The Kerala High Court on Thursday exhibits serious concern over the ‘VIP darshan’ provided to Malayalam actor Dileep at the Lord Ayyappa shrine in Sabarimala, which disrupted regular pilgrims’ access to the deity for several minutes.
The court emphasized the gravity of the issue, describing it as “very, very serious,” and questioned the privileges extended to certain individuals.
A bench comprising of Justices Anil K Narendra and Muralee Krishna S noted that this was not a minor delay but a significant disruption. CCTV footage presented in court showed the first two rows in front of the ‘Sopanam’ being “choked” for several minutes to facilitate the actor’s darshan.
“What is the privilege such persons are having?” the bench asked while directing the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) and the Chief Police Coordinator to ensure such incidents do not recur.
The footage revealed that at 10:58 PM on December 5, actor Dileep entered the first row of the Sopanam from the southern side and remained there until 11:05:45 PM. Meanwhile, pilgrims attempting to access the area were blocked by Devaswom guards stationed at both the southern and northern sides.
The TDB informed the court that it had issued show cause notices to the guards and officers responsible for regulating the movement of devotees during the incident. The court, however, insisted on stronger measures to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
“We direct the Travancore Devaswom Board and the Chief Police Coordinator to ensure such privileges, which hinder the darshan of pilgrims, are not extended to any individual,” the bench stated. It also called for detailed reports from the TDB and Chief Police Coordinator to determine further action, scheduling the next hearing for Friday.
The controversy arose during the ongoing annual Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season, a period marked by heavy footfall at the shrine from Kerala and neighboring states. Reports of the “special VIP darshan” granted to Dileep had sparked public outrage, prompting the court to take up the matter suo motu.
Last week, the court criticized the TDB and police for prioritizing VIP arrangements, noting that many devotees had waited in line for hours only to have their access blocked. The bench observed that the actor remained in the front row for the duration of the ‘Harivarasanam’ (the lullaby to Lord Ayyappa) until the temple closed for the day.
The court’s firm directives aim to uphold the sanctity of the pilgrimage and ensure equal access for all devotees, reaffirming that such practices must not repeat at Sabarimala.
