The court examined a report prepared by the Special Commissioner of the Travancore Devaswom Board following an inspection carried out by the Chief Vigilance and Security Officer into the rooms occupied by the priests (Melshanthis) and temple officers (Santhis) of Sabarimala. The report revealed that “Adi Sishtam Ghee” — the ghee used for the sacred ritual of Neyyabhishekam — was being illicitly sold by the priests to devotees in plastic cans at a price of ₹100. This practice was occurring in rooms of the Sannidhanam and Malikappuram premises and was described as unauthorized by the report.
In response to these findings, the division bench of the Kerala High Court, consisting of Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and K.V. Jayakumar, issued a set of stringent instructions and prohibitions aimed at halting the illegal sale of the ritual ghee. The Court held that such activities compromise the sanctity of temple rituals, undermine transparency, and enable exploitation of devotees. Accordingly, it directed that all priests and temple officers immediately cease collecting or selling ghee received from devotees after performing Neyyabhishekam. It ordered the Melshanthis of Sannidhanam and Malikappuram, and the Santhis of Ulkazhakam, to surrender all ghee stored in vessels or containers in their rooms to the competent authorities of the Travancore Devaswom Board.
Furthermore, the Court decreed that Neyyabhishekam — the ghee-based ritual — must be performed exclusively against valid Neyyabhishekam tickets issued by the Devaswom Board. These tickets are to be issued strictly in proportion to the number of coconuts offered by the devotees, thereby eliminating the scope for arbitrary or unauthorized ghee usage. The previously tolerated practice of conducting ghee abhishekam in the rooms of the Thanthri, Melshanthi, or Ulkazhakam was also ordered to be discontinued forthwith.
In addition to addressing the ghee irregularity, the Court also scrutinized the supply of honey used in temple poojas at Sabarimala. It found that the agency responsible for the supply, Regional Agro Industrial Development Cooperative of Kerala Ltd. (RAIDCO), had stored honey in containers that were incorrectly or misleadingly labelled. Given the potential for food-safety violations arising from such labeling deficiencies, the Court directed that RAIDCO must henceforth store and supply honey only in containers bearing proper labels compliant with standards set by the licensing authority for food products.
Recognizing the seriousness of the misconduct, the Court ordered that appropriate action be taken against the individuals identified in the report as having engaged in unauthorized sale or collection of ritual ghee. The Standing Counsel representing the Devaswom Board was also instructed to provide detailed information regarding the protocol currently observed for handling ritual ghee at Sabarimala, thereby ensuring institutional oversight and accountability.
The matter has been slated for further consideration, with the next hearing scheduled after the Devaswom Board submits the mandated details on ghee-handling protocols.
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