Kerala HC directs CDB to ensure basic amenities for devotees in all temples it manages

The Kerala High Court has directed the Cochin Devaswom Board to ensure basic amenities and facilities for devotees in all the temples that it manages, saying that despite repeated orders in this regard, the Board was giving the least priority to the primary needs of pilgrims.

Deprecating the board’s attitude, a bench of justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and KV Jayakumar issued comprehensive directions to provide basic amenities to pilgrims and ensure cleanliness at all the 409 shrines, including the Kodungalloor Bhagavathy Temple in Thrissur, that CDB manages.

While issuing the directions, the court said that the Board was duty-bound to ensure basic facilities, such as a sufficient number of toilets, access to pure drinking water, proper parking facilities for the vehicles of devotees, and a clean and hygienic environment in and around the temples.

“In spite of repeated directions from this court, it appears that the Board is giving the least priority to the primary and basic needs of pilgrims. We strongly deprecate such an attitude on the part of the Board,” the bench said. The court directed that first the Board should conduct a detailed assessment with regard to the basic facilities, such as sufficiency of toilets, sanitation and cleanliness in every temple.

Thereafter, it shall formulate a detailed scheme for the construction of toilet complexes for staff and devotees with separate toilets for gents, ladies, transgenders and differently abled persons, it said.

Besides these, the court also directed the CDB to provide sufficient bio-toilets during annual festivals and keep the temples clean and tidy by carrying out a thorough cleaning of the shrines and their premises at least once a month.

The bench directed the Devaswom Commissioner to file an affidavit within three months detailing the facilities available in each temple, as well as the number of devotees visiting the shrines during normal and festival periods.

It directed the Board to formulate and submit, within three months, the detailed scheme for the construction of toilet complexes and restrooms in all the temples under the CDB’s control.

The directions were issued by the court while disposing of a plea claiming inadequacy of amenities and facilities, including clean toilets, for devotees at the Kodungallur Bhagavathy Temple — one of the most ancient and famous Devi shrines in Kerala, dedicated to Bhadrakali.