Thrissur: Purification ceremonies will be held today after a non-Hindu vlogger ‘defiled’ the Guruvayur temple pond by filming reels. In a video shared by vlogger Jasmine Jaffer on her social media, she can be seen standing in front of the entrance of the Sri Krishna temple and splashing water into the temple pond. The annual Aarattu of the Lord is held in this pond. The incident sparked a major controversy. Jasmine immediately removed the reels and publicly apologized on social media. Subsequently, the Devaswom decided to conduct purification ceremonies. As part of the ceremonies that will begin at 5 am on Tuesday and continue till noon, 18 poojas will be performed. Devotees will not be allowed inside the temple until the ceremonies are completed. Temple Protection Committee President and devotee Bijesh Kumar M. He said, “This situation was created due to negligence on the part of the security personnel. There is an armed guard near the pond. There is also a female security guard at the entrance to the pond for women. Yet, despite the violation of the High Court order, no one saw the shooting.”He asked the Devaswom to restore the boards that prohibited non-Hindus from entering the temple and its surroundings. “There were boards at the western and eastern entrances of the temple. There was also a board in front of the pond indicating that non-Hindus were not allowed to enter. All these were removed, which led to this situation. People would know that non-Hindus are not allowed to enter the temple. But the pond is located outside. It is possible that non-Hindus may use it without understanding its importance,” he added. As per the High Court order, shooting of scenes for reels and commercial purposes in front of and around the temple has been prohibited. Despite the Devaswom filing a complaint, the Guruvayur Temple Police Station has not yet registered a case. Guruvayur Devaswom Chairman V K Vijayan said that the complaint has been handed over to the magistrate and the case will be considered by the Chavakkad Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday. “It is the duty of the Devaswom to ensure the sanctity of the temple. The purification rituals will be performed as per Tantric rules. The Devaswom will bear the expenses for this.”
With input from TNIE
For more details: Navamalayalam.com
