The apex court in its judgment held that the royal family’s Shebaitship, which is the right to manage the temple and the deity, will not come to an end with the death of the ruler, who signed the instrument of accession with the Indian government in 1949 by which the erstwhile princely state of Travancore merged with the Indian union.
“We hold that the death of Sree Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma who had signed the Covenant, would not in any way affect the Shebaitship of the Temple held by the royal family of Travancore,” the top court had ruled.
The Court had also formed a five-member administrative committee to manage and administer the temple.
The administrative committee comprising District Judge of Thiruvananthapuram, one nominee of the Maharajah of the royal family, one nominee of the Kerala government, one member nominated by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India and the Chief Thantri (priest) of the temple, currently manages the temple.
Source: Barandbench
