Kerala Government Withdraws Sabarimala Project Restoration Order

The Kerala government has withdrawn a controversial order to restore the Punyam Poonkavanam development project at the Sabarimala temple shrine, citing oversight of a court directive that takes precedence. The decision to reverse course came after officials identified that the government order had not accounted for existing judicial instructions governing the site.

A High Court directive had previously instructed the Travancore Devaswom Board and police authorities to issue an advisory to Sabarimala pilgrims clarifying that the project was not included under the Police Bandobast Scheme, the official security and crowd management framework for the temple. This notification was to be implemented beginning with the Mandalam-Makaravilakku festival season in 2023-24.

The restoration order, issued without addressing this court-mandated advisory requirement, created legal complications for state authorities. Officials acknowledged that proceeding with the project restoration would have contravened the standing judicial order and its associated procedural requirements.

The Sabarimala temple, one of South India's most significant pilgrimage destinations, attracts millions of devotees annually during festival seasons. Any development projects at the shrine typically undergo scrutiny due to the site's religious importance and the need to manage large-scale pilgrim movements safely.