Kerala priest suspended for collecting ‘dakshina’ using QR code

A temple priest in Kerala was suspended after he was found to be accepting money as ‘dakshina’ (offering) from devotees using a mobile wallet QR code.

Sateesh Namboothiri, one of the chief priests of the sub-deities at the renowned Chottanikkara Bhagavathy Temple in Ernakulam district was placed under suspension pending enquiry.

Temple sources said that a QR code board of the mobile wallet under Namboothiri’s name and mobile phone was recovered from the ‘prasadam’ distribution counter of the temple.

An official of the temple said that as per the norms, temple priests were not supposed to conduct any pooja by directly accepting cash from devotees.