Are Hindu temples perpetuating a new form of untouchability?

Friday, May 25, 2007
Are Hindu temples perpetuating a new form of untouchability?
Priests at the Guruvayur Temple have just conducted a mahapunhyam ritual to “purify” the temple after the family of minister for overseas development Vayalar Ravi conducted a ceremony. Their “crime”: Although Ravi is a Hindu, his daughter-in-law is a Christian and the temple’s rules do not permit the entry of non-Hindus in the august presence of Guruvayurappan.
Just a couple of months ago, the Jagannath temple in Puri threw away food cooked for 7,000 people after the priests insisted that the temple had been “defiled” by the entry of an American tourist. The case of the singer K.J. Yesudas being denied entry because of his religion is more than two decades old. More recently there was the brouhaha over the entry of Kannada actress Jayamala to Sabarimala.
And, of course, there are thousands of cases of Dalits being denied entry because of their caste.
Questions: Do such rites really “purify” our temples? Are temples within their rights to conduct such “purification” rituals? Or, in barring people on the lines of caste, religion and gender, are they perpetuating a new form of untouchability? Should these rigid, regressive man-made rules be junked? Or is this, as usual, yet another secular/ pseudo-secular assault on Hindu customs and traditions, while ignoring mosques and churches which reserve the right of entry?Churumuri Poll: Should Yesudas be allowed into Guruvayur Temple?
1:51:21 PM
Posted By churumuri dotcom Comments (4) News
Comments
jayaraj babu shetty Friday, May 25, 2007 2:51:11 PM
No. Mr Yesudas by birth & practising christianity. Non parsis not allowed to enter fire temple,simmilarly Hindu by birth only should allowed hindu temple.why should non follower and other relegion people wanted enter enter hindu temple?.
bhagwati Friday, May 25, 2007 3:01:28 PM
you have taken up very good question. once it happened with me. we have been " safe motherhood "cycle rally from bhuvneswar to calcutta on cycle. one couple from switzerland had joined this cycle rally. as we were entering PURI temple, that couple were not allowed to enter and i felt very emberessing. they had come all the way to participate for our cause. in one temple , pujari dragged me in GARBHADWAR pushing my friend outside and than he demanded money which i refused to give than he pushed me to floor. actually these pujaries should be purified. they are giving bad name to our religion.
Gopakumar N Friday, May 25, 2007 3:50:50 PM
I am against keeping away true believer of the GOD from Hindu temples. I think Yesudas should be permitted to any temple in Kerala. But temples should not become a place for sight seeing. We should not allow a foreigner entering temple just to see the temple.
K.Venugopal Friday, May 25, 2007 4:49:40 PM
Everyone should be allowed entry into all temples. However, this should not lead to a homogenization of all temples. Every temple has its unique architecture, traditions, customs and rituals. These should be perpetuated, including purificatory rites. Only such purificatory rites should be a consequence of erroneous action rather than entry of people of particular religions or castes. When a person enters a temple, he ought to enter it in the spirit of imbibing what the temple has to offer rather than vitiating the temple by, for example, performing namaaz inside the temple. If a Muslim feels like doing so, he should resist himself in deference to the temple traditions and instead seek to build a temple where the performance of namaaz is allowed. In short, universal entry into temples should not signal uprooting of temples.