Thiruvananthapuram: Renowned photographer Raghu Rai on Friday said it was time to stop Kuthiyottam ritual at the Attukal Temple which he said was cruel to children. The ritual involves piercing of the skin next to the rib cage of children with a thin metal hook through which a silver thread is inserted. “These are archaic rituals. Do we need a ritual which shows cruelty towards children? Times have changed; it isn’t the same world today. Do we need to make the Goddess happy by putting the children to such torture? I think we need to change with the time,” he said.
Rai who clicked Attukal Pongala for the first time said it was an amazing experience and unbelievable. “The entire main city area was cleared within two hours. It’s wonderful. The city is suddenly covered by a thick blanket of smoke and it is difficult to even breathe,” he said.
“Basically when I enter a temple I am faithful to the Hindus, when I visit a Church or a Mosque it’s the same feeling and same is the case. But I feel rituals that inflict pain on people should be stopped,” Rai said. The noted photographer visited Sabarimala Temple for the first time on January 1. He comes to Kerala quite often these days in connection with a book he is doing for Kerala Tourism. “I will be spending two to three weeks in Kerala soon. I have to cover a couple of festivals,” he said.
