Only a few hours are left before the counting of votes for the Lok Sabha elections, and actor-turned-politician and NDA candidate from Thrissur, Suresh Gopi, completed a long-pending religious offering that was vowed in his name by a BJP councillor, Usha Suresh, from Kottayam district. The Saffron party has high hopes that Gopi will open the account for the BJP in Kerala.
This morning, Gopi, along with his family, visited the Ettumanoor temple in Kottayam to offer prayers and make offerings. Interestingly, the story behind this visit started almost seven years ago.
“It was in 2015 that I became a councillor for the first time,” says Usha, who represents No 34 ward in Ettumanoor Municipality. “My people had been facing a drinking water issue for many decades. So, in 2017, I sought the help of Suresh Gopi ji (who was an MP back then) for funds. He immediately recognized that it was a genuine issue and provided me with a fund of Rs. 20 lakh. It was because of that fund that we could complete the project. Back then, Gopi ji told me that he visited the Ettumanoor temple occasionally. So, I vowed a Tulabharam offering at the temple for his good fortune and well-being.”
Ettumanoor Mahadeva temple is one of the ancient Shiva temples in Kerala. Temple tradition holds that the Pandavas and the sage Vyasa worshipped at this temple. The Tulabharam is one of the important rituals of this temple, performed to pay tribute for favours received. The ritual involves weighing the person for whom the offerings were promised against offerings ranging from fruits to gold.
on Monday morning, the Tulabharam ritual was done by weighing raw bananas against the weight of Suresh Gopi. “Another unique offering at Ettumanoorappan temple is called aimbra (five para). This was also done using aval, malar, rice, paddy, and jaggery for him,” said Usha, adding that the politician, who is known for making significant offerings at religious places including Christian churches, did not allow her to pay for the expenses required for the offerings.
“He told me that he is glad that I promised this offering in his name, but, he would cover the cost of the ritual,” said Usha. “But then I told him, ‘Sir, is it not that the person who vows the offering has to pay for the ritual?’ To that, he replied, ‘Councillor, do one thing. You can present a nidhi (contribution) to the temple.’ So, I also made a small offering of mine to the deity.”
During the ritual, besides the councillor, Gopi’s family, workers of VHP and BJP, and some regular devotees at the temple were also present. Gopi’s team said that the actor would come to Thrissur—the constituency that has seen the most ferocious triangular fight in Kerala in these elections—before the counting starts.
