Global Ayyappa Sangamam: Kerala High Court Flags Audit Lapses, Gives Travancore Devaswom Board One Last Month

The Kerala High Court on January 8, 2026, expressed displeasure over the Travancore Devaswom Board’s failure to place audited accounts of the Global Ayyappa Sangamam before the court within the stipulated time, and granted the board a final opportunity to comply with its earlier directions in the suo motu proceedings relating to the conduct of the event at Sabarimala and the banks of the Pampa river.

The division bench headed by Justice V. Raja Vijayaraghavan V and Justice K.V. Jayakumar noted that the court had, in an interim order passed in September, authorised the event subject to detailed conditions including maintaining clear, transparent accounts of all estimated costs such as accommodation, travel and contributions, and directed these be audited and furnished to the Special Commissioner within 45 days of the programme.

TDB had previously assured the court that the event would be funded mainly through sponsorships and voluntary contributions and that accounts would be kept transparent. The high court had also dismissed a batch of petitions challenging the Sangamam, including one alleging that the board had itself funded the event, before closing the matter on November 11 after granting an initial extension.

In the hearing on Thursday, the board told the court that while files related to the event were handed to a chartered accountant, they were returned on the ground that complete bills had not been provided by the Indian Institute of Infrastructure and Construction (IIIC), which had been engaged for arrangements. TDB said it had since obtained all bills and forwarded them back to the accountant, whose verification report was still pending.

The bench observed that the delay in producing audited accounts was regrettable and expressed dissatisfaction with the explanation offered by the board. However, in the interests of justice, the court extended the deadline by one final month to submit a comprehensive and verified income and expenditure statement to the Special Commissioner. Court made it clear that no further extension would be granted, and warned that failure to comply within the extended period could invite appropriate action for violation of its directions.

The Global Ayyappa Sangamam had earlier been cleared by the court in September, with strict directions to protect the sanctity of Sabarimala temple and the ecological balance of the river Pampa while ensuring financial transparency and accountability in conducting the event.

Case Title: Travancore Devaswom Board and Others vs. Suo Motu and State of Kerala

Order Date: January 8, 2026

Bench: Justice V. Raja Vijayaraghavan V and Justice K.V. Jayakumar