The Kerala government informed the High Court that no final decision has been taken on providing state funding for the upcoming Global Ayyappa Sangamam, scheduled for September 20 at Pampa with the Travancore Devaswom Board. The clarification came in response to a petition filed by M. Nandakumar of the Haindaveeyam Foundation, who argued that the event is essentially religious in nature and that government funding would violate secular principles and legal limits under the Travancore-Cochin Hindu Religious Institutions Act. The High Court has adjourned the matter to September 9 for further hearing.
The controversy has sparked heated political reactions. Opposition leader V. D. Satheesan accused the Left government of “majority appeasement” after its 2024 electoral setback, while BJP’s Kummanam Rajasekharan likened the event to a “Dubai Expo,” questioning its financial and political motives. On the other hand, the Nair Service Society (NSS) extended conditional support, stressing that the sanctity of Sabarimala must be protected and that leadership should remain with genuine Ayyappa devotees. CPM state secretary M. V. Govindan welcomed NSS’s stance, insisting the Sangamam is inclusive for all true devotees while cautioning against communal exploitation.
