Temple In ‘God’s Own Country’ Kerala Bans Bharatanatyam Artist From Performing Over Being ‘Non-Hindu’. The Irony

Over the years, we’ve seen people doing some of the most absurd things under the guise of religion. Time and again, people have left us reeling in shock with their actions under the name of religion and whatnot. We always believe that in art there is no religion but yet again, we’ve been proved wrong. Recently, a popular Bharatnatyam artist Mansiya VP took to social media to share that she has been banned from performing at a dance programme scheduled to take place in April at the Koodalmanikyam temple in Thrissur district of Kerala because she’s a non-Hindu. The Koodalmanikyam temple is under the state government-controlled Devaswom Board. To say that this is beyond shocking would be an understatement.

Mansiya VP, who happens to be a PhD research scholar in Bharatanatyam, shared that her dance programme which was slated to take place on April 21 was cancelled as she is Muslim. In her Facebook post, the Bharatanatyam shared that one of the temple officials reached out to her and informed her that she cannot perform at the event as she is a non-Hindu. Further, Mansiya shared that the official told her that all slots of the events are allotted on the basis of religion and not on the basis of the skills of the performer. She went on to share that ever since her marriage to musician Shyam Kalyan, she has been asked if she has converted to Hindu.

The Bharatanatyam scholar went on to share another incident that had taken place a few years ago when she was barred from performing due to her religion. Mansiya VP alleged that years ago something similar happened in Guruvayur temple. She further added that the art and artists have been time and again faced hurdles due to religion and caste. “When an art is forbidden in one religion, it becomes the monopoly of the other religion,” said Mansiya while pointing out that this is nothing new to her. She went on to add that she is posting her story on social media as a reminder that things still haven’t changed in ‘secular’ Kerala. In the past, the Bharatanatyam dancer had faced outrage and residence from the Islamic groups for being a performing artist of classical dance forms despite being born and brought up as a Muslim.

On the other hand, when contacted by The Indian Express, the chairman of the Koodalmanikyam Devaswom Board, Pradeep Menon said that according to the existing traditions of the temple, only Hindus can perform within the compound of the temple. He further added that as per their traditions, they have to ask all artists performing in the event about their religion and Manisya VP had submitted in writing that she has no religion which is why she was prohibited from performing at the event.

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It’s shocking that even in the 21st century, in 2022, we’re still living in a community that discriminates against people based on their religious choices. Not having a religion seems to be just as bad as having a religion other than Hindu for artists in a state like Kerala which is called ‘God’s own country’. The irony of it all. And TBH, this is not the first time that an incident like this has taken place in ‘God’s own country’. A temple administration in the North Malabar area of Kerala had earlier prohibited a Poorakkali artist from performing in the temples after his son married a Muslim woman.

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