It was announced that a small amount of blood will be collected from devotees using disposable syringes. Thiruvananthapuram: A temple management at Vithura here has been forced to withdraw its decision to conduct a symbolic human sacrifice by pouring blood on the idol of the deity.
The ritual was to be conducted at the Sri Vidhwari Vaidyanatha Temple at Deviyode, Vithura, as part of the annual festival. It was announced that a small amount of blood will be collected from devotees using disposable syringes. The blood was to be poured on the idol of Kali during the ritual called Kaliyoottu.
The decision had drawn flak from various corners including the state government.
Devaswom minister Kadakampalli Surendran had directed the district collector and superintendent of police (rural) to stop the ritual, which he termed 'barbaric'.
The minister had said that the attempts to continue with such barbaric rituals were dangerous and an insult to the entire state.
He said there were complaints against the temple for conducting several such rituals.
Last month, senior police officer R Sreelekha had come out against the Kuthiyottam ritual in the famed Attukal Bhagavathy Temple. She said thousands of boys were being abused in the name of the ritual involving body piercing. The temple management conducted the ritual as part of the Pongala festival despite the Child Rights Commission registering a case over Sreelekha's allegations.
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