Caste and tradition leave Kerala and temple worker tangled in a garland

It all started with a normal appointment for a temple job. Instead, it ignited a firestorm of controversy, exposing deep-seated tensions between tradition, caste, and Kerala’s progressive ethos.

On February 24, Balu BA aka Babu, a member of the Ezhava community from Aryanad in Thiruvananthapuram, joined the Koodalmanikyam temple in Irinjalakuda, a small town in Trissur district, as a kazhakam worker after clearing the Kerala Devaswom Recruitment Board examination. His role, involving garland-making and ceremonial arrangements, was meant to be a routine appointment.

What followed was a standoff between the temple’s Tantris (chief priests), the Devaswom Board, political outfits and social reformers, with Babu caught in the crossfire.

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A challenge to tradition

The Koodalmanikyam temple, dedicated to Lord Bharata, has long been a revered site in Kerala, managed by the Cochin Devaswom Board. Historically, its kazhakam positions — non-ritual roles supporting temple ceremonies — have been tied to hereditary families, a practice rooted in centuries-old customs.

Babu’s appointment through the Devaswom Recruitment Board challenged this tradition as he was not from these families and belonged to the Ezhava community, classified as an OBC (Other Backward Class) in Kerala. The Tantris, traditionally Brahmin priests, objected, citing a violation of temple norms, while others framed it as a blatant act of caste discrimination.

The incident unfolded against the backdrop of Kerala’s celebrated social renaissance, a movement that has historically fought against caste-based exclusion. Yet, as the controversy grew, it revealed that pockets of resistance to these reforms persist, even in 2025, the centenary year of Mahatma Gandhi’s visit to the Vaikom Satyagraha site, a landmark in the state’s fight against untouchability.

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Tantris’ aggression

Balu initially saw the appointment as an opportunity. “I passed the exam fairly and was excited to serve the temple,” he told reporters shortly after joining. However, his enthusiasm was short-lived.

The Tantris boycotted temple rituals, refusing to perform poojas in protest against his presence. Under pressure, and following Babu’s request, the temple administration reassigned him to office duties, a move that sparked outrage among reformists but failed to quell the priests’ objections.

When the protest from the priest was backed by Hindu organisations such as the Hindu Aikya Vedi, Babu’s resolve too waned.

“I don’t want any further issues at the temple in my name,” he said later. “I made this decision together with my family. I wasn’t aware the priests had boycotted me until I was reassigned.”

Government opposes Tantris

His words underscored the personal toll of a dispute that had ballooned beyond his control. Later, he applied for leave for a week and has extended it for another 15 days citing medical reasons. The Federal tried to contact him, but he was not in a mental state to speak to the media.

The Cochin Devaswom Board and Kerala’s Devaswom Minister VN Vasavan took a stand against the Tantris’ resistance. “The appointment was lawful and must be honoured,” Vasavan declared in the Kerala Assembly on March 10.

He clarified that the temple has two kazhakam posts — one traditionally filled by the Tantris’ nominee and the other through the Devaswom Board’s regulations. “This is not a priestly position but a support role. Kerala has appointed 36 non-Brahmin priests across temples. Such caste-based denial is a disgrace to our culture,” he added, emphasizing the state’s commitment to social justice.

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All about the garland

Koodalmanikyam Devaswom chairman CK Gopi echoed this position. “Balu will continue in his post unless a court or the government rules otherwise,” Gopi told the media. “Nobody has the authority to prevent his appointment except through legal means. Balu has applied for a transfer but it is not under our control to reassign him; the government has to take a call.”

“The most significant offering at the Koodalmanikyam temple is the lotus garland (thamara mala). Till date, the garland that adorns Koodalmanikyam Bharathan has always been one woven by the upper castes. The current unease among the upper-caste sections stems from the fear that this ‘caste purity’ will be lost,” said Amal C Rajan, a post-doctoral fellow in Calicut university who has done extensive studies on caste in Kerala.

“Now, a person who toils and sweats for a living has been appointed for the task of weaving the lotus garland. A garland woven by an Ezhava and the flowers touched by his hands are considered impure objects of worship for Brahmins. This is the core issue here — caste and impurity — nothing else,” he added.

Not about caste, claim Tantris

The Tantris, led by Nedumpilly Tharananelloor Govindan Namboodiripad, rejected accusations of caste discrimination. “This is not about caste but about preserving temple norms,” he said in a statement. “The appointment violated Devaswom regulations and the hereditary rights of 12 families that have served this temple for centuries,” said Namboodiripad.

He accused the administration of wrongfully terminating a long-serving worker without notice and blamed “vested interests” for spreading “malicious propaganda” to divide devotees.

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A Devaswom official countered that the kazhakom positions were originally assigned to certain families on a hereditary basis. However, this practice changed after the mid-1980s. Many of these families no longer sought the role, as the younger generations pursued better job opportunities or migrated.

“As a result, the Devaswom reassigned these positions to other families, and in recent times, the government has introduced a structured system for appointments. That’s all there is to it. This controversy is unwarranted, as no one was unlawfully removed. However, we cannot entirely dismiss the possibility that caste dynamics are at play," said the official.

Opposing arguments

The Tantris’ boycott, which included threats to abstain from the upcoming Pratishta Dinam (consecration day) rituals, underlined their determination to uphold age-old traditions essentially based on caste. With organisations like the Vishwa Hindu Parisahd (VHP) backing them and accusing the CPI(M), which controls the Devaswom, of creating divisions among Hindus, the controversy quickly turned into a political flashpoint.

CPI(M) MP and former Devaswom Minister K Radhakrishnan condemned the Tantris’ actions as “a blatant act of caste discrimination”. He warned: “An attempt is being made to revive Manusmriti ideology. The Devaswom Board’s decision must be upheld. Priests cannot deny anyone the freedom to work.”

SNDP Yogam leader Vellappally Natesan, representing the Ezhava community, was equally vocal. “There’s no justification for Tantris claiming absolute authority over temples while clinging to outdated beliefs. The government must take strict legal action to set a precedent. Caste discrimination has no place in modern society.”

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The Kerala paradox

The Kerala State Human Rights Commission has also intervened, registering a suo-motu case and ordering an inquiry. Commission member V Geetha has directed the Cochin Devaswom Commissioner and temple authorities to submit a report within two weeks.

The controversy has laid bare a paradox in Kerala: a state lauded for its social reforms still grappling with remnants of caste-based exclusion.

For Babu, the worker at the heart of it all, the fight is no longer his own, but its outcome could shape the future of temple traditions in Kerala for years to come.