Controversy Surrounds 'Temple' Shirt Policy in Kerala
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Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 4 (NationPress) Just a few days after Swami Satchidananda, the head of the Sivagiri Mutt, recommended eliminating the custom of men taking off their shirts to enter temples in Kerala, the topic continued to ignite discussions on Saturday with a variety of opinions surfacing.
During the meeting on December 31 where the seer made his suggestion, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan lent his support. However, this was soon met with significant opposition from Sukumaran Nair, the leader of the Nair Service Society (NSS), representing the Hindu Nair community, who expressed that the CM should not have commented on the matter.
On Saturday, the first rebuttal against Vijayan came from his own cabinet member - film star-turned-state Transport Minister K.B. Ganesh Kumar, who asserted that decisions regarding faith should be left to the respective temple priests.
"Every temple adheres to its own rules, rituals, and traditions, and such matters should be determined by those individuals... Any authority wishing to implement change should engage in discussions with the temple priests," stated Ganesh Kumar.
The Leader of Opposition, V.D. Satheesan, acknowledged that there is merit in Vijayan's comments but emphasized that any alterations to rituals ought to be deliberated within the concerned community.
"There is no requirement for a public discussion on such matters as they should be decided by the specific community," he remarked.
P.S. Prasanth, the President of the Travancore Devaswom Board, which oversees temple administration in southern Kerala districts, affirmed that any reform in traditions must be discussed extensively.
Notably, Vijayan's remarks were made at the Sivagiri Mutt, established by the social reformer Sree Narayana Guru.
This mutt holds significant importance for the Hindu Ezhava community, classified under the OBC category, which is the largest group within the Hindu population.
In their temples, as well as those under the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalama Yogam, the social organization of the Ezhava community led by Vellapally Natesan, there is no requirement for men to remove their shirts to enter.
Meanwhile, K. Surendran, the state BJP President, criticized Vijayan for his comments, stating, "Who does he (Vijayan) think he is to say such things... they are individuals intent on dismantling temples and their traditions."
