Veteran singer and Padma Vibhushan KJ Yesudas on Monday finally spoke out on visiting the Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple in Kerala, after days of speculation over his entry into the temple.
A few days back, Yesudas, who was born Christian but is also a followed of the Hindu religion, sought permission to enter the famous temple on Mahanavami days. The permission was granted by the Executive Committee of the temple for Yesudas to visit and pray on the occasion of Mahanavami or Vijayadashami - which were on September 29 and 30 this year.
However, the singer did not visit the temple on either day, causing some speculation over the reason why.
On Monday, the singer clarified, saying, “There is no use in rushing. When he calls (god) I will visit him. For this, none of you should hold your breath and lose your life.”
He reacted thus while attending the Soorya fest - a dance and music festival - in Thiruvananthapuram. This is the 40th year that Yesudas is singing at the fest.
Yesudas also clarified that he requested the temple authorities for permission to visit the temple on the advice of a friend.
Born in a Roman-Catholic family, the singer has sought permission to pray at the Guruvayur Sree Krishna Swami temple multiple times, but his request has been turned down each time. So, his request to the Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple was much talked about.
"The temple administration has always permitted people who believe in the Hindu faith to enter the temple. Yesudas, as we all know, is very vocal about his belief in the Hindu faith. Allowing people who believe in the Hindu faith is not new to the temple. We already have a procedure that is being followed for so many years,” V Ratheesan, the executive officer of Padmanabhaswamy temple earlier told TNM.