Kerala Govt run Temple board allows political flags and non-devotional music at Kadakkal Devi Temple Festival, hurting Hindu sentiments
Kollam, Kerala, India 
9 March, 2025
Case Summary
Travancore Devaswom Board allowed political flags and non-devotional music at the Kadakkal Devi Temple festival in Kollam, hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus. The festival saw the display of CPI(M) and Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) flags and the performance of revolutionary songs, which were not part of the traditional temple festivities. The Kerala High Court strongly reprimanded the board. A petition filed by Advocate Vishnu Sunil argued that these activities defiled the sanctity of the temple festival, hurt the sentiments of Hindu devotees, and violated the principle of secularism enshrined in the Constitution. The petitioner said that the Travancore Devaswom Board failed in its duty to prevent the misuse of temple premises for political purposes. After reviewing video footage from the event, a division bench comprising Justices Anil K Naarendran and Muralee Krishna expressed severe disapproval of the arrangements, stating, "What kind of decorations have you done on stage? Is this a college festival? You took money from devotees to do this! This is a temple festival. Shouldn’t it be for devotional song performances, not film songs?" The court noted that large sums had been spent on LED screens and flashlights, further highlighting the deviation from temple customs. In an interim order, the court made it clear that such activities “cannot be permitted during the annual festival of any temple” and directed the Travancore Devaswom Board to ensure that all temple festivals under its management adhere to traditional customs. It also criticised the collection of funds from devotees for non-religious purposes, emphasising that any financial contributions should be audited by the state. The temple advisory committee has been issued a show cause notice, while the Chief Vigilance and Security Officer has been tasked with investigating the incident and submitting a report. The court has also sought a counter affidavit from the temple board, reaffirming its previous guidelines on protecting temple funds and customs.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under two prime categories. The first is- Attack on Hindu religious representations. Under this, the first sub-category selected is- Defiling religious customs. Sanatan Dharma is not a religion of one book, which is to say that while it has religious scriptures that form the central tenets of the faith, there are several traditions followed through thousands of years, mostly passed from generation to generation orally. There are several such customs and traditions that are followed by various Hindus and Hindu sects. Defiling of these traditions and customs is a breach of an individual or group’s religious practices. Such practices can range from dietary restrictions like not eating non-vegetarian food for a certain period of the year, not eating non-vegetarian food at all, not eating beef since the cow is considered holy in Hinduism, the sanctity of religious customs followed in the house (like many ISCKON devotees), etc. Any malicious action leading to the breach of such traditions or defilement of these traditions owing to animosity towards the faith or for the sake of activism stems not only from the lack of faith in the religion itself but also from disregard for the faith of the devotees who follow the customs/traditions and implicit bias against the faith, the tradition itself. Since these specific traditions are central to the faith of the devotees of that specific sect of Hindus, any non-compliance with these traditional rules would be considered a religiously motivated hate crime. The second sub-category selected is- Breaking rules of place of worship. Sanatan Dharma is not a religion of one book, which is to say that while it has religious scriptures that form the central tenets of the faith, there are several traditions followed through thousands of years, mostly passed from generation to generation orally. One of these oral traditions or written traditions is the rules of specific temples. Certain temples have rules which are traditional rules, dependent on the worship of the presiding deities. These rules and traditions have been followed for thousands of years whether they find scriptural mention or not. Such traditions are based on the nature and rules of worship of the presiding deity of that temple. Any non-compliance of these traditions owing to animosity towards the faith or for the sake of activism stems not only from the lack of faith in the presiding deity but also disregard for the faith of the devotees of that deity/temple and implicit bias against the faith, the tradition and the deity itself. Since these specific traditions are central to the faith of the devotees of that specific temple and presiding deity, any non-compliance with these traditional rules would be considered a religiously motivated hate crime. The second category selected is- Restriction/ban on Hindu practices. Within this, the sub-category selected is- Administration restricting religious practice. In several cases, it is seen that the administration/state disallows a religious practice owing to prejudicial orders and concerns, targeted specifically against the Hindu community. Such restriction/prohibition would be considered documented as a hate crime because the orders are often a result of pressure by groups that harbour animosity towards Hinduism and Hindus. Often, the restriction by the authorities is driven by bias, hostility, or prejudice against the specific community being stopped from holding a religious practice, by pressure groups that harbour animosity towards Hindus, intrinsic to their faith. Since practices are intrinsic to the faith of the Hindus, such prejudicial restriction is considered a curtailing of the fundamental rights of the Hindu community. In several cases, for example, the authorities ban a Hindu religious practice due to pressure from groups opposed to the religion. In other instances, the prohibition is selectively enforced against one religious group (Hindus) while others are allowed to proceed. There are still other cases where the authorities preemptively restrict a religious practice by Hindus because those who hold animosity towards Hindus may get “provoked” leading to them being violent, thereby assuaging the sentiments of those who hold animosity towards Hindus by curtailing the religious rights of Hindus. Such acts and orders are prejudiced, indicating discriminatory motives owing to the capitulation to groups that harbour animosity towards Hindus and therefore, would be categorized as a religiously motivated hate crime since the original pressure leading to the order itself is a result of hatred/bias/prejudice/religious hate against Hindus. This case has been included in the Hinduphobia tracker under the above-mentioned categories given the blatant disregard for temple traditions and the sanctity of the religious festival. The Kerala government-run Travancore Devaswom Board, which is responsible for managing the temple, allowed political symbols and non-devotional performances to take precedence over traditional religious customs. The presence of CPI(M) and DYFI flags, along with the playing of revolutionary songs instead of devotional music, disrupted the spiritual environment of the Kadakkal Devi Temple festival and hurt the religious sentiments of Hindu devotees. The arbitrary order deviated from the temple’s long-standing traditions and transformed a sacred occasion into a platform for political propaganda. Furthermore, the fact that funds collected from devotees were misused for non-religious purposes, such as extravagant LED displays and stage decorations, highlights how the administration diverted resources away from their intended purpose. A temple is meant to be a space for devotion, free from external ideological influences, yet the board's actions directly contradicted this principle by allowing overt political displays. By permitting such violations, the temple administration not only disrespected the faith of devotees but also set a concerning precedent for further encroachments on Hindu religious spaces. It is important to mention here that the arbitrary decision by the Travancore Devaswom Board to allow political flags and non-devotional music at the Kadakkal Devi Temple festival is yet another example of the Kerala state government’s disregard for Hindus and their faith. Despite being a body entrusted with the management of Hindu temples, the Devaswom Board, under the influence of the state government, has repeatedly shown bias against Hindu religious sentiments. By permitting political propaganda within a sacred temple festival, the board not only defiled the sanctity of the event but also demonstrated a complete lack of respect for Hindu traditions and the spiritual atmosphere that devotees expect in their places of worship. This pattern of interference in Hindu religious affairs starkly contrasts with the government’s approach toward other religious communities. Mosques and churches are given full autonomy in their management, with their customs and traditions respected, whereas Hindu temples, under state control, are frequently subjected to arbitrary and politically motivated decisions that undermine religious practices. Further, the High Court’s intervention in this case reaffirms that the state government’s actions were unjustified, yet the fact that such a case even occurred highlights a deep-seated bias against Hindu religious institutions. Hence, this case rightfully belongs in the Hinduphobia tracker under the aforementioned categories, as it exemplifies both administrative bias against Hindus and their faith.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
State and Establishment
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Perpetrators Gender
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