With just a month on the pilgrimage season of Sabarimala, the regulations on media coverage in AyyAppa will be further tightened with the Keral High Court to expand the existing restrictions on photography and video in the temple.
Travancore Devaswom (TDB) is expected to organize a meeting with the main police coordinator to review and decide on videoography in sensitive areas such as Melethirurumttm and Sanctum sanctorum. The decision to be taken after consultation with Temple Tantri will be submitted to the High Court for its assessment.
This step is governed by the report of the Special Commissioner Sabarimaly Jayakrishnan R., who during the previous pilgrimage season marked multiple violations of videographic restrictions. Based on the report, the divisional bench that includes the justice of Anil K. Narendran and the judiciary Muralee Krishna S., TDB ordered to take appropriate measures.
The report emphasized the two main incidents of unauthorized video in limited zones. In one case, a temporary worker in the emergency operating center was caught by filming a rivarasanamam ritual using his mobile phone near Sopanam, which violated the temple regulations.
In another case, several print photographers were seen who climbed on the railing of the Sopanama to capture the visual elements of the Anki procession.
Photos submitted by the news have shown that Mediaperonsons install tripods on the Sopanam railing and around Thiruttam and the Devaswom building near Melethirurumttm for the live coverage of the Makaravilak festival.
The High Court also banned the use of Helicams in Sabarimale Mediaperons, in order to fall into a special security zone, as defined in Section 82 (1) of the Kereral Police Act of 2011.
The court also banned the installation of a tripod on the Sopanam railing and stressed that any equipment established for live broadcasting Makarajyothi Darshan must only be installed at the designated locations, with previous TDB approval and the main police coordinator of Sabarimala.
“Officials of the Travancore Devaswom Board of Board and the police will take the necessary steps to ensure that video in Sabarimale’s allowed areas does not cause any inconvenience to pilgrims,” he said.
The court also stipulated that TDB could only issue accredited mediaperons who recommend their heads of their organizations and cleaned the main vigilance and security officer. Their accommodation must be followed by previous court guidelines.
Last year, the High Court limited the media access to the Sabarimal Temple and ordered that only journalists with valid TDB identification cards allowed to cover events in the temple.
Published – 22 July 2025 20:04
