The Travancore Devaswom Board has shortlisted nine priests for the draw of lots to select the a new head priest (Melsanthi) at the Ayyappa Temple and five others for the post of the head priest at the Malikappuram Devi Temple through a draw of lots to be held at Sabarimala on October 18 morning.
TDB sources told The Hindu that the short-listing of eligible priests from among the applicants was made on the basis of a personal interview held at the Board office in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday. The final selection will be held through a draw of lots at the respective temple sopanam at Sabarimala on the first day in the Malayalam month of Thulam on October 18.
The following are the nine priests who have been shortlisted for the post of Sabarimala Melsanthi : E.N.Krishnadas Namboodiri of Ezhikode Mana at Panjal in Thrissur district, M.P.Krishnan Namboodiri of Marangattu Illom at Kalady in Thiruvananthapuram, T.K.Sreedharan Namboodiri of Thottassery Illom at
Kavumbhagom near Thiruvalla, P.E.Manoj of Puravannoor Edackad Illom at Mundackal in Kozhikode district, S.Kesavan Namboodiri of of Cheruthala Madhom at Kottarkavu near Mavelikkara, T.M. Muraleedharan of Theeyannur Mana at Kavalappara in Palakakd, K.Narayanan Namboodiri of Kadavakkad
Illom at Thodupuzha, M.B.Ajayakrishnan of Athira House at Mararikkulam-North in Alappuzha, and P.N.Mahesh of Puthillathu Mana at Enanelloor in Ernakulam district.
The five priests shortlisted for the Melsanthi post are: N.K.Raman Namboodiri of Nakarni Mana Kallettumkara near Chalakkudy, P.E.Manoj of Puravannoor Edackad Illom at Mundackal in Kozhikode,
S. Kesavan Namboodiri of Cheruthala Madhom in Mavelikkara, P.N. Mahesh of Puthillathu Mana at Enanalloor near Muvattupuzha, and M.B. Ajayakrishnan of Athira house at Mararikulam-North.
The interview board comprised of M.P. Govindan Nair, TDB president; Subhash Vasu, P.K. Kumaran, board members; P. Venugopal, Devaswom Commissioner; Kandararu Maheswararu, senior Sabarimala Tantri;
Kandararu Rajeevararu, Sabarimala Tantri, and Suryan Subrahmanyan Bhattathiripad of Suryakaladi Mana.
The TDB had introduced the system of ‘draw of lots’ for selecting the new Melsanthi at Sabarimala every year in 1970 following allegations of corruption involved in the conventional selection process.
K. Babu, the Special Commissioner appointed by the Kerala High Court will personally supervise the entire draw of lots proceedings to be held at Sabarimala and announce the results there itself. Both the newly selected Melsanthis will assume charge on the eve of the 41-day Mandalam pilgrimage season in the Malayalam month of Vrischikom .
