Thrissur Pooram organisers to challenge HC ban on odd-hour fireworks at places of worship

Thrissur: The Paramekkavu Devaswom, one of the two organisers of the world-famous Thrissur Pooram, has decided to challenge Friday’s Kerala High Court verdict banning the bursting of firecrackers in religious places at odd hours.

Talking to Onmanorama, Paramekkavu Devaswom secretary Rajesh G said: “We will definitely challenge the verdict immediately. The court has said that no crackers shall be burst in religious places at odd times. There are various Supreme Court verdicts that clearly state courts should not interfere in religious matters. Also, the court has banned bursting crackers only at religious places. Why no ban in other domestic places? Why such a discrepancy?”

Meanwhile, the other organiser of the Pooram, Thiruvambady Devaswom, has said the verdict was uncalled for. Gireesh Kumar, Secretary of Thiruvambady Devaswom, said: “Citing just an issue at a temple in Ernakulam, banning religious practice across the state was really uncalled for. For instance, Triprayar Tevar’s 'niyamaveti' is a highly religious practice. Every day at 3 am and in the evening before 'deeparadhana', three 'kathina' shots are burst. There are many places with similar religious practices, including Sabarimala. How can you just ask to stop all these at one go,” he said.

Kumar added that he would discuss the matter with other temple authorities and form a consortium to challenge the verdict.

On Friday, High Court’s single bench judge Amit Rawal ordered to ‘conduct raids in all religious places and take into possession of the crackers illegally stored in all religious places and issue instructions that henceforth onwards no crackers shall be burst in religious places at odd time as prima facie there is no commandment in any of the holy book to burst crackers for pleasing the God’.