The Kerala High Court has dismissed a plea challenging the entry of two Christian priests into the Adoor Sree Parthasarathy Temple in Pathanamthitta district in 2023, alleging that it violated the Kerala Hindu Places of Public Worship (Authorisation of Entry) Act, 1965.
Pronouncing the order, the High Court said that “statutes, rules and regulations ought not to be permitted to become instruments for fomenting discord or disharmony between different religions, castes, sub-castes or communities.” Instead, the legal framework must function as a unifying force that fosters mutual respect and coexistence, the court noted.
The court was considering a petition seeking to declare as illegal the entry of Zacharias Mar Aprem of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church and another Christian priest during a Sreekrishna Jayanthi function on September 7, 2023. The priests had been invited to the temple as guests to attend the event.
The plea, filed by Sanil Narayanan Nampoothiri, a teacher from Kulanada, also sought directions to the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) and the temple authorities to prevent the entry of non-Hindus into the shrine.
A bench of Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V. and K.V. Jayakumar said that the priests were permitted entry as guests by the tantri, which was fundamentally distinct from an entry claimed as a matter of right.
