Kerala Communists Target Temple Traditions Yet Again: Call for Abolition of Shirtless Entry in Temples

Do you know what the biggest political discourse in Kerala has been over the past week? At a time when the state is rapidly heading towards bankruptcy and unemployment rates are peaking, the Communist Party is worried about men entering temples shirtless.

They want this tradition to be abolished. Amused? You should be!

It all started 5–6 days ago during the inauguration of the Sivagiri pilgrimage, attended by the Kerala Chief Minister and other politicians. During the session, Swami Sachidananda, the president of the Sri Narayana Dharma Sanghom, which manages the Sivagiri Mutt, remarked that some of the temples under the Sree Narayana Trust still require men to remove their shirts while entering. He stated that this tradition needs to be abolished.

Let’s remember that he was referring to changing a tradition in temples managed by the Sree Narayana Trust.

The Kerala Chief Minister, who spoke after this, clearly seemed to have found an opportunity to once again target temple traditions. He supported the Swami’s suggestions, adding that he hoped not only temples under the trust but also other temples would adopt such ‘progressive measures.’

In no time, this topic snowballed into a major controversy, with leaders from both sides of the political spectrum voicing their opinions for and against these remarks.

“Sanatana Dharma is Obscene.” ~ Communist Leader

Another Communist leader, M.V. Govindan, joined the bandwagon. He went a step further, stating that “Sanatana Dharma is obscene.”

This is what he said: “The exact meaning of Sanatana Dharma is the chaturvarnya system based on Manusmriti. In fact, it is obscene in this era.” This is not the first time that liberals and Communists have targeted the Manusmriti, blaming it for the caste discrimination faced by certain communities.

They are either unaware or choose to ignore the fact that the Varna system and the caste system are not the same.

In the Gita, Sri Krishna says: “Chaturvarnyam Mayasrishtam,” which means that “Chaturvarnyam” (The four categories of occupations were created by me.)

Will they now label Krishna also obscene? We shouldn’t be surprised if they do that!

Progressive Steps in Other Religions

It’s amusing that the Kerala Communist Party, which frequently targets Hindu traditions, remains radio silent on matters pertaining to the fastest-growing religion in Kerala, India, and the world.

They have no objections to regressive practices such as the hijab worn by women or the ritual of circumcision, performed on young boys without their consent. They also have no comments on pilgrims to Mecca, who are mostly bare-chested and do not even wear undergarments. Perhaps for the Communists, these are all signs of “progress” in the society!

Why do men remove shirts while entering temples?

Let’s understand that all the traditions and rituals connected to Sanatana Dharma were established by enlightened saints such as Agastya, who knew the secrets of our existence. Unfortunately, due to centuries of invasion, westernization, and communism in states like Kerala, we have become increasingly ignorant about the reasons behind various rituals in our temples.

This is a talk by Dr. M.S. Sankaran, an accomplished endocrinologist who has authored several books on science as well as Hindu spirituality. In this video, he explains that temples are receptacles of energy. He mentions that the temple deity/idol constantly dissipates energy. He explains that men remove their shirts to absorb this energy, just as a battery is recharged. He also adds that wet clothes are the best energy transmitters, which is why devotees take a dip in the temple pond before entering the temples.

Who was Sri Narayana Guru?

Unfortunately, an auspicious occasion like the inauguration of the Sivagiri pilgrimage season was misused by the Communists to target Sanatana Dharma once again.

Sivagiri Mutt was established by Sri Narayana Guru, who lived during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was both a spiritual leader and a social reformer. Guru propagated the Advaita philosophy originally expounded by Adi Sankara.

Sri Narayana Guru was the living embodiment of Upanishadic wisdom, which integrates the divine in both forms: with attributes (Saguna) and without attributes (Nirguna), as a means to experience the self.