The incident of barring a popular Bharatanatyam artist from performing in a scheduled dance programme at the Koodalmanikyam temple in Kerala’s Thrissur district came as “shocking” news to Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday.
The administration took punitive action saying that a “non-Hindu” cannot perform inside the Koodalmanikyam temple premises.
Other faiths go out of their way to attract others to respect their religion, throwing open the doors of mosques, churches, gurudwaras& synagogues to all, but some of my fellow Hindus prefer to shut our temples to outsiders: https://t.co/BKPCiBbbZH
Where's "vasudaiva kutumbakam"?— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) March 29, 2022
Speaking to ANI, Shashi Tharoor said, “I understand some restrictions in some temples about access to sanctum santorum. But this is a dance performance with other dancers inside the temple premises. Shocked that the temple is not allowing this.” “I believe that it serves our society ill and also damages the perception of our religion in the eyes of others,” the Congress leader added.