ThiruvananthapuramAugust 24, 2025 10:04 AM IST
First published on: Aug 24, 2025 at 10:00 AM IST
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About seven years after facing a backlash for backing the landmark 2018 Supreme Court judgment that declared as unconstitutional the practice of barring women of menstrual age entry to the Sabarimala temple in Kerala, the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government is set to hold a global summit of devotees of Lord Ayyappa, the presiding deity of the temple, on September 20.
The summit, called “Global Ayyappa Sangamam”, will be held at Pamba, the base station of the Sabarimala temple. A first of its kind, the conclave will mark the 75th anniversary of Travancore Devaswom Board, a state government body, which manages this hill shrine. The attendees for the mega event will include Chief Minister Vijayan, his ministers, Opposition leaders, spiritual leaders and representatives of Ayyappa devotees from across the world.
State Devaswoms Minister V N Vasavan told the media that the summit is meant to showcase Sabarimala as a “divine, traditional, and sustainable global pilgrimage centre”. “We have invited Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin as the chief guest. We are expecting ministers or government representatives from other states like Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana at the summit,” he said.
Indicating that the CPI(M)-led LDF government is keen to build bridges with all organisations associated with the temple, Vasavan said, “We will invite all organisations who have been associated with Sabarimala. There is no question of keeping out anyone from the summit. All the delegates of the summit will get facilities for darshan at the temple.”
The BJP has however criticised the LDF government, with state party chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Saturday saying, “The government should not think it can fool the people with such actions. That era is long over. The people of Kerala will never forget how the Pinarayi Vijayan government acted against Sabarimala, even jailing Ayyappa devotees,” he said, referring to the LDF government’s response to the protests sparked by the Supreme Court verdict in 2018.
Chandrasekhar also took exception to the Kerala government inviting Stalin to the summit. “Inviting Stalin is a direct insult to Sabarimala devotees. Those who once insulted ‘Sanatan Dharma’ are now guests at the Ayyappa Sangamam just before Assembly elections… Stalin’s participation in the Ayyappa Sangamam is like Hitler turning up for the protection of Jews. (Stalin’s son and Tamil Nadu Deputy CM) Udhayanidhi and DMK leaders have repeatedly insulted Sanatan Dharma with their harsh words. Yet, with elections approaching, the state government has chosen to invite Stalin as the chief guest for the Ayyappa Sangamam,” he said.
Chandrasekhar was referring to controversial comments made by Udayanidhi in September 2023, when he called for the “eradication” of the Sanatan Dharma.
Kummanam Rajasekharan, a member of the BJP’s national executive committee, said, “The government that had framed devotees in criminal cases and insulted the sentiments of the faithful has no moral right to conduct the summit.”
In 2018, the state had witnessed violent protests for several days when the government sought to implement the Supreme Court’s verdict allowing entry for women of all ages at the hill shrine. Several Hindu organisations, especially the Nair Service Society and Sangh Parivar organisations had turned against the government’s bid to “violate traditions” at the Sabarimala temple.
The Vijayan government had then taken the line that it was “promoting progressive values”. The government had also formed a committee for the protection of renaissance values.
However, in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the CPI(M) faced a debacle with its support for the 2018 apex court’s verdict backfiring, especially among the Hindu community. The LDF won just 1 seat out of the state’s 20 seats, repeating the same performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. However, bucking the trend, the Vijayan-led LDF returned to power in the state for a second consecutive term by winning the 2021 Assembly elections.
Kerala is now headed to the Assembly elections early next year. The three-tier local body elections, both in urban and rural areas, are also slated to take place in the state in November-December this year. Against this backdrop, the Global Ayyappa Sangamam is being seen as another attempt by the CPI(M) to put behind the 2018 episode and consolidate its position in the coming polls.
Since its setback in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the CPI(M) has intensified its efforts to garner the Hindu vote. In the 2024 elections, the party had gone all out to win the Muslim vote over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act among other issues. However, after winning just one seat again, the party has backtracked on its Muslim outreach and instead targeted conservative Muslim organisations such as Jamaat-e-Islami, which it alleges is part of a “nexus” with the Opposition Congress.