Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 13 (PTI) The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), the apex body of temples in Kerala's Travancore region, on Monday transferred the official who had issued a controversial notice in connection with the 87th anniversary of the historic temple entry proclamation.
TDB sources said B Madhusoodanan Nair, who was the Director of Cultural and Archaeological Affairs under the board and issued the notice, was transferred as Deputy Devaswom Commissioner at Haripad.
Rejilal, the Deputy Devaswom Commissioner of Haripad has been transferred and appointed in the post of Nair.
The action was taken in light of the notice which allegedly gave an impression that the temple entry proclamation was a mercy of the then king.
The notice, in Malayalam, also referred to the women members of the Travancore royal family as "queens".
Intense criticism cropped up from social media and other quarters alleging that the notice was a eulogy of the aristocracy and one that ignored the struggles of the people and the movements held to make the entry of lower caste people possible into temples in the erstwhile princely state of Travancore.
State Devaswom Minister K Radhakrishnan had also criticised the controversial notice.
It is not easy to wipe out the casteism that has become deep-rooted in the minds of certain people, he had told the media on Saturday when his reaction was sought.
The controversial notice was withdrawn and a probe was ordered.
The Temple Entry Proclamation was a royal decree by the Travancore King Chithira Tirunal Balarama Varma in 1936 that opened temples in the kingdom to so-called lower caste Hindus. PTI RRT RRT ANE