Page 1 of 6
European Journal of Business &
Social Sciences
Available at https://ejbss.org/
ISSN: 2235-767X
Volume 07 Issue 05
May 2019
Available online: https://ejbss.org/ P a g e | 1392
Temple Entry Movement in Kanyakumari District
Dr. D. Lekha
Associate Proffessor in History,
Sree Ayyappa College for Women, Chunkankadai.
The movement for temple entry registered its crowing victory when Chitra Tirunal Balarama
Varma, the Maharaja of Travancore, issued his famous Temple Entry Proclamation on
November 12, 1936. The Proclamation, which is the first of its kind in India, is a historic
document. Gandhiji hailed it as “a miracle of modern times” and “a smriti which is the people’s
charter of spiritual emancipation”.
The Temple Entry Proclamation of the Maharaja of Travancore came as a bombshell to some
radicals ‘in’ orthodox Hindu circles, but it gave a message of hope and good cheer to the
downtrodden, Harijan and other backward classes. It brought about a silent and bloodless
revolution in Hindu Society. With the dawn of Independence, “Untouchability” has been
abolished by legislation and those who practice it have been made liable to punishment. The
historic movement for the eradication of untouchability in Travancore was thus crowned with
success. The present paper tries to highlight the movement for temple entry in sough Travancore,
the present Kanyakumari District and its impact.
The people classified as depressed and therefore inferior, were made to suffer innumerable
insults and indignities day in and day out. They were obliged to move at least a hundred feet
from a Brahmin’s path. Other “Caste people” expected the Harijans to stay at least half the
distance away. Even for small crimes severe punishments were inflicted on them. These
barbarous customs and practices prevailed in the society even in the beginning of the 20th
century.
In South Travancore most of the temples were consecrated to the Brahminical deities especially
to lord Siva and Vishnu. The low class people were compelled to worship the local deities. They
had no right to worship the Brahmanical deities.
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European Journal of Business &
Social Sciences
Available at https://ejbss.org/
ISSN: 2235-767X
Volume 07 Issue 05
May 2019
Available online: https://ejbss.org/ P a g e | 1393
The Harijans had to stand outside gates of the temple to worship the deity. Brahmins had the
right to enter the innershrine or Garbhagraha of the temple. They were the priestly class and very
high in the social ladder. The Nairs were allowed to approach upto the steps in front of the
garbhagraha for devotional purpose. The low class people below the Nairs had no right to enter
the temples. The spread of English education, social awareness and improvement in their basic
facilities inspired the non - caste Hindus to bargain for their legitimate status within the fold of
Hinduism. Thus a movement was started in south Travancore by the depressed class people to
secure the freedom of workship in the Brahmanical temples.
The first temple entry movement in Travancore was at Kumarakoil. Kumarakovil lies in the
jurisdiction of Padmanabhapuram Municipality, at the foot of Velimalai hills in the Kalkulam
Taluk, about 15 kms northwest of Nagercoil and 3 kms east of Thuckalay. In Kumarakovil a
large number of people belong to Nadar community. This place is known for its famous Valli
Marriage with Lord Muruga and the temple is dedicated to Lord Muruga, otherwise known as
Kumaran. In this famous temple, it was the usual custom during festivals for the caste Hindu
devotees to walk in the fire pit, claiming divine powers. The non - caste Hindus were also
regarded as the members of Hindu Society with common faith but they neither were nor
permitted to enter in to the temple. Yet, the wealth and education gained by the Nadars inspired
to them, a growing sense of self confidence. As a result they refused to compromise with an
intolerable system.
Vellayan Nadar from Kumarakoil decided to enter the temple. He performed the rituals only high
caste people were allowed to. After prayers and poojas, he jumped into a large fire pit and
danced in the flames for half an hour. Emerging out of the pit and followed by 12,000 Nadar
devotees, he entered the temple. The caste Hindus especially the Nairs and the Brahmins resisted
their entry and it led to an open fight, in which more than one hundred and fifty persons died.
This was the first protest against societal in justice. Subsequent to this, a number of such
movements surfaced throughout Tamil Nadu.
Temple Entry Movement in Suchindram:
It is a pilgrim centre situated on the south bank of palayar, a distance of 8 miles to the north west
of Kanya kumari. Suchindram is an enchanting village surrounded by the vast expanse of paddy
Page 3 of 6
European Journal of Business &
Social Sciences
Available at https://ejbss.org/
ISSN: 2235-767X
Volume 07 Issue 05
May 2019
Available online: https://ejbss.org/ P a g e | 1394
fields, the wavy coconut groves, the tanks and ponds, the river and its channels and delightful
flower gardens. Lexically speaking Suchindram means the place where Indira attained ‘Suchior’
Purification. In Suchindram the Trimurtis namely Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva were worshipped in
one place. But the earliest nucleus of the temple was the shrine of Konnai Adinathar (Siva) Later
the temple was called Swayampulingam of Trinity. This temple was built in the Dravidian style
and contains numerous inscriptions of great archaeological importance.
In this temple, the restrictions prescribed in the Agamas were most meticulously observed. The
Nambudiri priest alone was allowed in to the Garbhagraha, for poojas. A member of Vattapalli
Matha is permitted to go upto the portico of the Garghagraha. The so called higher castes among
the non-Brahmins like the Vellalar, Nairs and Chettis were permitted into the Ardha Mandapa
and the Tirucurra Mandapa to the back of the Garbhagraha.
The Vairavis, Chaliyars, Potters and Oil mongers were allowed entrance within the precincts of
the temple upto the Dhvajastamba, but not beyond. The Ezhavas, Washer man and Barbers were
admitted in to the streets, but not in to the temple. But the Nadars, Pulayas, Parayas, Pallans and
the Kuravans, were strictly prohibited from entering even the streets of Suchindram.
Terumarachans were put up at the entrance of all the main streets, proclaiming the prohibition of
entry to the depressed classes. Terumarachans means bamboo screens. It was used for preventing
the entry of the untouchable into the streets where the high caste people resided. Such
humiliating prohibition roused the affected groups to fight for their rights. So they fought for
their just right to enter temples and temple roads.
The First major struggle of the temple entry movement in Travancore was Vaikkam Temple
entry movement. Its aim was get the right of access to roads of the Vaikkam Temple to the
Avarnas of the Hindu Community. E.V. Ramaswamy (Periyar) participated in this satyagraha
and went to jail thrice for this purpose. So he got the title ‘Vaikkam Veerar’, ‘Hero of Vaikkam’.
Because of efforts of the leaders, the Vaikkam Temple roads were formally opened to all Hindus,
irrespective of caste. But this concession was not extended to the Avarnas in the case of other
Temples in Travancore. Hence the movement for enterring the temple roads were organized in
many centre like Suchindram, Vaikkam etc.,
