Temple to go ahead with conduct of chooralkuthu

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In the past year, the director general of prisons R Sreelekha had triggered a controversy when she wrote a detailed blog post citing the mental and physical agony faced by children participating in ‘chooralkuthu’ conducted as part of the Kuthiyottam ritual at Attukal Temple. Though the blog post led to wide discussions and debates on the issue, the temple trust is going ahead with the conduct of the ritual.
As the online registration for Kuthiyoottam concluded on Sunday night, as many as 818 boys got registered for the ritual, which will begin on the third day of the temple festival.
Reji Rajagopalan, convener of Kuthiyottam committee said that they have no plans to change any of the customs of the temple. “This year, 818 boys have registered. It is slightly less than the past year’s figure. We feel that it is due to approaching year end examinations,” he said. “No untoward incidents have happened in connection with the ritual. We have necessary medical and paramedical officials at the temple. For the ritual, we use sterilized metal wires,” he said.
The Kuthiyottam ritual will begin on the third day of Kappukettu, where the boys aged between 6-12 years will stay in the temple for the next seven days. The boys represent the wounded soldiers of ‘Mahishasura Mardini’.
On the third day of the festival, boys registered for the ritual will receive offering from the temple priest and start a seven-day penance to purify their body and mind. For the purpose they have to pass through rigorous physical and mental discipline such as sleeping on mat, observing strict diet restrictions, staying in the temple etc.
Besides these, the boys have to undergo such discipline like prostrating 1,008 times before the deity after their morning and evening oblations, according to the temple website.
The chooralkuthu ritual will be held at 7.30pm on the pongala day on February 20 where a small silver wire will be pierced on the midriff of the boys. As many as 993 children attended the ritual in the past year.
Meanwhile, an online group ‘Navodhanakeralam Sabarimalayileku’, which spearheaded the movement for women entry to Sabarimala, has decided to intervene in the issue.
P Suresh, chairman, Kerala state commission for protection of child rights, said that they have no plans to act on the issue and no complaints were received so far.