Kerala’s famous Koodalmanikyam temple, which is all set to host its annual ten-day cultural festival, once again finds itself in the news after another Bharatanatyam dancer, Soumya Sukumaran, said she was denied a chance to perform there. The temple authorities defended the move, saying Soumya submitted her application, knowing well that the shrine did not allow a “non-Hindu” to perform. …
“It sounded like a statement over the phone, which said ‘non-Hindus are not allowed in the temple,” the 27-year-old Bharatanatyam dancer, Mansiya VP, told News18 after a temple in Kerala denied her permission to perform at the festival. But now I do not belong to any religion.” Mansiya’s Bharatanatyam performance was scheduled for April 21 at the Koodalmanikyam Temple Festival …
Adding that this was not the first time she had experienced this, Mansiya said, "Art and artists continue to be knotted with religion and caste. A few years ago, Mansiya was allegedly stopped from performing at the Guruvayoor Sree Krishna temple for the same reason, she said. Meanwhile, according to The Indian Express, Koodalmanikyam Devaswom Board chairman Pradeep Menon responded …
