IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM PRESENT : THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE C.N.RAMACHANDRAN NAIR & THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE P.S.GOPINATHAN THURSDAY, THE 22ND JULY 2010 / 31ST ASHADHA 1932 WP(C).No. 21248 of 2010(E) -------------------------- PETITIONERS: --------------- 1. N.DAMODARAN POTTI, 'SANTHI', SREEKRISHNA TEMPLE VAIKOM, RESIDING AT 'PRANAVAM', AARRATTUKULANGARA, THEKKENADA P.O., VAIKOM. 2. C.N.KRISHNAN NAMBOOTHIRI, MELSANTHI VALANJABALAM DEVI TEMPLE, ERNAKULAM, RESIDING AT CHERUNTHOTTATHU MANA, ANNAMANADA P.O., (VIA) CHALAKKUDY, TRICHUR. BY ADV. SRI.S.KRISHNAMOORTHY RESPONDENTS: --------------- 1. TRAVANCORE DEVASWOM BOARD, REP. BY ITS SECRETARY, NANDANCODE, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM. 2. THE DEVASWOM COMMISSIONER, TRAVANCORE DEVASWOM BOARD, NANDANCODE, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM. BY ADV. SRI.V.KRISHNA MENON, SC THIS WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) HAVING COME UP FOR ADMISSION ON 22/07/2010, THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING: C.N.RAMACHANDRAN NAIR & P.S.GOPINATHAN, JJ. .................................................................... W.P.(C) No.21248 of 2010 .................................................................... Dated this the 22nd day of July, 2010. JUDGMENT Ramachandran Nair, J. The petitioners could not participate in the selection process for appointment of Mel Santhis in the Ayyappa and Malikappuram Temples at Sabarimala for the coming season for want of SSLC, which is the educational qualification required to apply for the post of Mel Santhi. Standing Counsel for Travancore Devaswom Board submitted that educational qualification is introduced based on recommendation of Justice Paripoornan Commission and the instruction of this court contained in Ext.P2 order directing the Devaswom Board to follow the existing guidelines. However, the case of the petitioners is that they are currently working in major temples as Mel Santhis and, therefore, they are qualified. Further, for the poojas and other rituals in the temple, absolutely no educational qualification is required, but W.P.C.21248/2010 2 knowledge in the Thantras and commitment to the profession are the real criteria which matter. Prima facie we feel education is not the major criteria of qualification for appointment to the post of Mel Santhi. However, this year the Devaswom Board is processing the applications already received and we are told that for the Mel Santhi post at Ayyappa Temple, 62 applications are received and for the Malikappuram Temple, as many as 40 applications are received. This court has held on an earlier occasion in Ext.P2 that selection should be made sufficiently early and, therefore, we are not inclined to withhold the selection process which has already commenced. However, we leave it open to the petitioners to collect the details such as names, addresses and educational qualification of Mel Santhis working in major temples in Kerala for us to consider whether the Devaswom should be advised to change the norms or relaxation of educational qualification. This is because statistics may probably show the trend among the Poojari class in pursuing education beyond a level. W.P. is W.P.C.21248/2010 3 disposed of with the above observation, but leaving freedom to the Devaswom to proceed with the selection of Mel Santhis for the two temples at Sabarimala. C.N.RAMACHANDRAN NAIR Judge P.S.GOPINATHAN Judge pms