Kerala HC directs Devaswom Boards to ensure temple access for persons with disabilities
The Boards were also directed to ensure barrier-free access routes, provide assistance personnel, and adopt other measures necessary for dignified and unhindered darshan.
The Boards were also directed to ensure barrier-free access routes, provide assistance personnel, and adopt other measures necessary for dignified and unhindered darshan.
The Boards were also directed to ensure barrier-free access routes, provide assistance personnel, and adopt other measures necessary for dignified and unhindered darshan.
Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Friday directed the Devaswom Boards in the state to ensure that persons with disabilities are provided proper darshan in temples under their management, issuing a series of measures to facilitate accessibility.
A Division Bench of Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and K V Jayakumar said that to fully realise the guarantees of equality, dignity, and non-discrimination under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016, disabled persons must be given priority access and reasonable accommodations.
“Such measures are not a matter of charity but a statutory and constitutional mandate designed to secure substantive equality,” the Bench observed.
The Court asked the Devaswom Boards of Travancore, Cochin, Guruvayoor and Malabar to consult tantris and other stakeholders to frame temple-specific guidelines, considering each shrine’s unique features and rituals. This could include permitting wheelchairs inside the Nalambalam, setting aside specific times or days for darshan, and offering advance booking or virtual-queue options.
The Boards were also directed to ensure barrier-free access routes, provide assistance personnel, and adopt other measures necessary for dignified and unhindered darshan. The Court ordered that broad guidelines be issued within four months.
The directions came while disposing of a suo motu plea initiated in 2022, after a disabled woman complained that she was forced to leave her wheelchair outside the Sree Vadakkumnathan Temple in Thrissur.
While opposing the petition, the Devaswom Boards cited practical difficulties, saying temple layouts varied according to Vasthusasthra, with some shrines located inside forests, atop rocks, or with limited inner space.
(With LiveLaw inputs)