The Kerala High Court has issued a directive to the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) ensuring that no funds are solicited from pilgrims for ‘annadhanam’—a free meal service—during their visit to Sabarimala in the upcoming Mandala-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season. This decision came after a devotee lodged a complaint about the collection of donations at ‘edathavalams’ (resting places) and other temples managed by the TDB.
Justices Anil K Narendran and Muralee Krishna S, who presided over the bench, have tasked the TDB and the Devaswom Commissioner with ensuring that adequate facilities, including toilets and annadhanam, are accessible to the pilgrims without any charges or donations being imposed. The court’s firm instruction is that “No money shall be collected from the devotees or Sabarimala pilgrims, who avail annadhanam in the respective temples, towards annadhanam fund or annadhanam vazhipadu.”
