A petition has been filed before the Kerala High Court, challenging the practice of engaging ‘bouncers’ to control devotees at the Sree Poornathrayeesa Temple, Thripunithura, in connection with the ‘Vrischikotsavam’ .
The petitioner N. Prakash, a devotee, said that in all the previous years, sufficient police personnel were deputed to control the huge crowd inside the temple, besides volunteers from among the devotees. But from 22 to 25 November, fifteen bouncers were engaged by the Cochin Devaswom Board, citing insufficient number of police personnel.
He contended that these people were wearing T-shirts emblazoned with the word ‘bouncer’, a term ordinarily associated with personnel deployed outside bars and similar establishments as strong-arm security staff. He added that the engagement of such individuals, especially within the precincts of a temple to manage and direct devotees, was wholly inappropriate and fundamentally incompatible with the sanctity and cultural ethos of the temple environment.
Published – November 29, 2025 11:41 pm IST
