Kochi: Panthalam Kottara Nirvahaka Sanghom and Revathi Nal P. Ramavarma Raja, Valiya Raja of Pandalam Palace on Wednesday moved the Kerala High Court seeking to review its decision to stop elephant parade at Sabarimala during Makaravilakku festival.
The court banned the festival on a suo motu proceeding initiated by it following the death of a pilgrim after an elephant ran amok. According to the petitioners, Makaravilakku is the most important festival of Sabarimala and it has been celebrated traditionally. The ezhunnallathu of Lord Ayyappa on an elephant, which starts from the Manimandapam, is the most important customary ceremony of the festival. All the rites and precedents, which have been followed for centuries, should be preserved in connection with the Pandalam palace and Sabarimala temple, without any change, the petitioners said.
The court had also sought the opinions of former Sabarimala Tantri Kandararu Rajeevaru and present Tantri Kandararu Maheshwararu Mohanararu regarding the use of elephants during the Makaravilakku and the annual festivals. Though both the Tantris had concurred with the view that elephants could be dispensed with during the festival, there were differences of opinion on the use of elephants in annual festival.
