Thrissur: The tantri of Guruvayur Sree Krishna temple is in favour of change in customs in allowing non-Hindus into temples. “All customs need to change according to the times,” tantri Chennas Dineshan Namboothiri said here on Monday. The state government has to take the initiative in such matters, he added.“What I would suggest is that a committee of tantris and scholars should discuss and decide the possibility of allowing non-Hindus who follow the Hindu faith to the temples across Kerala,” he said. “Such changes are made not for any individuals, but for society at large,” he noted.
At present a non-Hindu needs to get a certification from the Arya Samajam in Kozhikode stating acceptance of Hindu faith for entry into the Guruvayur temple. On the issue of singer Yesudas, the tantri said that he had not yet come across any request from him to enter the temple. However, he said that like in the temples under the devaswom boards, non-Brahmin priests could not be allowed in Guruvayur temple as the temple had its own sets of tantric rules on such a matter. “On selection of priests, we have rules that allow only Brahmin priests from a particular locality and families to be chosen for the posts and such a norm can’t be kept aside,” he added.
