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Showing posts from May 27, 2009


Trademark for Hindu Temple Deity Pictures – Should Hindu Temple Deities be Patented?

Few months back, Attukal Temple at Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala had secured trademark protection for the picture of the deity and the title (tag) associated with the temple – Sabarimala of Women. Attukal Bhagavathy Temple at Trivandrum holds the Guinness world record for the largest gathering of women in the world during the world famous Attukal Pongala Festival (February – March). Now Kerala High Court has registered a suo motu case against patenting of temple deity, on the complaint of a resident from Trivandrum , who has alleged that patenting means that the temple is a business project and not in tune with religious purpose. Trademark on the picture of the Attukal Devi and title ‘Sabarimala of Women’ means that only the Attukal Temple administration body has the right to use them and this helps to prevent unauthorized use of the picture and the title. (Even this blog cannot publish the picture of the deity.) The present case that has been registered against the trad