Peeing baby temple fine reversed

Mothers often take young children to worship inside temples

The parents of a baby who urinated on his mother inside an Indian temple have won an appeal to overturn a stiff fine imposed by temple officials.

Anil Kumar was told to pay 1,001 rupees ($23) to fund cleansing ceremonies when his baby son urinated during prayers at the temple at Trichur in Kerala state.

When the mechanic said he could not pay other worshippers offered to help out.

State officials have now said the baby could not have been expected to control his bladder, and cancelled the fine.

The BBC's Sri Devi Pillai in Trivandrum says that, according to tradition, it is considered unclean if babies urinate or vomit inside temple premises and a purification ceremony must be held to restore the sanctity of the temple.

Worshippers angry

Strict rules also govern dress codes for both men and women, and any worshipper who touches a priest in Kerala can face a fine of up to 2,000 rupees to fund a cleansing ceremony.

Why should poor people be fined for all these ceremonies? State minister KC Venugopal

"I respect the views of the temple priests. But this penalty business is very pre-historic," KC Venugopal, Kerala state minister responsible for temple affairs, told the BBC.

"If they want to conduct a cleansing ceremony, let the money be taken from the temple funds. It should not be taken from worshippers."

Mr Venugopal was called into the row when Mr Kumar appealed against the imposition of the fine by the Vadakkumnathan temple officials.

Mr Kumar earns under 3,000 rupees a month.

The minister's intervention won approval from other local worshippers.

"These are archaic traditions," said Vinod Krishnan. "I am always so nervous to carry my two-year-old son to a temple.

"What if he throws up or urinates?"

Temple priest Aryan Nambodiri said any changes to traditions need to be decided by the high priest, but conceded that temple funds could be made available to pay for cleansing ceremonies.