Kochi, 14 July (H.S) :

The question of who will perform the duties of Tantri (chief priest) at the Sabarimala temple during the upcoming Mandala-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season is now set to be decided by the Kerala High Court's Devaswom Bench, following a request by the incumbent Tantri, Kandarar Rajeevar, to step aside on health grounds.

According to sources, a majority of members in the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) are inclined to support Rajeevar's request that his son, Kandarar Brahmadattan, be entrusted with the responsibilities of Tantri for the season. However, the Board is also expected to inform the High Court that there is no need to remove the traditional rights of the Thazhamon family, which has held the hereditary Tantriship of Sabarimala for generations.

TDB President K. Jayakumar said Brahmadattan possesses the qualifications required to serve as Tantri and that the Board has no objection to his appointment. Since the matter is currently before the High Court, the Board will seek the court's guidance before taking any further steps. He also stressed that there was no reason to cast aspersions on the Thazhamon family or undermine its long-standing religious role.

Board member P.D. Santhosh Kumar said the final decision rests entirely with the High Court. He noted that Rajeevar is an accused in two cases linked to the alleged theft of gold ornaments from the temple and said any decision affecting the hereditary rights of the Thazhamon family must be taken collectively. He added that he had no personal opinion on the issue and that the Board would abide by the court's ruling.

Rajeevar recently wrote to the Travancore Devaswom Board requesting to be relieved of his duties as Tantri, citing ill health that would prevent him from carrying out the demanding rituals during the Mandala-Makaravilakku season. In the letter, he requested that his son, Brahmadattan, be permitted to perform the ceremonial duties in his place.

The hereditary Tantriship of Sabarimala has traditionally alternated between Kandarar Mohanar and Kandarar Rajeevar of the Thazhamon Madom. After Mohanar stepped aside, his son, Kandarar Mahesh Mohanar, assumed the role. Rajeevar's request now seeks a similar transition, making Brahmadattan the next representative of the family's hereditary priesthood, subject to the approval of the Kerala High Court.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman