Tirur: In an exemplary show of communal harmony and brotherhood, a temple committee called off its festivities and celebrations soon after hearing about the death of an elderly Muslim person in the locality.
The news of the death came in the midst of temple festival celebrations when the band, percussion performance was at its peak. Everything was switched off immediately. The members of the temple committee rushed to the house of the bereaved family and condoled the death of the elderly person.
The Thalappoli festival of Thripangod Biranchira Punnassery Bhagavathy temple was abandoned following the death of Cheratil Hyder Ali who lived nearby. A pall of gloom descended in the area which was filled with festivities, following the demise of the elderly man.
As in the past, this time as well there were colourful processions, percussion teams, art forms for the festival procession. However, despite the full-scale arrangements in place, the temple committee members didn’t hesitate even for a moment to call off their festivities.
At the burial ceremony of Hyder Ali, the local mosque committee hailed the decision of the temple committee to call off their festivities. Only the rituals related to the festival were performed at the temple.
Temple committee office bearers T P Velayudhan , A V Vasu, T P Anil Kumar, K P Suresh, Babu Punasseri, Preman Punnasseri and K E Suresh said that the decision to abandon the festival was taken as a mark of respect for the elderly person of the locality and join the mourning family members and local people.
