Overview
- The Travancore Devaswom Board, which filed written submissions Tuesday, urged the Supreme Court to preserve Sabarimala’s bar on women of menstruating age.
- The Board said Lord Ayyappa is worshipped as a perennial celibate and argued that the 41‑day penance for pilgrims requires celibacy, framing the rule as an age‑based bar rather than a blanket ban on women.
- It invoked Article 26 to claim denominational control over temple practices and asked judges to reject the “essential practices” test, saying courts should not rationalise faith or impose outside standards.
- It also questioned the PIL’s standing by saying non‑adherents should not challenge internal rituals, while the Kerala government in March shifted to a neutral stance that calls for broad consultations.
- The Supreme Court’s nine‑judge bench will start hearings on April 7, a phase that could decide women’s access to the shrine and set guidance on how equality claims interact with religious autonomy.