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KS Anurag has spent the past two weeks adjusting to a grueling new schedule at the Koodalmanikyam temple in Kerala. As a 'Kazhakam' employee, he now rises at 2 am for temple duties, catches a brief afternoon nap, and works until 8 or 8.30 pm. While the hours are unfamiliar, the work itself is not—making flower garlands and assisting in rituals at the shrine dedicated to Bharata, brother of Sri Rama, in Thrissur district.
Anurag is an Ezhava, classified as the Other Backwards Class (OBC) in the state, and his appointment was from a rank list of the Kerala Devaswom Recruitment Board (KDRB). But the job could be secured only after a legal fight and at the cost of hostility from Brahmin Tanthris and dominant caste families that held the ‘kazhakam’ job as ‘karayma’ or hereditary right.
“In the language of communists, this is a revolution,” Anurag told TNM. But the going hasn’t been easy for him or the Koodalmanikyam Devaswom, where he is employed.
Five out of the six Tantris, from priestly Brahmin families who hold the right to advise the Koodalmanikyam temple on vedic laws that govern its sanctum and conduct special rites, have since then stayed away from the temple. Critics allege that the ‘boycott’ is nothing but discrimination on the basis of caste because they don’t like working with someone way below the caste hierarchy.
The standoff at Koodalmanikyam reveals how deeply entrenched caste barriers in Kerala are despite the historic Temple Entry Proclamation of 1936, which allowed entry of all Hindus in temples. The conflict over Anurag's appointment through a merit-based recruitment process shows caste hierarchies continue to govern these spaces—not through physical barriers at temple gates, but through preservation of hereditary rights over ritual roles.
A long history of caste exclusion
The Koodalmanikyam temple, believed to be India's only shrine with Bharata as the presiding deity, is part of the 'Nalambalam' darshan—a traditional pilgrim circuit where devotees visit four temples dedicated to Lord Sri Rama and his brothers in a single day. The temple is also known for its koothambalams, performance spaces where Kutiyattam, a form of Sanskrit theatre with UNESCO heritage tag, is staged.
Nearly nine decades after Kerala's temples were opened to Hindus of all castes, the koothambalams at Koodalmanikyam continue to restrict performances exclusively to artists from the Chakyar and Nambiar communities, maintaining caste-based exclusion in this sacred performance space.
Before India attained independence, the temple enclave was fiefdom of the priests and even the king couldn’t enter its premises without their permission. The Brahmins who exercised feudal control over the property, practised caste discrimination and untouchability with impunity.
Ancestors of Tantri families, which now oppose the appointment of Anurag, had written a 65 page letter to the Tranvancore king against the Temple Entry Proclamation, issued on November 12, 1936. The temple enclave, which stood in the erstwhile Cochin state, and adjacent roads remained inaccessible to lowered caste people despite the proclamation.
There was also widespread outrage over a board known as 'Theendal palaka' placed near the pond known as Kuttankulam. The board, which openly proclaimed untouchability, had this message written on it: "Whereas it has come to our knowledge that the temple, its tirtha (holy water), and the Kuttamkulam (temple tank) are being defiled and frequently necessitate purification rituals because untouchable castes among Hindus are traversing the path outside the wall surrounding the Koodalmanikyam Temple and the paths on the east, south, and west of the temple tank; we direct the members of the untouchable castes not to travel along the aforementioned paths."
Ten years later in 1946, a protest movement, known as Kuttankulam Struggle was undertaken under the joint leadership of the workers of Communist party, Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam, Pulaya Mahasabha and Praja Mandalam. The agitation, demanding the right to access the road in front of the temple and removal of the discriminatory board, was brutally suppressed by the police. The protest spread and the royal authorities had to open up the temple and the roads to people of lowered castes.
Breaking the caste barrier
Anurag wasn’t the first person from Ezhava community to be appointed to the post, held traditionally by Ambalavasi (temple-dwelling) communities, considered as intermediate caste groups tasked with specific duties in the temple. In February 2025, Balu KA, who had the highest score in the rank list was given the advice memo for the post. His appointment was also opposed by the same set of people and despite the state government standing firm, he quit the job.
"In the initial days, I felt really uncomfortable because of the comments people made. It made it hard for me. Many of them indirectly questioned how an Ezhava could make flower garlands. They had doubts about ‘purity’. Now everyone is behaving normally. But I can’t read their minds,” Anurag, who has experience working in a similar job in a temple in Changanasserry, told TNM.
Koodakmanikyam temple has six Tantris from six families who enjoy ‘Karayma’ rights and extend their services on a rotation basis. But only one of them – Ani Prakash from the Veluthedath Tharananellur family – showed readiness to support the appointment and work with him. Five Tantri families launched an unofficial boycott, putting the Koodalmanikyam management in a difficult situation as it has the potential to disrupt the temple rituals like pratishta dinam (idol consecration day) and special poojas.
‘Kazhakam’ jobs were traditionally handled by three Warrier families on a rotation basis. While representatives from two families did the job for five months each, one family would step in for the remaining two. But in the 1980s, the two families which had the five-month ‘karayma’ surrendered their rights, opening the jobs for people outside the system.
From 1984 to 1995, the Devaswom board made appointments to the post on a temporary basis from an Ambalavasi community, who would serve 10 months in a year. The remaining two months of service went to the lone Warrier family. In 1995, the temporarily appointed person became permanent, and retired 25 years later in 2020.
Once recruited, Kazhakam hands in Koodalmanikyam work in the section for 10 months. For the remaining two months, they are assigned other jobs by the temple Devaswom. The person holding traditional rights then takes over, as per the Devaswom Regulatory Act 2003.
Preserving caste supremacy in the name of traditional rights?
After Balu’s appointment early this year, a Tantri representative submitted a letter to the Devaswom committee expressing their disagreement. The letter, signed by five Tantri families, who are now opposing Anurag’s posting, said the appointment was against the temple tradition.
“We, the temple Tantris, strongly object to the appointment of Kazhakam staff, who have ritualistic duty, without the knowledge or consent of the temple Tantris. We demand to appoint a qualified person from the traditional family,” the letter said.
The letter had signatures of Nedumpilli Tharananellur NR Satheesan Namboothiripad, Kedangassery Tharananellur Raman Namboothiripad, Animangalam Vasudevan Namboothiri, Nagaramann Thrivikraman Namboothiri and Chembapalli Tharananellur Narayanan Namboothiripad.
The only voice of dissent was that of 42-year-old Ani Prakash from the Tantri family of Veluthedath Tharananellur.
“I didn’t feel like putting my signature on that letter. Caste discrimination cannot be practised,” said Ani Prakash toldTNM.
Ani Prakash, who has served as a Tantri across multiple temples for 22 years, said he had no objection to an Ezhava man performing Kazhakam duties.
“Everyone is entitled to their own rights and wrongs. I made my decision based on the Indian Constitution, and Tantris are below it,” he said.
The Koodalmanikyam Devaswom managing committee did not consider the letter by the Tantris.
“When we received it, we informed them that we can only implement decisions by the government or the KDRB. And if they have any complaints, they can approach the government or the court," said CK Gopi, chairperson of the Koodalmanikyam Devaswom Board..
Caste not the issue, Tantris say
Nedumpilli Tharananellur Govindan Nampoothiripad, who represents Tantri families, had denied the allegation that caste is the reason behind their opposition. In a press note on March 10, he remarked, "Claims are being deliberately spread through the media that the Tantris are opposing the appointment due to the appointee's caste background, which is false." He went on to explain that they are opposing the appointment because it trespassed upon the Karayma system of the temple.
The Yogakshema Sabha, an organisation representing the Brahmin community in Kerala, also said the issue was the unlawful removal of those who held hereditary Kazhakam rights and not caste. They alleged this was propaganda aimed at maligning the Tantris and portraying the entire Brahmin community negatively.
“In many temples across the state, under various Devaswom Boards, individuals of different castes serve as priests and perform Kazhakam duties. Tantris from the Brahmin community have never expressed opposition to cooperating with them,” the press note issued in March stated.
Amal C Rajan, a researcher and activist who closely follows the Koodalmanikyam temple and its history, alleged that in the name of tradition, Tantris are trying to enforce untouchability. The individuals appointed as Kazhakam staff in 1984, 1995 and 2020, whether permanent or temporary, did not possess the family right to do Kazhakam, he said.
“Those individuals were from Ambalavasi communities, so they didn’t have any issue. Now they are raising the argument of traditional rights only because Balu and Anurag are from lowered castes,” Amal said.
CK Gopi also said this is the first time in the history of the temple that the Tantris intervened in the appointment of a Kazhakam staff. “In 1984, when the Devaswom board appointed a temporary person to the Kazhakam, the Tantris did not object. They didn’t interfere in appointments made in 1995 and 2020. When KDRB appoints a person who is from a lower caste, they submit a letter and are not willing to cooperate,” he said.
Legal fight
In March, Harikrishnan TV, a member of the Thekke Variam family, who holds hereditary Kazhakam rights for two months, approached the Kerala High Court challenging the appointment.
On September 12, the Kerala High Court disposed of his petition challenging the appointment made through KDRB rank list. The court said the parties are at liberty to approach the appropriate civil court for the necessary relief. “We make it clear that any appointment made to the post of Kazhakom in Koodalmanikyam temple shall be subject to the decision that will be taken by the Civil Court,” HC order said.
Tantri Samajam intervenes
The Tantris in the temple had a say in the recruitment of Kazhakam staff as per the 2003 Koodalmanikyam Devaswom Employees Regulations. However, with the implementation of the Kerala Devaswom Recruitment Board Act in 2015, the 2003 regulations became invalid, and Tantris lost their authority to advise the Devaswom on appointment of staff in public posts.
TNM spoke to a member of Tantri Smajam, the organisation representing Tantris in the state, which has been holding parleys with the five Tantris to resolve the issues.
“Some people get a bit confused by emotions and traditions. We are trying our best to resolve it. In my opinion, those who practice and perform rituals should have foresight and broadmindedness. Currently, they are in a confused state. We are trying to resolve it and believe it will be resolved soon," said Akkeraman Kalidasan Bhattathiripad, a member of Tantri Samajam and the state president of Yogakshemasabha.