i dont agree with these purification rituals conducted in some temples. However it has to be mentioned that Vayalar Ravi goes on and on about how he is an Ezhava.
the purification ceremony was not performed because he is an ezhava, it was performed because his wife is a Christian and there is a rumor that his children have been baptised.
In Kerala, hindus are very gaurded about their religion, because they are afraid that they will be overrun by the Abrahamic faiths. There are websites in the USA (of liberal protestant faiths like the Southern baptists- bill clinton is a southern baptist) which request people to go to the temples of Hindus in India and pray so that the temples will fall and the HIndus will see "light" and accept Jesus. when you consider this, it is but natural that Hindu priests in Kerala (where a lot of foreign missionaries go) do not allow non-Hindus to enter the temple.
Things are not as simple as people think they are. Having said that I think it is better if Kerala priests were more flexible and less afraid so that they can improve the image of the religion and attract more people to temples.
