Kochi, Sept. 18 -- The Supreme Court (SC) today refused to stay the Kerala High Court's decision allowing the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) to conduct the Global Ayyappa Sangamam at Pampa on September 20.
A bench of Justices P.S. Narasimha and Atul S. Chandurkar dismissed petitions challenging the event.
The Sangamam, aimed at projecting Sabarimala as a global pilgrimage destination and promoting the universal message of "Thathwamasi", had faced criticism from petitioners who described it as politically motivated and argued that temporary structures on the Pampa riverbank could compromise the sanctity of the shrine.
The Kerala High Court had, on September 11, permitted the programme under strict conditions to ensure that devotees' acce...