A chicken biryani reception was arranged at the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram. The meat was brought to the Temple Executive Officer’s office inside the hallowed Vishnu Bhagwan temple. The celebration was held in connection with the officer’s driver’s son getting a job. Many considered the act just another ploy to pollute and degrade Hindu customs and traditions.
Angry devotees protested after the mandir desecration came to light. Ananthapuri Hindu Dharma Parishad and Sripadmanabha Swami Karmachari Sangh came forward with a strong protest.
Hindu organisation officials pointed out that serving meat inside the mandir premises violates the temple customs. The Sanghas have complained to the temple trust, demanding strict action. One does not understand their logic since such trusts are managed and run by communists and Abrahamic.
Padmanabhaswamy Temple has multiple layers of security. It is a mystery as to how meat food from outside reached the Executive Officer’s room. The fact that the temple executive officer led the defilement adds to the seriousness of the incident.
Devotees were shocked that the temple staff, responsible for protecting the customs and rituals of the temple, threw a party by serving meat in the temple. Their agenda was to belittle the temple, considered sacred by crores of devotees.
What followed were attempts to normalize the event of bringing and serving meat food against the temple customs and rules and organizing the celebration. Authorities tried to whitewash the crimes by playing down the desecration of the Hindu mandir.
Many wondered if they would have done the same if pork biryani had been served in the Beemapally Mosque (the largest mosque in Thiruvananthapuram) or Palayam juma masjid.
The administration of the temple is handled by the administrative committee, which includes members of the erstwhile Thiruvithamkoor (Travancore) royal family.
In 2020, the Supreme Court upheld the rights of the former royal family to administer and manage the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple by reinstituting the traditional temple trusteeship rights (shebait) of the Travancore royals. The judgement also squashed the 2011 verdict of the Kerala High Court that directed and authorised the state government to create a trust to take over this ancient temple in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
Recent incidents show that the administrative committee is powerless, and temple autonomy is still a pipe dream for Hindus.
Hindu organizations have filed a complaint with the chairman of the temple management committee demanding an end to the ritual violations being carried out under the leadership of the executive officer at Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple.
Karmachari Sangh office-bearers accused the executive officer of defiling the temple’s sanctity for the past few years. Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple and palace are a blessed place. But what is happening here is a gross breach of Hindu customs. Organizations demand that executive officers who behave like autocrats be replaced and decisive action be taken.
Hindu organisations demanded that remedial actions be carried out as per the instructions of the temple Tantri.
Following the controversy, an emergency meeting of the governing body was held. It was decided that action should be taken against the responsible employees. The communist rulers and their police have yet to initiate any action against the accused.
The Christian conversion mafia surrounds the temple and its premises. They deliberately target areas with a high Hindu population for their conversion efforts.
In late 2022, HinduPost reported that Andhra Pradesh natives celebrated Christmas by lighting candles inside the temple on a Sunday. They came under the garb of a Kuchupudi team from Vijayawada and asked permission to arrange a dance program. It was led by one Ramachandra Murthy, a native of Vijayawada, and they had booked that day’s pujas.
Hindus In Name Only (HINO) Temple managers granted the Vijayawada Abrahamics an area near the Tulabhara Mandapam. Forget lighting; candles are not even allowed inside Kerala temples. Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple authorities allowed violations knowingly and showed complicity. Devotees protested and pointed out that many CCTVs installed inside and outside the Temple are non-functional. No one was punished.
Late last year, a Muslim woman entered the Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple. According to the custom of the Padmanabha Swamy temple, only Hindu devotees are allowed inside the temple. If non-Hindus want to enter the temple and offer prayers, they must give an affidavit that they believe in Sanatana Dharma. The lady refused and was then expelled from the temple.
