Three Hindu dancers walked out of a dance recital at the Koodalmanikyam Temple in Thrissur, days after the temple refused admission to two non-Hindu performers. They argued that art crosses all bounds.
Classical dancers VP Mansiya and Soumya Sukumaran claimed that last Monday they were denied entry to a scheduled dance performance at the temple because they did not belong to the Hindu community.
The temple officials allegedly demanded that each of them provide certificates stating that they had converted to Hinduism in order to perform at the temple, which both declined to do.
Devika Sajeevan, Anju Aravind, and Karthik Manikandan, all classical dancers, notified the temple officials of their withdrawal from the performance, stating that they couldn’t accept the discriminatory ban on fellow dancers.
The three dancers released statements on their social media platforms explaining and announcing their withdrawal from the performance.
Devika said in her post, alongside the temple’s notice, said, “I choose to avoid from doing this performance at Koodalmanikyam dance festival slated for April 24 because I felt the need to stand with my fellow artists who have encountered tragic situations.”
“I’ve chosen not to play at the Koodalmanikyam event, which is set to take place on April 21. It’s unfortunate that information about the artists’ faith and other personal information is sought. Just to perform, I can’t sign an affidavit claiming to be a Hindu. Art forms are neither religious or caste-based, and they cross all boundaries. Some people, even at this age, have weird practices. As a result, I’m skipping this chance,” said Anju Aravind in his post on Facebook.
Karthik Manikandan also stated that he withdrew from the show owing to the ill-treatment of other performers. His dance performance was scheduled for April 17. “In solidarity with abandoned artistes, I am also backing out,” said Karthik in his statement.
Following the uproar, youth organisations, cultural leaders, and right-wing organisations such as the Hindu Aikya Vedia have all criticised the decision.
Later, the temple board addressed the temple’s tantri (head priest), who is the final authority on temple customs and practices, with a request to change the age-old custom.
“We agree that such customs must be changed. In this regard, we have already addressed the tantri and other clerics. “It’s a sensitive topic, and a decision can only be made with the agreement of all parties involved,” said the temple board’s chairman U Pradeep Menon.
He added that the bar applied to everybody, not only artists. They clearly state in the quotation that only employees from the Hindu community would be permitted within the temple premises.
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