Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Thursday dismissed petitions challenging the Global Ayyappa Sangamam, paving the way for the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) to hold the event at Pampa on September 20.

A Division Bench of Justice V Raja Vijayaraghavan and Justice K V Jayakumar directed the TDB to conduct the event without disturbing rituals forming part of the Sabarimala tradition and while ensuring the sanctity of Pampa, a site closely linked with the pilgrimage.

The court also instructed the TDB to maintain transparent accounts of all expenses and sponsorship contributions, with audited statements to be submitted within 45 days. It further ordered strict measures to keep the River Pampa clean, including a ban on plastic bottles, cups and other non-biodegradable materials, and called for proper crowd management and parking facilities.

The Bench noted that the movement of devotees should not be hindered due to security arrangements, even as several eminent personalities have been invited to the event.

Devaswom Minister V N Vasavan welcomed the verdict, reiterating that government funds would not be misused and that sponsors’ contributions would be disclosed. "Our intention with this event is to transform Sabarimala into a global pilgrimage centre," he said.