The Kerala High Court has recently commenced suo motu proceedings to investigate the collapse of a part of the concrete on top of the Anakkottil in Valiyakalavoor Temple during the ‘choroonu’ ritual, injuring three persons, including the baby’s mother.
The suo motu proceeding was initiated by a Division Bench consisting of Justice Anil K. Narendran and Justice P. G. Ajithkumar in response to a news item in the Malayalam daily, Mathrubhumi, about three devotees from a family sustaining injuries at the Valiyakalavoor Temple, which is managed by the Travancore Devaswom Board, when a portion of the temple’s roof collapsed.
The Court chastised the Devaswom Board for failing to carry out its statutory duties. According to the Standing Counsel for Travancore Devaswom Board, the roof of the Anakkottil has already been removed, and the executive engineer’s plan for its restoration and maintenance is awaiting approval from the chief engineer.
The Court stated that the provisions of the Travancore-Cochin Hindu Religious Institutions Act make it abundantly obvious that the Devaswom Board and its officials are obligated to build and maintain adequate facilities for devotees in the temple.
The Temple Advisory Committee is obligated to assist the Devaswom Board when needed. Furthermore, the Court asked the Chief Engineer to investigate whether any other temple structure under the Devaswom Board poses a hazard to devotee safety.