A tender notice issued by the Guruvayur Devaswom that invited Brahmin cooks for preparing food in connection with the festival at the Sreekrishna temple has been cancelled following the intervention of Devaswom Minister K. Radhakrishnan.
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The Guruvayur Devaswom issued the tender notice for various activities in connection with the Guruvayur festival to be celebrated between February 14 and 23. The notice, insisting that cooks and their helpers should be Brahmins, invited criticism from various quarters for what they termed as its castiest content.
The Minister, after a meeting of the temple administration committee, announced the decision to cancel the tender notice.
The Minister, in a Facebook post, noted that since the festival is being held as per government guidelines in the wake of the COVID-19 situation, the preparation and distribution of food would not be taking place. So the temple committee decided not to invite cooks.
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Ritual draws flak
Meanwhile, an announcement of Kalkazhukichoottu of Brahmins at the Sivakrishnapuram temple, Edavilangu, near Kodungalloor, under the Cochin Devaswom Board, has invited wide criticism.
The ritual that involves washing of feet and feeding of Brahmins was planned as part of programmes ahead of the Naveekarana kalasham of the temple scheduled between February 2 and 5.
According to the notice of the temple programme, the ritual is meant to get rid of sins which might have been committed with or without one’s knowledge. While performing the ritual, Brahmins will be considered as Mahavishnu.
Various socio-cultural and political organisations came out in protest against the ritual. Later, the Cochin Devaswom Board cancelled the ritual in the wake of the COVID situation.
“The Cochin Devaswom Board said any such programme will not be allowed in temples in the wake of the COVID situation,“ said E.T. Tyson, MLA, who wrote a letter to the Devaswom and the Devaswom Minister requesting to look into the ritual and the complaints against it.
Despite the Devaswom board’s announcement to cancel the ritual, Navothana Kootayma, an umbrella body of organisations that oppose the ritual, will take out a march to the temple on February 5 demanding the removal of the temple Tantri.
“The cancellation of the programme was in the wake of COVID spurt. The temple has not made any such announcement about cancellation of the ritual,” Ajithan N.B. of the Navothana Kootayma said.
“The Kalkazhukichoottu is meant to promote caste discrimination in society. It is against the constitutional values of the country. It will destroy social stability and the progress the State had earned following the struggles of hundreds of years. People who want to reinstate the caste system and dominance of upper castes are behind the undemocratic ritual,” said the protesters.