Keralam promises a full-powered Malabar Devaswom Board like Travancore and Cochin, as Assembly passes an HR&CE amendment
Trustees who now run the Malabar temples have already warned they will go to court if their powers are cut.
- The Hindu
Keralam Devaswom Minister K. Muraleedharan told the Assembly on Monday that the State government will give the Malabar Devaswom a board with full powers, on the lines of the Cochin Devaswom Board and the Travancore Devaswom Board, The Hindu reported. He was replying to a discussion on the Madras Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which the House passed later that day.
The minister admitted to the poor state of affairs in the Malabar Devaswom Board and said the government was moving ahead with a proposal to enact a law granting it full institutional autonomy. According to him, the board at present has no powers, and trustees handle its affairs.
The government's decision to bring a comprehensive Bill has already irked some trustees, who asked the government not to challenge their existing rights. The trustees also warned that they would approach the court if their administrative powers were challenged, the newspaper said.
The minister said the Malabar Devaswom, unlike the other two boards, has no headquarters. The department is consulting the Public Works Department to obtain PWD-owned land in Kozhikode town for a headquarters, he said.
Muraleedharan also assured the House that arrangements were in place for a smooth Sabarimala pilgrimage season with the support of the Travancore Devaswom Board. He said the Devaswom had assured around 75 lakh tins of aravaṇa ahead of the season, and that the aravaṇa plant, shut because of technical issues, would be restored before 30 October with full production during the pilgrimage.
Key data
Around 75 lakh tins of aravaṇa assured for the Sabarimala season; aravaṇa plant to restart before 30 Oct 2026. The Malabar Devaswom Board oversees nearly 1,401 temples (Wikipedia).
Why it matters
Hundreds of temples across north Keralam are run by hereditary trustees under a board the minister himself calls powerless, so a new law would decide who controls their rituals, lands and income. Devotees should watch whether the Bill strengthens temple care or simply moves control from trustees to the State.
GK: did you know?
The Malabar Devaswom Board came into existence in its present form on 2 October 2008 under the Madras Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (Amendment) Act, 2008, because the old Malabar district was governed by the Madras HR&CE Act of 1951.
