Restoration of Punyam Poonkavanam project in Sabarimala temple runs the risk of violating Kerala High Court order
The Kerala government faces potential legal challenges for restoring the 'Punyam Poonkavanam' project at Sabarimala, which may violate a previous Kerala High Court order. Judicial sources suggest the move could lead to contempt of court charges against the officials involved.
Why it matters
This highlights the tension between executive administrative decisions and judicial oversight regarding religious site management.
The Kerala government is learnt to be risking violation of a Kerala High Court order by permitting the restoration of the ‘Punyam Poonkavanam’ project in Sabarimala.
The State government, while exonerating P. Vijayan, the Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order), of all the allegations levelled against him regarding the controversial scheme on Friday (July 24, 2026), had permitted the continuation of the project since it was an “exemplary community initiative by the Kerala Police in Sabarimala.”
Incidentally, the Devaswom Bench of the court had in February, 2025, asked the Travancore Devaswom Board and also the Kerala Police to issue an advisory to Sabarimala pilgrims that the project was not part of the Police Bandobast Scheme from the Mandalam-Makaravilakku festival season of 2023-24 and that the name of the project cannot be used for any activity connected with Sabarimala.
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