Devaswom boards in Kerala

Devaswom (Sanskrit: dēvasvaṁ; transl. "Belonging to the God") are socio-religious trusts in India, whose members are nominated by the government and community. They oversee Hindu temples and their assets to ensure their smooth operation in accordance with traditional rituals and customs. The devaswom system notably exists in the state of Kerala, where most temples are either managed by Government of Kerala-controlled devaswoms or private bodies or families. The properties of each temple are deemed to be the personal property of the presiding deity of the temple, and are managed through a body of trustees who bear allegiance to that deity.

The five Kerala devaswoms—Guruvayur, Travancore, Malabar, Cochin, and Koodalmanikyam—manage nearly 3,000 temples together.[1]

Governance and administration

Devaswom boards are statutory autonomous bodies constituted by the government to administer, manage, and oversee Hindu temples and their assets.

At the government level, Minister for Devaswoms is a Cabinet-level position responsible for policy formulation, oversight, and overall political leadership of the Devaswoms portfolio. The incumbent Devaswom Minister is V. N. Vasavan.

Devaswom boards function under the administrative supervision of the Government of Kerala, primarily through the Revenue (Devaswoms) Department.[2] The current Devaswom Secretary is M. G. Rajamanickam, IAS.[3]

Revenues

The five devaswoms earn about 1,000 crore rupees annually.[1][4]

Devaswom Annual revenue (crores of INR) Net assets (crores of INR) Number of temples Richest temples (annual revenue in crores (INR))
Guruvayur 400 2500 12 Sri Guruvayurappan Temple (400)
Travancore 683 (2017-18)[5] N/A 1240 Sabarimala Hill Shrine (200)
Chettikulangara Devi temple, Mavelikkara (100)

Haripad Sree Subrahmanya Swami Temple
Ettumanoor Siva Temple (60)
Malayalappuzha Devi Temple (5.75)

Malabar 80 N/A 1337 Kadambuzha Sri Parvati Temple (8)
Cochin 50 N/A 403 Chottanikkara Devi Temple (6)
Koodalmanikyam N.A. N/A 13 Koodalmanikyam Temple

Travancore Devaswom Board

The Travancore Devaswom Board is an autonomous body formed by the Travancore Cochin Hindu Religious Institutions Act of 1950. Sabarimala is the main income source of the Board, with 255 crore rupees accruing to it from the temple during the previous pilgrimage season.[6] The income from the rest of the temples in Kerala was 57 crore rupees.[6]

Malabar Devaswom Board

The Malabar Devaswom Board[7] was formed by the H.R & C.E (Amendment) Ordinance of 2008 of the Government of Kerala. The board has nine members. There are five divisions: Kasaragod Division, Thalassery Division, Kozhikode Division, Malappuram Division, and Palakkad Division. Temples are in Special Temple category and the others in A, B, C, D categories.

Guruvayur Devaswom Board

The Guruvayur Devaswom Board was formed to administer the activities of Guruvayur Temple.

Cochin Devaswom Board

The Cochin Devaswom Board was formed under the act of XV of Travancore–Cochin Hindu Religious institutions Act, 1950 to make provisions for the administration, supervision, and control of incorporated and unincorporated Devaswoms and of other Hindu Religious Endowments and funds under the Ruling area of the former Cochin State. Each temples on CDB has controlled by devaswoms.

Koodalmanikyam Devaswom Board

The Koodalmanikyam Devaswom Board is situated in Irinjalakuda, Thrissur district. It manages the Koodalmanikyam Temple.[8]

Working

Prior to 2015, the appointments to the various posts in the devawoms were governed by the provisions in the Madras Hindu Religious Act and Charitable Endowment Act 1951, Koodalmanikyam Devaswom Act 2005, Travancore-Cochin Hindu Religious Institutions Act 1950, and Guruvayoor Devaswom Act 1978.[9]

In 2015, based on the recommendations by the Justice Paripoornan Commission, the Congress-led UDF government set up an autonomous body for recruitment in the Dewaswom Boards.[9]

Reservation

About half of the Devaswom board recruitments are based on reservation.[10]

  • Ezhava (17%)
  • Hindu OBC excluding Ezhava (6%)
  • SC/ST (12%)
  • Economically backward High caste Hindus (10%)

Issues and Controversies

Financial mismanagement and audit issues during 2026 Global Ayyappa Sangamam

Kerala Devaswom Boards, particularly the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), have faced repeated allegations of financial mismanagement, with courts and audit authorities flagging serious irregularities in accounting and auditing practices.

In 2025–26, the Kerala High Court examined the audited accounts of the Global Ayyappa Sangamam, an event organised by the Travancore Devaswom Board, and found several irregularities. The court found that there has been discrepancies between the Board’s public claims and the figures shown in the audit report, including improper accounting of items distributed to devotees such as aravana, appam, and other ritual materials.[11][12] The High Court also stated that audited figures appeared to contradict earlier statements by Devaswom authorities regarding sponsorship receipts and reimbursements.[13]

The Travancore Devaswom Board rejected media reports on the audit findings and described them as misleading. The Board maintained that the expenditures were legitimate and that clarifications would be provided before the court.[14] The Kerala government distanced itself from the controversy, stating that financial accountability for the event lay solely with the Travancore Devaswom Board. Ministers indicated that the Board was responsible for clarifying audit objections and any reported financial losses.[15]

Political interference and appointments

In 2025, the appointment K. Jayakumar, as the president of the Travancore Devaswom Board became the subject of legal scrutiny when a senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer challenged the appointment in the Kerala High Court. The petitioner argued that the appointment violated provision which says a government employee cant be chosen as president.[16]

In 2025, the Bharatiya Janata Party alleged violations of established recruitment norms. The BJP state general secretary M.T.Ramesh alleged that the CPM workers are being appointed as employees under Guruvayur Dewaswom and money is being collected from jobseekers to conduct Dewaswom recruitment exams.[17]

Administrative and governance failures

The Kerala High Court has on multiple occasions criticised the Travancore Devaswom Board for administrative inefficiencies, including failure to establish effective internal vigilance systems, delays in addressing complaints of malpractice and crowd management.[18][19][20]

Administrative failures, inadequate infrastructure, poor coordination, and lapses in enforcement during peak pilgrimage seasons have drawn criticism from the Kerala High Court over poor crowd control and pilgrim safety at major temples.[21][19][22]

Attempt to abolish Devaswom

In 2018, the Supreme Court of India agreed to examine the petition started by Subramanian Swamy and T. G. Mohandas to abolish government interference in temples through the devaswom board. U. U. Lalit and K. M. Joseph issued notice to the Government of Kerala and Devaswom Board of Travanacore and Cochin, and sought their response in six weeks.[23] In 2019, the Government of Kerala opposed Swamy's plea.[24]

References

  1. ^ a b "They Manage the Wealth of the Gods". The Times of India. 4 September 2012. p. 3.
  2. ^ "Devaswom Department - Cochin Devaswom Board". www.cochindevaswomboard.org. Retrieved 19 December 2025.
  3. ^ "Kerala government effects bureaucratic reshuffle". The Hindu. 20 June 2025. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 19 December 2025.
  4. ^ "Managing Gods' wealth: Kerala's four Devaswoms together earn Rs 1000 crore annually". The Times of India. 4 September 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  5. ^ archive, From our online (16 October 2018). "Travancore Devaswom Board incurred expense of Rs 678 crore in the last fiscal year: Kadakampally". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 13 February 2026.
  6. ^ a b Nair, N.J (17 January 2018). "Sabarimala revenue touches record Rs 255 crore". The Deccan Chronicle (newspaper).
  7. ^ "Malabar Devaswom Board". Malabardevaswom.kerala.gov.in. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  8. ^ "Devaswom Boards - Government of Kerala, India". Kerala.gov.in. Archived from the original on 23 February 2016. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
  9. ^ a b "Kerala government to constitute Devaswom Recruitment Board". Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  10. ^ "Devaswom boards: Kerala govt announces 10 per cent reservation for economically weaker among Hindu forward communities". Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  11. ^ "Kerala High Court flags audit irregularities in Global Ayyappa Sangamam accounts". The South First. 11 February 2026. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  12. ^ "Kerala HC asks TDB to explain irregularities found in audited accounts of Global Ayyappa Sangamam". The Statesman. 12 February 2026. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  13. ^ "Explain 'irregularities' in Global Ayyappa Sangamam, HC asks TDB". Hindustan Times. 12 February 2026. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  14. ^ "Travancore Devaswom Board responds to audit allegations". Awaz The Voice. 13 February 2026. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  15. ^ "Global Ayyappa Sangamam loss: Kerala govt shies away from responsibility". The Times of India. 10 February 2026. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  16. ^ "IAS officer moves court challenging appointment of Travancore Devaswom Board president". Onmanorama. 5 December 2025. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  17. ^ "BJP calls for probe into alleged irregularities in Devaswom Board appointments". The New Indian Express. 23 October 2025. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  18. ^ "Kerala High Court issues guidelines to improve vigilance system in Travancore Devaswom temples". Onmanorama. 29 January 2026. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  19. ^ a b "Kerala HC pulls up TDB for poor crowd management at Sabarimala". The Hindu. 19 November 2025. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  20. ^ "Case against Cochin Devaswom Board in Kerala for violating distance norms while parading elephants at temple". The Hindu. 3 December 2024. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  21. ^ "Kerala temples face criticism over crowd management and safety lapses". Onmanorama. 5 October 2025. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  22. ^ "Kerala: HC slams CPM-controlled Kochi Devaswom Board for deploying bouncers for crowd management during festival". www.vsktelangana.org. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  23. ^ "Supreme Court issues notice to Kerala on Devaswom Board". The New Indian Express. 13 October 2018.
  24. ^ "Kerala opposes Swamy's plea to make Devaswom boards free of state's control". Business Standard India. Press Trust of India. 23 January 2019 – via Business Standard.
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