Overview

• The Kollam Pooram festival’s 'kudamattam' ceremony featured a display of RSS founder K. B. Hedgewar’s portrait alongside images of reformers Sree Narayana Guru and B. R. Ambedkar.
• The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has initiated a formal investigation by requesting a report from its vigilance wing regarding the display.
• The Puthiyakavu Bhagavathy Temple, which is not under TDB’s jurisdiction, has been identified as responsible for the display, raising questions about oversight in multi-temple festivals.
• This incident follows prior controversies over political symbols and songs at temple festivals, despite High Court directives prohibiting such displays.
• Political leaders, including Opposition leader V. D. Satheesan, have called for a strict separation of religious practices and political messaging in Kerala’s temple spaces.