The Kerala High Court on Wednesday directed the Cochin Devaswom Board (CDB) to refrain from engaging personnel wearing inappropriate attire, including T-shirts bearing the word “bouncer,” for security during temple festivals or within the temple precincts.
This followed a petition filed recently by N. Prakash, a devotee, challenging the practice of engaging bouncers to control devotees at the Sree Poornathrayeesa temple, Thripunithura, in connection with the ‘Vrischikotsavam’. He said that in all the previous years, sufficient police personnel used to be deputed to control the huge crowd inside the temple, besides volunteers from the devotees. But this time during the fete from November 22 to 25, the board engaged 15 bouncers, citing insufficient number of police personnel.
He contended that these people were wearing T-shirts emblazoned with the word bouncer, a term ordinarily associated with personnel deployed outside bars and similar establishments as strong-arm security staff. This was wholly inappropriate and fundamentally incompatible with the sanctity and cultural ethos of the temple environment.
Resignation of panel members
The CDB submitted that 10 days prior to the commencement of the festival, a substantial number of members of the Temple Advisory Committee tendered their resignations. The temple had earlier engaged ex-servicemen as security personnel. However, owing to the enormous and unmanageable crowds that thronged the temple, they were unable to effectively regulate ‘devotee movement.’ It was in these compelling circumstances that the security agency was engaged.
Stating as ‘unfortunate’ that individuals wearing T-shirts emblazoned with the word bouncer were deployed during the festival, the board went on to assure the court that such an incident would not recur in future, and that the CDB will ensure that necessary decorum is maintained in all temple-related arrangements. The court disposed of the petition, with the directive to the board.
Published – December 03, 2025 08:51 pm IST
