<p>Thiruvananthapuram: Despite objection raised by various Hindu outfits to a call by a Hindu monk to abolish the practice of men removing shirts while entering temples, at least five known temples in Kerala have already abolished the practice, while many temples are said to be actively considering the reform, said a prominent seer.</p><p>The Chakkulathukavu Bhagavathy temple in Alappuzha, Cherai Gowreeshwara temple near Kochi, Arumanoor Sri Nainaar deva temple on the suburbs of Thiruvananthapuram, Sree Kumaramangalam Subrahmaniya temple near Kumarakom in Kottayam district and Edappadi Ananda Shanmukha temple near Pala in Kottayam district are the major temples that have already decided to abolish the practice, said Sivagiri mutt head Swami Satchidananda, who had made the call for abolishing the practice.</p>.Tension outside Tamil Nadu temple over row over renaming of Thiruparankundram hillock.<p>He also added that scores of other temples are in the process of abolishing the practice.</p><p>Even as Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had backed the call of Satchidanada last month, the CPM-led Left Democratic Front government is not taking it forward in view of the objection, especially from forums representing 'upper caste' Hindu communities. </p><p>State devaswom minister V N Vasavan said that neither the government nor the devaswom boards under the state government would give any direction to abolish the practice of removing shirts while entering temples. The respective temple committees and tantris will have to take a decision on the matter, he added.</p>.PETA, sitarist Anoushka Shankar to gift mechanical elephant to Kerala temple. <p>Satchidanada had said that removing shirts for entering temples was against the preaching of social reformer Sree Narayana Guru who founded the Sivagiri Mutt, which is a popular worship centre of the Hindu - Ezhava community that comes under the OBC category. It is the largest Hindu community in Kerala.</p><p>"The practice of men removing shirts was introduced with the intention of knowing whether men entering temples were having 'ponool' - the sacred thread worn by brahmins. Such practices should be abolished now," he had said.</p>
<p>Thiruvananthapuram: Despite objection raised by various Hindu outfits to a call by a Hindu monk to abolish the practice of men removing shirts while entering temples, at least five known temples in Kerala have already abolished the practice, while many temples are said to be actively considering the reform, said a prominent seer.</p><p>The Chakkulathukavu Bhagavathy temple in Alappuzha, Cherai Gowreeshwara temple near Kochi, Arumanoor Sri Nainaar deva temple on the suburbs of Thiruvananthapuram, Sree Kumaramangalam Subrahmaniya temple near Kumarakom in Kottayam district and Edappadi Ananda Shanmukha temple near Pala in Kottayam district are the major temples that have already decided to abolish the practice, said Sivagiri mutt head Swami Satchidananda, who had made the call for abolishing the practice.</p>.Tension outside Tamil Nadu temple over row over renaming of Thiruparankundram hillock.<p>He also added that scores of other temples are in the process of abolishing the practice.</p><p>Even as Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had backed the call of Satchidanada last month, the CPM-led Left Democratic Front government is not taking it forward in view of the objection, especially from forums representing 'upper caste' Hindu communities. </p><p>State devaswom minister V N Vasavan said that neither the government nor the devaswom boards under the state government would give any direction to abolish the practice of removing shirts while entering temples. The respective temple committees and tantris will have to take a decision on the matter, he added.</p>.PETA, sitarist Anoushka Shankar to gift mechanical elephant to Kerala temple. <p>Satchidanada had said that removing shirts for entering temples was against the preaching of social reformer Sree Narayana Guru who founded the Sivagiri Mutt, which is a popular worship centre of the Hindu - Ezhava community that comes under the OBC category. It is the largest Hindu community in Kerala.</p><p>"The practice of men removing shirts was introduced with the intention of knowing whether men entering temples were having 'ponool' - the sacred thread worn by brahmins. Such practices should be abolished now," he had said.</p>