The Kerala High Court has directed the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) to submit the details and norms being followed for the selection of assistant Melshantis (head priests) of Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple and Malikappuram Devi Temple by October 31.
Specifically, the court sought details such as how many such assistants there are, when they were appointed and whether their police verification was done. Divisional Judge Raja Vijayaraghavan V and Justice KV Jayakumar issued the direction in the suo motu case when the TDB said the appointment of head priests was done in a transparent manner.
The board suggested there would be about 20 assistants and they were chosen by the high priests.
Published – 23 Oct 2025 22:11 IST
