The Guruvayur Sri Krishna Temple in Thrissur, Kerala, was the site of a controversy involving fashion influencer Jasmine Jaffar. She made a video of herself washing her feet in the temple’s pond and subsequently shared it on social media, leading to public criticism. The temple administration also objected to her actions.
The temple administration filed a police complaint against Jasmine. According to the Guruvayur Devaswom, Jasmine, a former Big Boss Malayalam Season 6 contestant and social media influencer, breached temple traditions, thereby polluting the pond. After the situation escalated, Jasmine apologized and removed the video from her social media.
Devaswom administrator OB Arun Kumar clarified that the pond is a sacred site used for rituals such as Aarattu. The complaint from the Devaswom alleged that the video was shot in an area where video recording is banned by the High Court. Following this event, temple authorities decided to purify the temple and restricted darshan from 5 AM to 12 PM. Access for devotees will be granted after the purification rites.
The rituals will continue for six days, featuring 18 poojas and 18 different styles. Devotees are asked to cooperate with the temporary restrictions. Jasmine filmed the video six days prior, but later retracted it and apologized, citing her lack of awareness regarding the restrictions.