The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) on Wednesday informed the Kerala High Court that the Devaswom Commissioner’s recommendation that Sabarimala senior Tantri Kandararu Maheswararu badly needed the assistance of his son, Kandararu Mohanararu, for performing tantric rites at the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple was misplaced. In an additional affidavit filed before the Bench comprising Justice T.R. Ramachandran Nair and Justice B. Kemal Pasha, the Board said it was not bound to accept the recommendation of Devaswom Commissioner P. Venugopal in its totality.
The affidavit further said the argument that the Justice Paripoornan Commission had not expressed any opinion regarding the knowledge in tantric rights and performance of daily pujas by the petitioner’s son was misplaced. The contention of the petitioner that his son was acting as Tantri in more than 50 temples administered by the board and therefore he should be permitted to assist him at Sabarimala did not have any basis. The performance of tantric rites in these 50 temples could not be equated with performing duties at Sabarimala. The Paripoornan commission had categorically stated that for the proper practice of puja or Puja Vidhis, a minimum knowledge and understanding of Sanskrit was necessary. No material was produced to show that the petitioner’s son had acquired the necessary qualification.