Sabarimala tantri Kandararu Rajeevaru has said there was nothing wrong in him closing the Sabarimala temple and conducting purification rituals after two women of restricted age group entered the temple. He has given the written reply to the Travancore Devaswom Board.
He was responding to the TDB asking him as to how he had conducted purification rituals in the temple following the entry of women. In his 11-page explanation , he said the ritual was held to restore the ‘grace’ of the deity, which was lost as the temple faced many controversies and allegations during the Chithira Atta celebrations and the Mandala-Makaravilaku festival.” When such issues come up, we need to perform a purification ceremony to revive the lost grace of the deity,” Tantri said in his explanation.
The Tantri also said that it was not necessary to take permission from the TDB to perform the rituals.”The ceremony was conducted after informing all the devoswom officials who were present at the Sannidhanam at that time.I had informed the TDB president and the Devaswom Commissioner that purification of the idol was being done and the door of the sanctum sanctorum was not closed fully as alleged,” Tantri explained in his letter.He also said he had a telephonic conversation with TDB president A Padamakumar and Board member Shankar Das on the need to perform a purification ceremony and the ritual was done with full co-operation of the Devaswom Board officials.
He also said that since there was no puja on December 31, 2018, the next day-January 1, 2019, witnessed huge crowds, prompting him to perform the ritual on January 2.”Hence, the allegations that the temple was closed due to the women’s entry and the act was against the Supreme Court order of September 28 are baseless,” he said.
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