Kannadigas appeal for mass boycott; What is happening in Kannur's Kottiyoor temple?

KANNUR: Reports emerged about a tiff between devotees from Karnataka and temple authorities at the famous Kottiyoor Shiva temple in Kannur. Allegations surfaced that the temple staff showed discrimination towards the Kannadigas and even went to the extent of humiliating women devotees of the state.

Escalating the issue, many videos filmed by devotees emerged yesterday. Devotees from Karnataka said that they received no respect from Kottiyoor temple staff, and worse was the treatment towards women.

Many videos of a scuffle between devotees from Karnataka and temple staff also appeared on social media, triggering a debate. Many even filmed videos appealing to devotees from Karnataka not to visit the temple. Not just two or three, but hundreds of Kannada devotees expressed the same feeling that they were treated differently at the temple.

A trend is ongoing in social media with many Kannadigas appealing to others to avoid the temple visit. Meanwhile, social media is divided over the issue. Many said the devotees from Karnataka violated the instructions of the staff, leading to a tussle. Meanwhile, some others vindicated the allegations raised by devotees, saying that the crowd management during this year’s festival was shambolic.

Kottiyoor temple will open only for 28 days in a year, and mostly it will be during the months of May and June. The temple centres around the cosmic tragedy of the Daksha Yaga. The shrine is believed to be the exact site where Sati Devi immolated herself and where the Hindu Trinity (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva) later congregated.