INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
BENGALURU: Dawn's devotion, day's dare - it's a routine that sits perfectly with Unnikrishnan VL, a 34-year-old Kerala priest who seamlessly
transitions from offering aarti to goddess Durga to becoming a skilled dirt track rider as the day unfolds, reports Petlee Peter.Clad in
pristine white attire, Unnikrishnan's day begins at the crack of dawn, precisely 5.30am, when he opens the doors of Pudhukkulamgara Devi
temple in Kottayam district's Manjoor village, welcoming devotees seeking protection from the goddess
For the next few hours, he wholeheartedly dedicates himself to his sacred calling.As the morning rituals conclude around 9.30am,
He retrieves a bag from a discreet corner of the temple
The priestly robes, once emblematic of his sacred duty, give way to a different attire
Enrolling in a profes- sional stunt riding and racing club in Kochi, he honed his skills until early 2011
Unnikrishnan, a computer science graduate, worked in the IT sector and secured a lu- crative position with Xerox in Kochi
However, the demands of his job compelled him to set aside his passion temporarily
Eventually, I quit and went on a bike trip across India and Nepal along with my bud- dy Amjeth
In 2019, following the unexpected passing of his father Narayanan Namboothiri, who was also a priest, Unnikrishnan found himself fully
immersed in his temple responsibilities
While he had previously served as melshanti (priest) in nearby temples occasionally, he officially began his tenure at the Pudhukkulamgara
Devi temple in December 2021
Despite family pressures to prioritise his temple duties and relinquish his love for motorcy- cling, Unnikrishnan remained resolute in his
pursuit of breaking stereotypes
Earlier this year, he obtained his Feder- ation of Motor Sports Clubs of India licence for motorcycle racing and even participated in the
Indian National Rally Championship in Coimbatore, riding his 200cc motorcycle to a successful completion of the race
Looking forward, Unnik- rishnan is training diligently for an upcoming dirt track race in Bengaluru scheduled for No- vember
However, he faces fi- nancial challenges in sustain- ing his racing aspirations, rely- ing on the modest earnings from the temple and
offerings made by devotees
