The committee for the Sri Mridanga Shaileshwari Temple decided to withdraw its plans to hold an “Iftar Sangam” on the temple grounds on 26th March. A writ petition against the “Samooha Nombuthura” and “Sneha Sangamam” as part of the event in the Sree Mrudanga Saileswari Temple auditorium was submitted to the Kerala High Court. OpIndia has a copy of the judgement. Sree Porkali, the ancestral deity of Kerala king Varma Pazhassi Raja, resides in the temple.
The petition was filed by members of Hindu Seva Kendram and the Bajrang Dal. They also requested a writ of mandamus to prevent non-Hindus from entering the Malabar Devaswom Board-controlled Murdanga Saileswari Temple and to strictly adhere to the provisions of the Hindu Places of Public Worship (Authorization of Entry) Act, 1965, and the rules made thereunder. However, the Malabar Devaswom Board told the court that the event will not happen before the petition’s scheduled review date on 26th March.
"Running with your Iftar plate… The High Court has arrived."
— Hindu Seva Kendram (@HinduSevaKendra) March 26, 2025
It is with great joy that we inform all believers that the Iftar gathering, which comrades had planned to hold at the Mridangashaileshwari Temple, has been completely scrapped.
The plan was to organize an Iftar… pic.twitter.com/drDDVclEZs
The state government, the Malabar Devaswom, the temple’s trustee board and the Porkali Kalasha, the temple committee that announced the Iftar were among the six respondents in the petition. The executive officer of the temple’s attorney told the court that no authorization had been given to hold such a feast. The court was also informed that the Porkali Kalasha Committee, which made the announcement, was solely given the responsibility of erecting the flagpole and restoring the “Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) of Porkali Bhagavathi.”
The order read, “The learned Standing Counsel for Malabar Devaswom Board and also the learned counsel for the 4th respondent Executive Officer would point out the provisions in Circular No.HRH5/8246/2006 dated 15.06.2007 issued by the Commissioner of the erstwhile Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (Administration) Department and the learned counsel for the petitioners would point out the decision of this court in Hindu Seva Kendram v. State of Kerala [2023 (3) KHC 258 (DB)] as per which the constitution of committees in temples, which are controlled institutions under the Malabar Devaswom Board, should be for a specified purpose of conducting annual festival for the year, to undertake renovation work, etc. Therefore, the activities of the 6th respondent Kalasa Committee has to be confined to the works relating to installation of golden flag mast and renovation of the Sreekovil of Porkkali Bhagavathi. Such a committee cannot conduct ‘Samooha Nombuthura’ and ‘Sneha Sangamam’ in the temple auditorium.”
Additionally, the petitioner’s attorney cited the Kerala Hindu Places of Public Worship (Authorization of Entry) Act, 1965 and its implementing rules. The court then concluded, “In such circumstances, this writ petition is disposed of recording the aforesaid stand taken by the 4th respondent Executive Officer. It is for the 2nd respondent Malabar Devaswom Board and the 4th respondent Executive Officer to take necessary steps to ensure that the activities of the 6th respondent Kalasa Committee are confined to the installation of golden flag mast and renovation of Sreekovil of Porkkali Bhagavathi, in view of the provisions contained in Circular No.HRH5/8246/2006 dated 15.06.2007.”
A committee connected to the Marxist Communist Party of India (CPIM) oversees the temple. Temple festivals and other rites are managed by the local CPIM leadership and the party’s members are given both temporary and permanent roles within the temple.
Goddess Durga is the ruling deity at the famed Mridanga Shaileshwari Temple, which is located in Muzhukkunnu Grama Panchayat. Deities including Saraswati, Lakshmi, Kali (Porkali), Ganapati, Dakshinamurthy, Shasta and Naga are also housed at the sacred site. The temple, which is considered to be more than 2,000 years old, is one of 108 Durga temples that Lord Parashurama is credited with founding.
