Thriprayar (Thrissur): Abdul Karim is a busy man. As one of the main organisers of the rare ‘Karpooradi Naveekarana Kalasam’ in the Siva Temple at Aneswaram, he is racing against a fast-approaching deadline on February 15. For 45 days and nights, he has been practically staying in the temple, except for the five breaks a day for doing the namaz at the nearby masjid.
T.U. Abdul Karim is the most well-known face of religious amity in the Chemmappilly village, where Nabi Day rallies are greeted with sweets in front of the Hindu temple. Karim’s association with the temple goes back to its renovation in 1985. He joined the efforts of Marathezhathu Subramanian and associates to clean up the temple near his house and restart worship there.
Karim became an integral part of the affairs of the temple in the locality, where his family has been staying since 1957. He was made the patron for all the festivities in the temple. The temple management committee heeds the elder’s words. In fact, Karim’s strong advocacy convinced the committee to conduct the ‘Kalasam’ ritual in the temple after 19 years.
After the previous ‘Kalasam’, Karim was chosen to pay the customary offerings to the tantri and the priests. The rituals were shifted out of the temple to allow Karim carry out his responsibilities. He carried out all his responsibilities amid the praying and fasting of the Ramadan month.
Karim had acted as the president or secretary of the temple for a long time. When the Cochin Devaswom Board introduced a new rule barring non-Hindus from holding posts in temple management committees, the Aneswaram temple committee unanimously elevated Karim’s role as that of a patron.