Bangalore: It was unbecoming and foolish of a celebrated women like Jayamala, the Kannada Film Chamber of Commerce, to contact Sabari Malai authorities in 2008 by phone / fax and tell them that she had touched the feet of Swami Ayappa (the deity) when she was 20 years of age.
The confession, thanks to her astrologer Unni Krishnan and a Chief priest, who allowed her to get into the scared temple precincts, to touch the icon’s feet in its sitting posture inadvertently as a devotee, raised a keen controversy a couple of years ago and Kerala Police were after her to detain her before taking her to Kottayam courts to trail.
Women in the range of 15 to 50 years of age are not allowed to go near the shrine according to historical precepts, but Jayamala wanted fame by touching the feet of Sri Ayappa Swami, by hoodwinking Devaswom authorities.
The dark past continues to haunt her today and the temple priests / astrologers who helped here even since.
Even after purification ceremonies were gone through, the temple administration and religious Shrines department are not happy about the drift in the violated unrepentant situation, as Jayamala had not withdrawn her earlier confession.
Now that she holds no post of eminence and is not acting in films the Kerala govt wants to punish her for its own visible lapses of three decades ago. Jayamala has crossed 50 years of age now. But Keralites want to cage her.
So there is a criminal case registered against her in Kerala, by the state police in the Pattamthittu district in a magistrate’s court.
Astrologer Unnikrishnan of the firm opinion that the ritualistic activities in the hill temple of Sabarimalai are not running properly and well. The investigators into the episode feel that it is a conspiracy to derive publicity for Unni and Jayamala.