Jawaharlal Nehru was prevented from entering the Padmanabhaswamy Temple once.

QUESTION = Jawaharlal Nehru was prevented from entering the Padmanabhaswamy Templeonce. Why & by Whom?

ANSWER = Sethu Lakshmi Bayi (the regent of the Kingdom of Travancore in southern India between 1924 and 193) had prevented Jawaharlal Nehru from entering the Padmanabhaswamy Temple as Nehru had undertaken sea voyage. 

Sethu Lakshmi Bayi , full name Pooradam Thirunal Sethu Lakshmi Bayi CI (1895–1985).She, along with her younger cousin, Moolam Thirunal Sethu Parvathi Bayi were adopted into the Travancore Royal Family and were the  the granddaughters of the celebrated painter, Raja Ravi Varma.

Sethu Lakshmi Bayi's regency continued the progressive administration of Travancore Dynasty and brought forth reforms like abolition of Devadasi system as well as the prohibition of animal sacrifice. She was commended by Mahatma Gandhi for spending a fifth of the state revenue on education.Her meeting with Mahatma Gandhi resulted in a royal proclamation by which all the public roads (except the eastern road) to Vaikom Mahadeva Temple were opened to all castes. She also amended the Travancore Nayar Act in relation to the Marumakkathayam system of inheritance and family. Eventually in 1928, the matrilineal system were altogether done away with, introducing patrilineal nuclear family system among Nairs. At the same time, Sethu Lakshmi Bayi was criticized by social reformers for not allowing temple entry for dalits and also for preventing Nehru from entering the Padmanabhaswamy Temple as Nehru had undertaken sea voyage. She was also criticized for formulating the notorious Press Regulation Act in 1926 which gagged the Press.
In February 1985, Sethu Lakshmi Bayi died in Bangalore. She was at that time the last surviving member in the Order of the Crown of India.




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