Bharatnatyam Dancer Alleges Being Barred From Dancing In Kerala Temple For Being Non-Hindu

Mansiya VP, a Bharatanatyam dancer alleged that Koodalmanikyam Temple at Irinjalakuda in Kerala’s Thrissur district, under the state government-controlled Devaswom Board, barred her from a scheduled dance performance on its premises because she is not a Hindu.

The dance performer is a Ph.D. in Bharatnatyam and has earlier faced a boycott by Islamic clerics for performing a classical dance despite being born and brought up as a Muslim woman. Mansiya VP made a Facebook post in the matter and wrote that her performance was scheduled for April 21 at the temple premises. She wrote, "One of the temple office-bearers informed me that I cannot perform at the temple as I am a non-Hindu. All stages are allotted based on religion, not considering whether you are a good dancer or not. In the meantime, I have also been facing queries about whether I got converted into a Hindu after marriage. (She had married musician Shyam Kalyan). I have no religion and where should I go."

She recalled a similar incident from a few years ago when she was allegedly stopped from performing at the Guruvayoor Sree Krishna temple at Guruvayoor for being a non-Hindu. Mansiya pointed out that art and artists are being knotted with religion and caste. When one thing is prohibited in one religion, it becomes monopoly another religion. "This experience is not new to me. I am recording it here (on Facebook) only to remind that nothing has changed in our secular Kerala," she wrote.

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As per a report by Indian Express, Koodalmanikyam Devaswom temple board chairman Pradeep Menon said that is as per the existing tradition that only Hindus can perform within the temple premises. The board chairman added that in upcoming 10-day long festival in the Kerala temple, around 800 artists will perform and all of them were asked about their religion.

Pradeep Menon was quoted saying, "Mansiya had given in writing that she has no religion. Hence, she was denied the venue. We have gone as per the existing tradition at the temple."