Southern States - Kerala   

Row over TDB member's comments on Pandalam Raja

By Our Staff Reporter

Pathanamthitta Nov. 13. The Travancore Devaswom Board member, Charupara Ravi's "sarcastic'' comments on the royal family erstwhile Pandalam kingdom and the Pandalam Valiya Thampuran, P. Ramavarma Raja, at a recent seminar on Sabarimala development in Chengannur have stirred up a hornet's nest.

The venue was the Siva-Parvathi Auditorium near the famous Mahadeva Temple at Chengannur and Mr. Ravi was offering felicitations at the seminar organised by the Mathrubhumi on November 9. Close on the heels of his equivocal criticism of the media for exposing the Board's `murky deals' and other irregularities in its functioning, Mr. Ravi took a dig at the Pandalam Raja and the royal family.

According to the board member, "the TDB, the KSRTC, traders, the Pandalam Valiya Thampuran and the royal family were all beneficiaries of the annual Sabarimala pilgrimage.''

There were protests against the board member's "irresponsible statement'' from various quarters during the question-answer session of the seminar later.

Many aired their disgust and protests over the appointment of politicians by successive Governments to various temple administrative bodies in the State.

However the protests, mostly from the Ayyappa Seva Sanghom and the Sangh Parivar bodies, came only after the TDB member had left the scene after the inaugural session.

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