HC turns down Maheswararu plea

KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Friday refused to accept the plea of senior tantri Kandararu Maheswararu to grant permission to his son Kandararu Mohanararu to assist him in performing tantric rituals and rites at Sabarimala.A Division Bench comprising Justice Thottathil B Radhakrishnan and Justice C T Ravikumar passed the order while considering a petition filed by Maheswararu against the Travancore Devaswom Board for denying permission to his son to assist him in performing rites at the Ayyappa temple.“The Mandalam-Makaravilakku season has started and Mohanararu has been involved in the rituals. The court can’t allow another person to carry out the responsibilities of the tantri.It would not be appreciated by the devotees and public at large,” the court said.The court denied the permission till February 14, when the Makaravilakku season comes to an end.The court adjourned the case to February 8, 2012. The petitioner submitted that Mohanararu was not involved in any case or criminal conspiracy.It was Mohanararu who filed a police complaint following an attempt to blackmail him two years ago. However, certain quarters were unleashing a negative prop a g a n d a against Mohanararu with a motive to prevent him from performing rites at Sabarimala.Mohanararu has been performing duties at Sabarimala and various other major temples, Maheswararu said. He said the board had no right to prevent Mohanararu or any other member of the Thazhamon Tantri family from assisting the chief priest at Sabarimala as being the Tantri of the temple was their traditionally inherited right.Mohanararu, camping at the Sannidhanam, said the board was trying to encroach upon the rights and privileges of the tantri.He added that the issues were over in the year 2007-08.Meanwhile, the court said that the issue should be settled down in the hearts of the devotees.The court had earlier accepted the statement of the TDB in 2007 justifying the stand of the board in not engaging Mohanararu owing to the controversy in connection with the blackmailing case.However,the petitioner submitted that the prohibition was for one year which is over and the controversy had come to an end.