The Guruvayur Sree Krishna temple continues to hit headlines over the conduct of purification (punyahom) rituals as atonement for defilement caused by the entry of non-Hindus.

On Sunday, it was the entry of a British national into the temple which made the tantri (supreme priest) order a ‘punayhom’. Temple sources said the foreigner had offered prayers at the temple just before the athazha puja (last puja before closure).

He claimed that he had embraced Hinduism and changed his name to Pranavahi.

In fact, he even produced the certificate issued by the Thiruvananthapuram branch of the Arya Samajam to buttress his claim.

However, the temple tradition was to accept the certificate issued by Kozhikode branch of Arya Samajam only in such cases. Hence the tantri wanted a punyahom to be conducted. Consequently, the athazha puja got delayed.
Last year, it was Union Minister for Overseas Development Vayalar Ravi’s son Ravi Krishna who was found to have defiled the temple. Ravi Krishna had entered the temple for his son’s choroonu (ceremonial feeding of solid food). However, since Ravi Krishna’s mother Mercy (Vayalar Ravi’s wife) is a Christian, the temple said his religious status was questionable.

Yesudas complains
Meanwhile, the ban on entry of non-Hindus to temples in the State continues to hit headlines. Playback singer K J Yesudas who is yet to be allowed inside the Guruvayoor temple has complained that he was “insulted” by authorities of another famous temple, the Kadampuzha Devi temple in Malappuram. Yesudas, a Christian by birth, said though he had recently visited the temple on being invited by the authorities, he had to offer prayers from outside.

“There is no discrimination in front of my mother Mookambika Devi. Anyone can go there. Such insults should be stopped,’’ he said. Yesudas has sung everlasting song, both devotional and movie tracks, in the name of both the Gurvayoor and Kadampuzha deities.