After Bharatanatyam dancer Mansiya VP’s performance at a Kerala temple was cancelled as she is not Hindu, the Irinjalakuda Koodalmanikyam Temple committee has responded to the issue. The temple committee on Tuesday, March 29, said that all artistic performances can be conducted in the temple only if they align with its “practices and traditions”. Mansiya, who was born into a Muslim family and is an atheist, said that her performance was cancelled despite the fact that it had been booked over a month ago.

In an explanation shared by Pradeep Menon, Chairman, Koodalmanikyam Devaswom, he said that around 800 experts of different art forms take part in the temple’s annual festival, which typically begins in the third week of April. But, Pradeep added, as per the temple’s traditions, all the artists performing there must be Hindu.

The note explained that artists who wanted to perform at the festival must submit an application, out of which a few are chosen by an expert committee to perform. Menon further said that any artist wishing to perform must be Hindu, and that this was conveyed in a newspaper advertisement. “The contentious application (Mansiya’s) was considered as it was mandatory to comply with the condition that only Hindu artists were allowed and the application did not mention she is a non-Hindu. Devaswom is bound to follow and practice existing traditions. So, sadly, we had to reject the application," the note says.

Pradeep Menon also claimed that the temple was taking “certain progressive steps” after the present temple committee took charge.

It was on the evening of Sunday, March 27, that Mansiya, a PhD holder in Bharatanatyam, received the information from the temple about her performance — which was scheduled to be held on April 21 — being cancelled. Speaking to TNM earlier, Mansiya had said that the authorities had asked whether she had converted to Hinduism, as her husband is a Hindu, and if that is the case they would reconsider the decision. “But how will a person like me, who has no religion, get converted,” she said.