A senior representative of the erstwhile royal family of Pandalam, which is traditionally and by legend the foster family of Lord Ayyappa, the Sabarimala deity, criticised the State of Kerala in the Supreme Court on Thursday (April 23, 2026) for not taking a firm stand against petitions filed by non-believers questioning the age-old rituals and beliefs of the temple.

Appearing before a nine-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, senior advocate K. Radhakrishnan, appearing for the royal family representative, recalled that the State had not budged years ago in the face of a demand to initiate an enquiry into the Makaravilakku.