HC to consider plea seeking to stop govt and devaswom board from holding Global Ayyappa Sangamam

KOCHI: The Kerala High Court will consider today the plea filed against the Global Ayyappa Sangamam to be organized by the Travancore Devaswom Board and the government on the banks of the Pampa River on September 20. The court will consider the plea filed by the organization Haindaveeyam Foundation Trust. The plea filed said the government which came to power raising secular stand and organizing such a religious event is a violation of the Constitution.

The case is being considered by a devaswom bench of Justices V Raja Vijayaraghavan and K V Jayakumar. The plea has also directed that the board should not spend money for the Global Ayyappa Sangamam. The court will consider a plea filed by another organization raising the same demand tomorrow.

Only those who have visited Sabarimala twice in the past three years will be allowed to attend the Global Ayyappa Sangamam. Entry of the general public is possible only with conditions. The Global Ayyappa Sangamam is the largest devotee gathering organized in South India. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the gathering. Ministers from Karnataka and Telangana, as well as union ministers from Kerala, will attend the gathering. It is reported that 500 foreign representatives will also participate. One can participate in the gathering only by registering on the virtual queue portal.