THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The photo of IG Sreejith offering prayers with teary eyes in front of the sanctum sanctorum of Sabarimala temple on Monday has by now become viral on social media. Kerala Kaumudi’s Thiruvananthapuram bureau photographer Ajay Madhu had captured the moments when the IG with folded hands was there to pray during Nirmalya pooja.

What Ajay Madhu (in photo above) had to say about the rare photo.

“I had gone to the Sannidhanam to take the photos of Pandalam Royal family member Sasikumar Varma. When the temple doors opened at 5 in the morning, I got ready to click Sasikumar Varma’s photo. It was then I came to notice a man standing in front of the temple, wearing a light-blue T-shirt. I once again looked at his face only to realise that it was IG Sreejith. Tears were rolling down his cheeks; he was standing facing the deity with folded hands. There was no second thought and I did a number of clicks.
After Nirmalayam, he went to Thantri’s room, talked with him for some time and headed towards Pamba to resume his duty."

Later, Ajay said that he joy know knew bounds as the photo became viral. “When took the photo, I never thought it will become viral. I happy that I could get that snap,” he added.

Kerala Kaumudi had published a similar photo 28 years ago, which might have paved the way for the recent controversial Supreme Court order on Sabarimala. On August 19, 1990, the newspaper published the first rice feeding ceremony of former Devaswom Board Commissioner S Chandrika’s grand-daughter. It was freelancer A P Joy who had taken this photo for Kerala Kaumudi. It was then the outer world came to know there were instances of young women sneaking into Sabarimala temple. Eventually, legal fight over this started first against and later in favour of entry of all women in Sabarimala.