KOCHI: Irinjalakuda Koodalmanikyam temple authorities, under attack for banning a dancer from performing at its mega event for being a non-Hindu, received a jolt on Friday with three other artists pulling out in protest.
Dancers Anju Aravind, Karthik Manikandan and Devika Sajeevan have pulled out of National Festival of Dance and Music, to be organised from April 15 to 25, in solidarity with bharatanatyam performer VP Mansiya.
Anju was to perform from 6pm to 7.15pm on April 21, Karthik who is from Bengaluru at 6.45pm on April 17 and Devika winner of the Susheel Keerthi Award in 2011 at 4pm on April 24. “As I feel the need to stand with fellow artists who faced unfortunate incidents, I choose to refrain from performing at the Koodalmanikyam dance festival,” said Devika.
“The temple removed some artists from the list of performers after selecting them. What value do artists have in such a system?” asked Karthik. Anju wrote on Facebook: “As an artist, I believe art is above caste and religion. I don’t want to give an undertaking that I’m a Hindu to perform at a venue.”
Thanking the artists, activists and people who shared her anguish, Mansiya, 27, said her devotion to dance and arts is her way of worship and prayer.
Dancers free to pull out of event: Devaswom
“When my initial invitation to the festival was withdrawn, I only questioned the reason they cited and the undignified manner in which the decision was communicated,” said Mansiya. “I want to reiterate that art forms should not be allowed to be monopolised by religions. Art and dance have no religion,” she said.
She said belief in God and belief in religions are different things for her. “I don’t believe in any religion, but I believe in a universal power that is the epitome of beauty and goodness. That power can be called by any name,” she said.
Responding to the development, Koodalmanikyam Devaswom chairman U Pradeep Menon said the temple administration has no right to change age-old practices. “The dancers are free to withdraw from the festival if they want. However, we have limitations in changing the practices,” he said.