Purification row: Temple management expresses regret

The punyaham sprinkling of consecrated water was conducted on May 19 as Ravikrishna8217;s mother was a Christian and was not supposed to worship at the shrine where non-Hindus are not permitted. The managing committee had earlier issued a memorandum to the thanthri and the temple manager seeking their explanation on the issue. In their reply, they said a similar punyaham was conducted when Ravikrishna visited seven years back.

One of the permanent members of the nine-member body, P K S Raja of Zamorin Royal House, told the meeting that Ravikrishna was a Hindu since he was not baptised as a Christian.

On the larger question of allowing all believers into the temple, the committee wanted the Government to consider amendment to the Guruvayur Devaswom Act, 1978 . This clause had to be removed to ensure that no particular person was the supreme authority on temple matters for ever.