The Travancore Devaswom Board (the government body which governs the Sabarimala temple) through a notification dated May 27, 2021, had called for applications to the post of Santhikkaran (priest) at Sabarimala Dharmasastha Temple and Malikappuram Temple, from among the Malayala Brahmin community members alone.
One of the pleas before the Court, filed in July 2021 had challenged this notification on the ground that it was in total disregard to Supreme Court judgments and Articles 14, 15, 16, 17, and 21 of the Constitution.
The plea said that the appointment to the post of Melshanthi has been held to be a secular act and that it ought not to have been confined to one particular community, especially in an institution administered by the Travancore Devaswom Board, which is fully controlled by the Government of Kerala.
It was further contended that Articles 25 (freedom of religion) and 26 (freedom to manage religious affairs) cannot be said to be infringed in appointing persons other than Brahmins to the post, as long as the appointment is from among persons who are fully qualified and trained in their duties irrespective of their caste.
Source: Barandbench
