Kerala: Guruvayoor Temple to conduct "purification ritual" after non-Hindu vlogger takes reel

Thrissur (Kerala) [India], August 26 (ANI): The Guruvayur Shri Krishna temple in Thrissur will conduct "purification rituals" at its pond on Tuesday after social media influencer and former Bigg Boss contestant Jasmin Jaffer, a non-Hindu, filmed a reel washing her feet there, in violation of temple customs.
According to an official, the purification and darshan at the temple will remain restricted from 5 am until noon on Tuesday. The rituals will involve a repeat of six days' pujas, including 18 pujas and 18 sheevelis, with devotees being allowed entry to the nalambalam only after the punyahakarma is completed in the afternoon.
The incident took place six days ago when Jaffer posted the video on social media. Following objections, the Guruvayur Devaswom lodged a complaint with the Guruvayur Temple Police, as the pond is out of bounds for non-Hindus. Police informed the court that a case would be registered as per the court's directive.
Jaffer has since deleted the reel and issued an apology, stating that she was not aware of the restrictions.
The temple authorities have appealed to devotees for cooperation during the period of restricted darshan.
As a matter of tradition, non-Hindus are not allowed in the Guruvayoor temple. The reel was shot at the temple pond in the temple compound.
Earlier this year, a Congress leader filed a complaint with the temple police station against BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar for allegedly filming reels in the temple. The complaint alleged that he violated a High Court order banning shooting in some parts of the temple premises. (ANI)