KOCHI: Stressing that the thantris are duty-bound to protect the age-old customs and traditions of the temples in Kerala, the Haindava Dharma Acharya Sangamam, a conference of the spiritual leaders of Hindu community, observed that the interference of people who don’t believe in God and rituals would destroy the temples. The government should keep its hands off temple customs, said the resolution adopted by the conference held at the TDM Hall here on Friday.
“The customs of a temple are based on the will of God and no court can decide through a verdict whether God exists or not. The temple rituals and customs in Kerala are based on Thantra Sastra and changing the customs will drain the essence of the texts. The verdict will affect the customs of all temples in the state and we urge the government to help us resolve the crisis. We have submitted ourselves at the feet of the Lord and we believe an amicable solution will evolve,” Taliparamb Jayanarayanan Namboothiripad told reporters.
If the customs are violated, the thantri has no other option but to close the temple and conduct purification rites. If young women are allowed entry to Sabarimala temple, the thantri will have to conduct purification rites each time a woman enters, said Akeeramon Kalidasa Bhattathiripad. The meeting urged all temples in the state to conduct ‘Ganapathi Homam and Bhagavathi Seva on a daily basis for the next 12 days to invoke the blessings of the God and solve the crisis.