Two prominent temple boards in Kerala have approached the Supreme Court to challenge the Kerala High Court’s recent directives on the conduct of festivals, particularly those involving elephants, such as the renowned Thrissur Pooram.

The petition, filed by the Thiruvambady Devaswom and Paramekkavu Devaswom, contests the High Court’s festival-specific guidelines, which impose spatial restrictions on the elephant parades during the celebrations. These temple boards, which oversee the Thiruvambady Sri Krishna Temple and Paramekkavu Bhagavathi Temple, argue that these regulations could halt the centuries-old Thrissur Pooram, a festival that is a cultural treasure for Kerala.

The core issue in the petition is the three-meter distance requirement between elephants. The petitioners point out that the traditional grounds of the Sri Vadakkumnathan Temple, a historic site in Thrissur, cannot accommodate such constraints, as the space is limited due to its ancient layout. The temples argue that this restriction would disrupt the grand processions that are central to the festival’s cultural and religious significance.

Additionally, the petitioners have criticized the High Court’s statement that there is no essential religious requirement to include elephants in such festivals. They argue that the parading of elephants is an integral part of their religious practice, upheld for centuries. The boards contend that the High Court overstepped judicial boundaries, misjudging the importance of this cultural practice in Thrissur Pooram.

Furthermore, the petitioners expressed concerns about the lack of clarity in the High Court’s orders, which led to confusion in festival preparations. The strict rules, such as maintaining exact distances and controlling large crowds (which can exceed five lakh people), were described as impossible to enforce given the scale of the event.

The Kerala High Court had issued two orders in November, directing strict adherence to these restrictions, including specific distances between elephants, fire sources, and crowds.

Read Also;