Kerala: ‘Mentally Unstable’ Man ‘Destroys’ Main Deity at Thrissur’s Kodungallur Temple

A “mentally unstable” middle-aged man allegedly destroyed the ‘Moolavigraham’ (sculpture of the main deity) of Kodungallur Sree Kurumba Bhagavathy temple, triggering Hindu Aikyavedhi to call for a dawn-to-dusk hartal in Kodungallur.

According to police, the incident took place on Tuesday at the temple that is situated about 1.5 km away from the main Thrissur temple. Hindu Aikyavedhi called a protest seeking probe into the incident.

A report in New Indian Express quoted devaswom official as saying that the incident happened at about 5 am on Tuesday. “The Moolavigraham is situated near the municipality office and it is not protected as a major temple. There is no nivedhyam and daily pooja here but it has been kept sacred by the devaswom itself. Every day, priests light lamps at the idol,” he said.

The report stated that a devaswom staff saw someone inside the enclosure of the Moolavigraham and informed the police. “A middle-aged man is taken into custody and he seems to be mentally unstable. Medical examination and other procedures are going on here,” Kodungallur police was quoted.

Meanwhile, Hindu Aikyavedhi activists alleged conspiracy and sought a detailed probe into the incident. The activists also urged the Cochin Devaswom Board to make arrangements for protecting the Moolavigraham “in the right way” so that such incidents are not repeated.

According to beliefs, ‘Moolavigraham’ was first used for worship by the devotees centuries back. When the temple was renovated, the idol was changed.

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