Ban on undergarments continues for Sabarimala staff

Even ten years after the Kerala State Human Rights Commission's intervention, employees involved in the counting of offerings received at the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple in Kerala are restricted from wearing undergarments while on duty and being subjected to physical examination of private parts to check the smuggling of offerings.

Despite repeated pleas of the employees, steps to install advanced checking gadgets like body scanners and x-ray units are still lagging. The Travancore Devaswom Employees Front is now planning to approach the Human Rights Commission again with a plea to put an end to the humiliating practices. They have recently submitted fresh memorandums to the authorities of the Travancore Devaswom Board, which manages the Sabarimala temple, to end the humiliating practices.

Around 200 employees are engaged in the offering countering centre at the temple premises. Apart from currencies, even valuables like gold coins are received as an offering.

Travancore Devaswom Employees Front state president G Baiju told DH that even after the Human Rights Commission order in 2008 not to prevent employees at offering counting centre from wearing undergarments and to stop the physical examination of private parts of employees, the authorities were not willing to end the primitive practices citing isolated instances of employees trying to steal offerings. "We are not opposed to checking but are only opposing the naked examination and ban on undergarments which are humiliating. There is no paucity of funds to install advanced gadgets to check employees," he said.

TDB president N Vasu said that instances of employees stealing offerings by hiding in private parts was compelling the security staff to conduct physical examination. However, during the current pilgrimage season, no instances of stealing were reported yet, he added. He also said that steps to install gadgets like body scanners and x-rays were getting delayed owing to the cost and technical factors.

The revenue at Sabarimala Ayyappa temple during this pilgrimage season, from November 16, crossed Rs 66 crore as on December 5. While the revenue during the corresponding period in 2018 was around Rs.40 crore, in 2017 it was around Rs 75 crore.

The offerings received at Sabarimala are a major source of revenue of the TDB and are being used to meet the expenses of many other temples under the board as well as the salaries and administrative expenses of the board.