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Kerala temple mourns Muslim committee member by stopping puja for 2 days

Speed News Desk | Updated on: 14 February 2017, 5:35 IST

A Kerala temple stopped offering pujas for two days this week as a mark of respect to a Muslim man who was beaten to death over a dispute, reports The Indian Express.

According to the police, MV Shabeer, 23, a member of the executive committee in charge of the annual festival at the Shiva temple at Puthennada, Thiruvananthapuram, was beaten to death on Sunday by four men after long-standing dispute over an elephant that ran amok during a festival last year. The incident was caught on a phone video camera and went viral.

This week, on Monday and Tuesday, priests at the temple did not blow the conch, ring the bell or hold any of its five daily pujas to mourn Shabeer.

"It was a friendship beyond religion. We never considered Shabeer as a Muslim in the temple committee," said N Unni, another member of the executive committee. "Shabeer was the most active member in our committee."

The temple has also decided to do away with the traditional "annadanam" and procession of the 10-day festival that starts on 9 February, as a mark of respect.

"Shabeer was a religious Muslim who loved our activities and took part in them sincerely. We always considered him as one among us and included him in the festival committee two years ago," said C Gouri Chandra, convenor of the committee.

The dispute that led to the death of Shabeer began last year when four men were arrested for provoking the elephant by pricking its tail with a needle. Shabeer had been a witness to this incident and deposed against the men.



First published: 5 February 2016, 9:43 IST