ...Read More >
The Supreme Court's decision to constitute a nine-judge bench for the Sabarimala review is not merely a procedural step to revive a long-pending constitutional reference. It is also a telling administrative signal from Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant -- one that brings together a carefully balanced cross-section of the court in terms of gender, religion, caste and regional representation to adjudicate a deeply sensitive dispute at the intersection of faith and fundamental rights. Notifie ...Read More >
KOCHI: A month ahead of the Mandala festival season, the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple selected the melsanthi (chief priest) on Saturday. E D Prasad of Erannoor Mana at Mattathur Kunnu in Chalakudy has been selected the chief priest. M G Manu Namboothiri of Mayyanad in Kollam district will serve as the melsanthi of Malikappuram temple. The new melsanthis will assume charge on November 17, the first day of the Malayalam month of Vrischikam. The two-month-long Mandala Makaravilakku season will commence on November 17 and conclude on January 21. The melsanthis were selected through a draw of ...Read More >
PATHANAMTHITTA: President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday performed the traditional Irumudikettu ritual at Pampa before proceeding to the Sabarimala temple for darshan at the sanctum of Lord Ayyappa. Arriving at Pampa around 11 a.m. in a special motorcade, the President symbolically washed her feet in the Pampa River before offering prayers at the nearby Ganapathi temple. Under the supervision of chief priest Vishnu Namboothiri, the Irumudikettu, the sacred twin bundle carried by Ayyappa devotees, was prepared and tied for the President and her entourage. Accompanying the President were her Aide ...Read More >
Pathanamthitta/Kottayam: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday raised the pitch for the UDF's campaign for the Kerala polls, targeting the CPI(M) by singing a line from a popular parody song about its leaders' reported role in the gold theft at the Sabarimala temple, while also questioning PM Modi's alleged silence on the issue. Addressing corner meetings for the Congress-led alliance's candidates in various constituencies in the Pathanamthitta and Kottayam districts, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha alleged that the UDF was facing a "combination" of the CPI(M) and the BJP in th ...Read More >
New Delhi, Apr 4 (PTI) A nine-judge bench of the Supreme Court is scheduled to commence from April 7 the final hearing on petitions relating to discrimination against women at religious places, including Sabarimala Temple, and on the ambit and scope of religious freedom practised by multiple faiths. According to the apex court's cause list of April 7, the nine-judge Constitution bench will comprise Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices B V Nagarathna, M M Sundresh, Ahsanuddin Amanullah, Aravind Kumar, Augustine George Masih, Prasanna B Varale, R Mahadevan and Joymalya Bagchi. In September 20 ...Read More >