'Brahmins-only' toilet in Kerala temple creates flutter

A local temple in Kerala has become the eye of a social media storm after the picture of a 'Brahmins-only toilet' outside its main campus went viral on online platforms, prompting the management to remove the signboard.

The picture of three toilets, with signboards showing 'Men', 'Women' and 'Brahmins', at the Kuttumukku Mahadeva Temple here, has gone viral with many netizens viewing it as an unethical practise which would put the progressive state in a bad light.

However, temple officials said the toilets were located out of the main campus and the board came to their notice only now. Kannan, an official of the temple committee, said the board was placed nearly two decades ago and nobody raised any complaint against it so far.

"That particular toilet was used by priests and other temple employees. We didn't even notice that board...as soon as we came to know about it, we removed it and affixed a staff-only board," he told PTI.

Also a CPI-M functionary and ward councillor, Kannan said the shrine and its management was against all kinds of unethical customs. The temple official said they were planning to pursue legal measures against the man who posted the photo of the toilets on social media.

A particular individual had shared the photo on the social media platforms at the time of the recently concluded temple festival. "We suspect that he did it deliberately to create issues during the time of the festival and to tarnish the shrine's reputation. Not only that, the photo he shared was an old one though he claimed that it was taken during the time of the festival, " he said.