The Supreme Court Friday granted permission to the authorities of Kerala's famed Sabarimala Temple, to continue with the practice of according special queue darshan for VIPs and devotees performing special poojas at the shrine.
A Bench comprising Justices Ashok Bhan and Dalveer Bhandari, granted the permission after accepting a proposal submitted by the Travancore Devaswam Board to regulate the queue by restricting the number of persons accompanying the VIPs and the devotees conducting special paid poojas at the premises.
Friday's decision by the apex court to allow the VIPs special darshan ends the ban imposed by the Kerala High Court late last year on any such privileges to the high and mighty.
The High Court banned the privileges following complaints that it was affecting the darshan and entry of general devotees visiting the temple.
On December 15, 2006, the Supreme Court stayed the ban after a VIP devotee challenged the same on the ground that the ban was imposed without proper application of mind.
The apex court after staying the ban directed the TDB to come out with proper guidelines and an effective solution to regulate the queue so as to avoid inconvenience to the general devotees.
