Kerala’s Guruvayur temple holds purification rituals after influencer Jasmin Jaffer’s video sparks row

Jasmine Jaffar controversy

A peaceful Sunday morning at Kerala’s Guruvayur Shri Krishna temple was disrupted after a video filmed by social media influencer and former Bigg Boss contestant Jasmin Jaffer stirred controversy.

As per India Today, in the now-deleted clip, Jasmin was seen washing her feet at the temple’s sacred pond — an act that authorities said went against age-old customs and court restrictions.

The Guruvayur Devaswom immediately deemed the pond “impure” and announced purification rituals. From 5 am until noon, devotees were not allowed inside the nalambalam (inner sanctum). Only after punyahakarma — a ceremony that repeated six days’ worth of rituals, including 18 pujas and 18 sheevelis — were regular darshans resumed. Officials urged devotees to cooperate, stressing that preserving the sanctity of the temple was paramount.

According to a report by Mathrubhumi, OB Arun Kumar, the temple’s administrator, lodged a formal complaint with the temple police, citing breach of sanctity and violation of a High Court order that explicitly bans photography and videography within restricted zones of the temple. Police later confirmed that a case would be registered as per the court’s directive.

As criticism mounted online, Jasmin issued a public apology through Instagram. She admitted that she had been unaware of the rules and never meant to hurt anyone’s beliefs.

“To those who love me and to everyone else, I understand that a video I made caused distress. It was never my intention to hurt anyone or create controversy. I sincerely apologise for the mistake that happened out of ignorance,” she wrote.

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Although the apology came quickly, Devaswom officials emphasised that the rules are strict: the Nadapandal and temple pond are considered highly sacred, and any photography or filming there without written permission is strictly forbidden.

Jasmin, who gained popularity as a Bigg Boss Malayalam contestant and later as an influencer, has since removed the video from her account. While the incident may have stemmed from ignorance, it has sparked a wider conversation about respecting religious customs in sacred spaces.

For the temple, the purification rituals reaffirmed tradition; for Jasmin, the episode became a public reminder of how easily faith and feelings can be hurt — and how important it is to tread sensitively in spaces that mean so much to so many.