Thrissur: A purification ritual (punyaham) was performed at the Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple after a power bank owned by a junior priest (keezhshanthi) was found among pooja items taken into the sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum).
The junior priest, who was questioned by the police, said the device might have accidentally fallen into a bag containing betel leaves and other pooja items.

The Guruvayur temple, which is a popular place of worship in the state, prohibits devotees from taking inside personal items, including wallets and mobile phones. Devotees are asked to secure their belongings in a cloakroom before passing through a metal detector to enter.

However, such a security screening is not done for senior and junior priests (melshanthis and keezhshanthis). In light of the security breach, Devaswom Administrator K P Vinayan on Sunday announced plans to discuss new inspection protocols for junior priests at the Devaswom meeting on June 29.
“The administration is considering implementing modern security measures for priests entering the Sreekovil. Any decision on it will be taken after consulting the priests and security officers of the temple,” Vinayan told Onmanorama.