Kerala dancer has been told that she will not be able to perform because “non-Hindus are not permitted” in the temple

A dancer claims that the organisers of a temple festival in Kerala’s Thrissur called her on Monday and told her that “non-hindus are not allowed” in the temple, cancelling her invitation to perform.

Mansiya VP, a Muslim-born dancer, was scheduled to perform at the Koodalmanikyam temple in Irinjalakuda’s 10-day National Festival of Dance and Music. The festival will take place from April 15 to April 25. During the festival, around 800 artists are expected to perform at the temple.

I received a phone call from the organisers informing me that I would be unable to perform. They explained that non-Hindus are not permitted in the temple when asked why. It is, as I previously stated, a national dance festival. Mansiya was quoted by news agency PTI as saying, “I also said that I am a human being.” The dancer claims she was asked if she had converted to Hinduism by her husband, musician Shyam Kalyan.

“I told them that, despite being born a Muslim, I do not practise any religion.” Because I married a Hindu, the official inquired if I had converted to Hinduism. She told the news agency, “I told them I don’t have a religion to convert to.”

Chairman of the Koodalmanikyam Devaswom, Pradeep Menon, explained that the decision was made in accordance with temple tradition. “Because the event is being held within the temple grounds, the decision was made in accordance with temple tradition. Non-Hindus are not permitted, according to temple tradition. Only Hindus are required to apply to perform at the temple, according to the program’s advertisement “Mr. Menon explained. The temple officials, he said, respect the artist, but they must also follow tradition.

Shashi Tharoor, a Congress member from Thiruvananthapuram in the Lok Sabha, has condemned the incident. “I understand that access to the sanctum santorum is restricted in some temples. However, this is a dance performance with other dancers taking place within the temple grounds. The temple’s refusal to allow this astounds me “he told.

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