Ayyappa politics takes centre stage in Kerala ahead of elections

The Global Ayyappa Conclave, organised by the Travancore Devaswom Board and the counter conclave backed by the Vishva Hindu Parishad, offered sharply contrasting narratives, one trying to project inclusivity under state stewardship, the other claiming to speak for devotees against government appropriation.

Owning Ayyappa narrative

The Global Ayyappa Conclave, billed as the largest-ever gathering of its kind, had been in the news from the time it was announced. Marketed as a global forum on the legacy of Lord Ayyappa and the Sabarimala tradition, it carries both cultural ambition and political weight. By the time it opened at Pamba, it was evident that the conclave was about far more than devotional dialogue, it was about ownership of the Ayyappa narrative in contemporary Kerala.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the conclave with a speech that blended reformist references with political messaging. He framed Sabarimala as a site of secular inclusivity, welcoming all castes and communities.

Citing Bhagavat Gita and Kerala’s social reform movements together, he said Ayyappa devotion was inseparable from equality and fraternity. His remarks were widely interpreted as an attempt to soften the image of a government that had faced massive backlash during the anti-women’s entry protests of 2018.

Alienating secular groups

The political undertone grew sharper when Devaswom minister V N Vasavan read out a message from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Though framed as only a courtesy message, it carried political implications, echoing the presence of a BJP heavyweight and imprint of Hindutva symbolism within a conclave convened under a Left-led government.

Also read: Ayyappa Sangamam: Plan is to make Sabarimala like Tirupati, says Kerala CM

Opposition leaders seized on this immediately. The Congress accused the LDF of hypocrisy, saying it preached secularism while giving space to Hindutva voices.

By convening the conclave itself, however, the Left appears to have alienated a section of the secular constituency that had rallied behind it in 2018, when the government boldly upheld the Supreme Court verdict allowing women of all ages entry into the shrine.

Dr T S Shyam Kumar, a historian who had backed the government during the Sabarimala fiasco, said, “When we quote the Bhagavad Gita to define one’s faith, we must remember that the same text also sanctioned the caste system. It was not the Gita that gave the oppressed castes the right to enter temples, including Sabarimala, it was the Constitution. We should uphold the Constitution, its moral authority, and democracy, rather than use the Gita to justify exclusion. This very government appoints priests from all castes according to the Constitution, not according to any religious scripture.”

Low turnout

The conclave also came under criticism for its turnout. Despite the build-up, images of empty seats at sessions circulated, with the Opposition dismissing the event as a state-sponsored spectacle.

Devaswom Minister V. N. Vasavan shrugged off the criticism, explaining that the images were taken during breaks and had been misrepresented. He highlighted the participation of scholars and community leaders as evidence of the conclave’s significance.

CPIM state secretary M V Govindan went a step further, accusing the media of resorting to AI-generated visuals to tarnish the event.

For the LDF, the involvement of key community organisations lent the conclave considerable weight.

Vellappally Natesan of the SNDP Yogam addressed the devotion to Ayyappa through the lens of Sree Narayana Guru’s teachings, aligning with the government’s inclusive narrative. His arrival alongside the Chief Minister in a state car, however, drew sharp criticism, given his recent record of making communal statements against Muslim and Christian communities.

Also read: Global Ayyappa Sangamam to begin on banks of Pamba River

The Nair Service Society also sent representatives, signalling cautious engagement. For the LDF, this participation was symbolic, demonstrating that the conclave was more than a stage-managed event. Notably, both organisations, which had been central to the 2018 Sabarimala agitations, abstained from the VHP-backed counter conclave.

Pandalam gathering

The counter gathering at Pandalam, a town in Pathanamthitta district, presented as the “authentic voice of devotees,” was positioned directly against what they dismissed as the “state-managed show” at Pamba carrying a distinctly combative political tone.

VHP leaders argued that the TDB conclave diluted spiritual essence with political packaging, insisting that the true custodians of Ayyappa’s legacy were devotees and religious institutions, not a government-controlled board.

However, the VHP programme became a congregation of far-right elements, with BJP and RSS leaders attacking the LDF government along overtly communal lines, and one of the speakers even branding Vavar, Ayyappa’s Muslim companion in the Sabarimala tradition, as an “Islamic terrorist”.

BJP leaders Annamalai and Tejaswi Surya from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka were among the most vocal, attacking the Left government for what they called hypocrisy.

Criticising CMs

Both leaders contended that atheists had no moral authority to convene a conclave in Ayyappa’s name, accusing the Left of appropriating a faith it did not truly believe in. Annamalai went further, alleging that Pinarayi Vijayan embodied all three vices mentioned in the Gita —lust, anger, and greed—an attack that has already stirred sharp reactions.

“He is a person who does not believe in God or Sanatana Dharma. But suddenly, he became a proponent of the Bhagavad Gita and quoted verses from it. This is nothing but drama,” said Annamalai.

Meanwhile, Surya described the non-BJP chief ministers of three South Indian states — Pinarayi Vijayan, Siddharamaiah, and M K Stalin — as “anti-Hindu Trimurtis.”

He mocked the TDB’s Ayyappa Conclave, saying, “It’s like a devil quoting scriptures or butchers holding welfare programs for goats and chickens.”

Also read: SC refuses to stop global conclave of Ayyappa devotees in Kerala

The speeches followed a consistent theme that Sabarimala’s customs were timeless and non-negotiable, and state interference particularly by the Left could not be allowed to redefine them, even though the VHP appeared to have lost the support of key 2018 allies, the SNDP and NSS.

However, many state BJP leaders, including president Rajeev Chandrasekhar, were in attendance.

Ayyappa politics

The duelling conclaves highlight the continuing high stakes of Ayyappa politics in Kerala. For the Left, the gamble was to project sensitivity to traditions while insisting on inclusivity. But in doing so, it risks alienating sections of its already eroding minority support base.

For the BJP and the Sangh Parivar, the opportunity lies in projecting themselves as authentic defenders of faith against what they describe as state intrusion.

The Congress, meanwhile, finds itself on delicate ground, attempting to balance minority confidence with the need to respond to Hindu community sentiments. Its strategy has been to accuse both the government and the Sangh Parivar of politicising the shrine.

V D Satheesan, the leader of the Opposition, said, “Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan spoke like a fake devotee. This devotion, which never suited him, is merely a ploy with an eye on the upcoming elections. He is hiding the atrocities carried out at Sabarimala with the help of the police, violating traditions during his tenure.”

As Kerala heads towards the LSG and assembly elections, the shadow of Ayyappa politics looms large once again. The Ayyappa Sangamam was meant to project reconciliation and inclusivity, but it has sparked fresh debate over the role of the state in temple affairs.