Quote:PM Modi's visit to Sabarimala will hopefully end the numerous woes of the shrine

by Rajeev Srinivasan Oct 24, 2014 16:17 IST



#BJP #christians #communist #Congress #ConnectTheDots #Devaswom Board #Hindus #Kerala #Lord Ayyappa #Muslims #Narendra Modi #pilgrims #Religious Apartheid #Sabarimala temple #State Neglect

18 Comments



The hill abode of Sri Ayyappan in the Western Ghats has become one of the most-visited temples in India, and it is in the list of places where the most places converge in the world (Source: The Economist, 2013). Unfortunately, it is also a testament to the incompetence and uncaring attitude of the Indian state, because pilgrims suffer greatly if they wish to visit.



Therefore I am delighted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi may visit the shrine this year, according to G Ananthakrishnan (“Sabarimala on PM radar”) in The Telegraph, as it may force the authorities to improve the critically deficient infrastructure that they could easily upgrade, but won’t. It is also a metaphor for what appears to be active official hostility to Hindu pilgrims.



I know because I just went to Sabarimala for Deepavali. I have done the pilgrimage five or six times over many years, and can testify first-hand as to how it has deteriorated over time. My very first pilgrimage was when I was 17, and at that time there were no permanent settlements on the summit of the hill, where the shrine is. People only went there during the season (November to January) and for a few days at the beginning of every Malayalam month.



The main difference is the number of pilgrims visiting, which has grown exponentially, as it is an attractive, albeit difficult, trip, and the worship of Ayyappa has grown dramatically in the southern states. Then, I walked alone up the hill through rough paths, and I encountered only a handful of people who were going down the hill. When I went to the summit, I could pray for as long as I wanted in front of the deity’s tiny abode.



A few days ago, there were thousands of pilgrims at the summit, and I encountered hundreds returning down the arduous climb. During the season the numbers swell to hundreds of thousands of black-clad visitors, as the total number over the truncated period comes to over 30 million (which is the entire population of Kerala, to give some perspective).



Unfortunately, this tsunami of pilgrims has overwhelmed the carrying capacity of the area, and it makes the strenuous climb far more difficult than it needs to be. For, from the Pamba river staging area where vehicles park, it is a vertiginous climb up a few thousand feet through dense tropical forest to the small plateau where the shrine is. It is hard on the feet (we climbed barefoot up the granite and concrete path), on the heart (every year a few people have cardiac arrest), and on your system in general (there are only a dozen or so toilets on this path).



Once you get up to the plateau, things don’t get any better. Often, in peak-season, you have to wait for up to 10-12 hours in line in concrete sheds with corrugated-iron sheeting as roofs, which gets stiflingly hot on sunny days. Accommodation availability is utterly minimal: many sleep in these very sheds. Toilets, bathrooms, a clean place to sleep, decent food to eat, medical care – all are scarce.



The amount of plastic trash around the place is startling: bottles, bags. There are feral pigs – yes, wild pigs with mean-looking fangs – rooting in the food waste and human waste, and they add their droppings to the mess of mud and paper and flowers and plastic.



And there have been several stampedes in the past, which obviously is a problem of poor organisation and crowd management. (Tirupati, with an equally large number of pilgrims, has figured out crowd control; there is no reason why this cannot be attempted in Sabarimala too.)



This is no way to run a holy place. Nor any way to treat poor pilgrims who come from far away. I once met a barefoot pilgrim who was a Sri Lankan-origin investment banker in London, but many are ordinary folks from villages in interior Karnataka or Andhra Pradesh. They come, black-clad and bearded after 41 days of penance, carrying on their heads the twin coconuts filled with ghee that they will use for ablutions. These are the believers, that vast and invisible substratum of India that Dharampal once mentioned: they follow ancient practices of pilgrimage to holy spots, ignoring the cities and other distractions. This is eternal India, sanatana dharma.



You get a glimpse of this true India when you finally reach the sanctum with your aching and weary body, your only thoughts those about Ayyappa. Strangely, when you try to get your micro-second glimpse of the presiding deity before you are shoved forward by the press of those behind you, you tend to forget all the hassles.



Because it is a point of singular power, and it has been so for millennia



The criminal neglect of the temple is mostly due to state hostility and partly to sheer incompetence. Kerala alternatively has Communist-led and Congress-led governments, which for practical purposes means a Communist/Muslim coalition or a Christian/Muslim coalition. The Hindu vote is fragmented and divided, to the extent that the BJP is yet to have a single MP from the state, although O Rajagopal almost unseated Shashi Tharoor in Trivandrum last May. Modi appeals to the OBC Ezhavas (the mainstay of the Communists) and to the SC Pulayas; and this may lead to some electoral realignments, and that is surely part of his calculations.



There is a monstrous entity called the ‘Devaswom Board’ that controls all Hindu temples (and note please: only Hindu temples, as Christian and Muslim places of worship are entirely free of control or even audit or tax. I read a ruling by an Income Tax appellate court that Hinduism is a way of life, not a religion, and therefore Hindu temples are not tax-exempt!)



In fact, in an allegedly secular state, there should be separation of ‘church’ and ‘state’, that is, the government should not interfere in religion. That is true for Christians and Muslims: the State leaves them alone to do whatever they want with their churches and mosques. But in the case of Hindus, the government expropriates whatever Hindu temples have. The Devaswom Board is a violation of the constitutional principles of equality before the law and freedom of religion.



This is the principal reason Hindu temples are in trouble in Kerala, as the Devaswom Board, with atheists and Communists often as board members, acts as a mechanism to commingle the revenues of temples with government revenue. In other words, the Devaswom Board, and thus the Kerala government, steal the money that pilgrims donate to Sabarimala (and other large temples like Guruvayur). No more than 5 percent of this is spent on upkeep and maintenance and infrastructure development in the big temples; the rest is swallowed by the state treasury.



Many of the smaller temples under Devaswom control are closing because there is no money spent on them at all (I read a report quoting the Travancore Manual that were some 10,000 temples in Travancore a hundred years ago; while today there are fewer than 1,500). This verges on extinction.



Temples are torn down for ‘development’. For instance, the 1,800 year-old Parthasarathy temple in Aranmula is slated for severe downgrading for an unnecessary airport project there which is basically a land-grab. Dozens of temples were torn down to create Cochin’s airport. In the 1950s, a planter tried to burn down the Sabarimala shrine to grab the forest land around it.



All this is simply abominable.



A visit by the Prime Minister should shine the spotlight on this unsavory aspect of what is quite simply apartheid against Hindus. In addition, he will see first-hand how his idea of a Swachh Bharat has a long way to go: unlike most temples in Kerala, where the abundance of water, and related habits, ensure cleanliness, poor Sabarimala is the epitome of unsanitary conditions.



The PM’s visit should create an awareness of the problems faced, and perhaps it will lead to the dissolution of the Devaswom Board, just as that other white elephant, the Planning Commission was disbanded. That would be not a day too soon. Kerala’s temples deserve the right to manage themselves without busybodies from government interfering in them.



If the PM were to visit during the season, the difficulty in ensuring security will mean disruption for pilgrims, especially if he were to make the full trek up and down the hill, which, he, as a physically fit individual, should be able to do, unlike all other PMs so far. Still, that would be a small price to pay for the possible improvements it might bring.

Quote:Holocaust

By Michael Hakeem, Ph.D.

ffrf.org/legacy/fttoday/back/hakeem/index.html



Series of 5 articles

The sub links have been saved at archive.org:



web.archive.org/web/20090101213614/http://ffrf.org/fttoday/back/hakeem/holocaust1.html

Part 1: Christianity's Propensity For Ferocity



web.archive.org/web/20090101213557/http://ffrf.org/fttoday/back/hakeem/holocaust2.html

Part 2: Holocaust (Pogroms) In Christian Russia



web.archive.org/web/20091022130639/http://www.ffrf.org/fttoday/back/hakeem/holocaust3.html

Part 3: Its Foundation In Christian AntiSemitism



web.archive.org/web/20090416063925/http://ffrf.org/fttoday/back/hakeem/holocaust4.html

Part 4: Catholic Reaction To The Nazi Holocaust



web.archive.org/web/20090101213609/http://ffrf.org/fttoday/back/hakeem/holocaust5.html

Part 5: The Protestant Reaction To The Nazi Holocaust



(Of related interest, see "Hitler's Religion," by Anne Nicol Gaylor.)

Quote:the 1,800 year-old Parthasarathy temple in Aranmula is slated for severe downgrading for an unnecessary airport project there which is basically a land-grab.

Quote:the 1,800 year-old Parthasarathy temple in Aranmula is slated for severe downgrading for an unnecessary airport project there which is basically a land-grab.

Quote:Sabarimala Pilgrims Routed via Bharanaghanam: Christian Nexus to Belittle Kadappattoor Mahadeva Temple?

13/12/2014 16:13:37 Courtesy: Janmabhumi



Kottayam: Sabarimala bound pilgrims who travel via Pala, Ponkunnam, Chirakkadavu, Cheruvalli etc are now being diverted via a totally different route. The new route, which is via Bharanghanam andEerattupetta is said to be dotted with sign boards in all South Indian languages highlighting Christian saint Alphonsamma and the Aruvithara Church. This move is being seen as a deliberate one, diminishing the significance of an interim holy halt, that of Kadappattoor Mahadeva Temple, there by belittling the sacred place.



The route via Kadappattoor has been an oft used path for those bound to the holy shrine fro North Kerala and other states in the same direction, which mounts up to 40% of the pilgrims. Sources have indicated that pilgrims are now being directed via a new route, with sign boards calling for a change of route from Koothattukulam in Muvattupuzha- they are being directed to go to Kanjirappilly via Bharanghanam, Eerattupetta and Aruvithura and proceed to Erumeli from there. This is being discerned as belittling of the Lord at Kadappattoor.



Also, the new route offers very few places of respite for pilgrims.

Until last year, Sabarimala bound pilgrims would pay obeisance at the

temples in Amanakara, ramapuram, Palliyapuram etc when they pass

Koothattukulam and then offer prayers to Lord Mahadeva at Kadappattoor. The place has also been a long term resting point for pilgrims.



This time, the route has been changed under pretext of construction

and renewal of roads. However, it is widely suspected that pilgrims

are being diverted from their route so that they take notice of the

Christian shrines of Alphonsamma at Bharangyanam and Aruvithara Church

in Eerattupetta. This, especially since the entire way has been dotted

with sign boards in South Indian languages, with directions on how to

reach these places. The sign boards, according to sources, have been

set up with the beginning of Mandalam season.

Quote:Sabotaging Sabarimala Pilgrimage: Pilgrims Stopped from using Pulmedu Forest Path

11/12/2014 06:50:35 HK



Idukki: The Forest Department is the latest to add to the woes of Sabarimala bound pilgrims. According to latest reports, they have caused undue obstructions to the passage of pilgrims hailing from other states, who have made the offering of reaching the shrine by foot, by sealing the jungle path to the holy shrine via Pulmedu.



Sources have stated that the Forest Department has resorted to this gross injustice by quoting a non-existent court order. According to Deputy Director of Periyar Tiger (West Division) Babu, the Court had issued a directive of not granting permission to Sabarimala bound pilgrims to travel on foot via the customary forest path, following

the disaster that took place in Pulmedu. However, the statement made by Babu sharply contradicts reality.



“The Court directive clearly states that Government vehicles alone can ply in the route between Naalaam Mile and Uppupaara. There stands no Court objection to the passage of pilgrims from Vallakadavu to Sabarimala via Pulmedu. This being the scenario, the actual sabotaging of Court order is being done by Forest Department and District

Administrative authorities. Also, pilgrims on foot had in fact resorted to the path via Pulmedu the previous three years, following the tragedy that had happened. They were provided with quite a lot of facilities by Water Authority and Electricity Board. There were shops sponsored by Eco Development Committee that provided provisions and

food supplies to pilgrims,” said sources.

Quote:Political Agenda behind Sabotage of Vedanta Study centres in Temples

13/12/2014 16:02:19 Courtesy: Janmabhumi



Kochi: The Vedanta Vidyala Curriculum programme to be initiated under Travancore Devaswom Board has been sabotaged, thanks topolitical agenda of certain officers in the board. The original proposal to set up Vedanta schools in temples 10 years ago, so that children learn Puranas and Ithihasas and enrich themselves with

knowledge of Hindu culture, has been a total failure, with the project not being implemented in a single temple.



The project was chalked out and envisaged with the aim of inculcating

in young minds, messages that have Dharmic and cultural allusions. The proposal was to impart instructions on Vedanta Pradhama, Dwitheeya, Thritheeya, Chathurtham, Panchamam and conduct examinations at graduation level for ‘Vedantacharya’ and issue certificates along with. The Board had conducted a detailed scrutiny of the proposal in

September 2005, giving a green signal thereafter. The matter was even brought to the notice of the Board last month by the Cultural Director of the Board. This however yielded no result. In short, the Board sabotaged its own project.



Apart from the specified project, the Devaswom Commissioner had put

forth the proposal of publishing study materials in ‘Sannidhanam’, the

official magazine of Devaswom Board, this year. This has also not been

implemented. The syllabus includes Geeta Paddhavali Part 1, Sarala

Samskrita Paddhavali Part 1, Mantra Bhajana ganavali, Sanatana Dharma

Ratnangal, Ramayanam Balakaandham Part 1, Dasavatara Stories, Life and

times of Sree Chattambi Swamikal and Sree Narayana Gurudevan, Kali Santharanopanishad, Eashavasyopanishad, Lalitha Sahasranamam, Vishnu Sahasranamam etc.



The plan was to impart lessons based on Bhagavad Geeta to children in

a phased manner, by clubbing the first three chapters as part one and teach in a year’s time, with rest of the 15 chapters being grouped into 4 books. Ramayanam, Dashopanishath, Kalisantharanopanishath etc are to be taught in 5 years. Children will be made familiar with a brief history of the life of seers, spiritual gurus and poets in a year’s time.



Awareness on Sanskrit and simple lessons on elementary Sanskrit was also part of the project, with the aim of familiarizing children with the language in 4 years. Apart from these, art forms like Thottampaattu, Pulluvanpattu, Sheethangan Thullal, Parayan Thullal, Padayani, Velakali figure in the list of 30 art forms that have been included in the syllabus.



The grand scheme, which will be of immense benefit to the entire crop of new generation, has sadly been sabotaged. There is now wide spread protest against incapacitation of the project. It is being seen as a gross violation and double standards by a set of officers who have their eye solely on temple wealth, who plan to usurp and deny the next generation the precious cultural wealth they are entitled to.

Quote:Attempt to smuggle sealed container from Sri Padmanabha Swamy temple under instructions of Amicus Curiae?

08/12/2014 21:14:57 HK





Thiruvananthapuram: Reports of Gopal Subramaniam, the Amicus Curiae issuing directives to take out a sealed box containing treasures from Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Kerala have shocked the devotees.Similar looking boxes are currently being used for keeping the famed valuables inside the vaults, which roused suspicion.



According to sources, the incident which took place on 29 March, saw the Expert committee members taking away a stainless steel box allegedly containing the treasures, which according to the Amicus Curiae, contained confidentail documents.



According to reports, the incident took place on "29 March 2014 on the occasion of 'MannuNeeruKoral' Utsav day in the evening. The Amicus Curiae left the temple soon after.



The first instance was in March, when the Amicus Curiae first came to

assess the situation in the temple. According to sources under condition of anonymity, a letter was written by the Expert Committee set up by Honourable Supreme Court of India to Shri Sukumara Pillai, Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of temple security, seeking permission to "take sealed stainless steel boxes which contains some important documents from work area to Expert Committee office as per instructions from Amicus Curiae." The letter was dated 29 March 2014.



Lt Col Bhuvanendran Nair, Temple Executive Officer made it clear that the box will not be allowed to be taken out, unless he received a written letter granting permission from the Amicus Curiae. Later Amicus Curiae send a letter asking to release the sealed container. However, in spite of the Amicus Curiae's letter, the officer denied permission as the box was sealed, which was not done in the presence of any temple authority.



"The sealed stainless steel box carried from work area to the expert Committee has been checked by the Guard Commander. But unfortunately the box is sealed and the sealing was not done in the presence of any Temple authorities. There is a need to explain further on this," says the letter by Bhuvanendran Nair.



Also a Malayalam media house which claims to have exposed the matter has stated that they possess all documents and letter transactions facilitating the lootThe fate of the box containing the treasure, however remains ambiguous! It is the duty of the state government to conduct an inquiry regarding the same. With devotees having every right to know if any foul play has been committed or not, it is important that the Amicus Curiae comes clean in this allegation.



Media’s in Kerala apart from a Malayalam Channel and a Malayalam online portal are keeping silence on this exposure.

Quote:indian

11/12/2014 03:02:25 Money matters

Where there is money and wealth, marxist and rationalist is their making claims and allegation , with only agenda to take over ?



mgd

09/12/2014 19:47:00 Amicus curieae

As far as my knowledge goes, amicus curieae is not an independent authority but is appointed by the court to assist it in finding facts on the spot. He has no right to take anything, confidential documents or anything else, out of the temple premises. People of Kerala should agitate against it. This exposure should be published in all major newspapers.

Quote:Jan 17, 2015 at 11:32am IST



Bihar: Idols worth Rs 1 crore stolen from temple

Press Trust of India@ibnlive



Katihar: Miscreants stole 'ashtadhatu' idols of Ram and Sita worth Rupees one crore from a temple in Katihar district of Bihar during the early Saturday morning.



Falka Station House Officer (SHO) Satyanarayan Rai said, "The idols were around 90 year old and were worshipped by devotees, who thronged the temple at Baretha Thakurbari. The priest Munna Thakur said he had locked the sanctum sanctorum late last night, but found the locks open when he reached the temple today morning."



(Christian demons regularly invade Hindoo temples. Remember that christian demon on facebook who had broken into a Hindoo temple and took a selfie stepping on a Shivalingam and promised to repeat the same in other temples? The incident is documented in the christian missionary thread somewhere.)



The SHO said an FIR has been registered against the unidentified thieves and investigations have started. He added that the theft could be a handiwork of either antique smugglers as such idols command a high price in the international market, or of local gang of thieves, who melt 'ashtadhatu' idols to extract gold and silver used in making them.





Img caption: The SHO said an FIR has been registered against the unidentified thieves and investigations have started.

Quote:Three held for vandalising west Delhi church

Last Updated: Thursday, January 15, 2015 - 15:48



Three held for vandalising west Delhi church



Zee Media Bureau



New Delhi: The Delhi Police on Thursday arrested three men in connection with yesterday's vandalism at a church in west Delhi.



Police said the three men were not related to any group or party and vandalised the church under the influence of alcohol.

(Probably christians. Christians "drunkards" attacked Buddhist shrines in South Korea too.)



Watch: Two men, who vandalised church in west Delhi, caught on CCTV



The act of vandalising the church in the wee hours on Wednesday was caught on a CCTV camera.



The footage shows a man, who came on a scooter at 4:19 am, entering the church premises and breaking a glass pane with his fist. He then leaves before returning again after about a minute along with an accomplice, who is riding a motorcycle. The miscreant then pulls down a statue.



Police have registered a case at Vikaspuri Police Station and efforts are on to nab the attackers, police said.



The incident came to light around 6:30 am when Assistant Father Balraj reached the 'Our Lady of Graces Church'.



The attack came more than a month after a mysterious, early morning fire destroyed St Sebastian's Church in Dilshad Garden, prompting allegations of foul play by Christian groups.



Delhi Archbishop JT Couto yesterday expressed concern over "growing attacks" on churches, terming them "orchestrated".



"A clear pattern of orchestrated attacks on churches is emerging as more and more churches are targeted, vandalised and set on fire. This is very disturbing and we request the local authorities to take adequate measures to bring to book the miscreants...," the Archbishop said.



He further alleged that the attacks are aimed at creating a fear psychosis and tension among different communities.



"As a minuscule minority, we focus on serving the poor and the nation at large. But the growing number of attacks on churches and personnel in different parts of the country is aimed at creating a fear psycho and tension among different communities," he said.



(With agency inputs)

Quote:Thursday, March 19, 2009 10:20:53 AM (IST)



Mangalore: Weeds within - Seven Arrested for Damaging Church Property



Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje

Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (SP)



Mangalore, Mar 19: In connection with indulging in rampage in a banana plantation belonging to Babbukatte Nityadhar Church and trying to disrupt peace in the region, Ullal policemen arrested seven persons on Wednesday March 18.



They are Jayson Verghese (23), Vijit Sunny Rozario (21), Araki Alfred (20), Roshan Cutinho (26), all from Nityadhar Nagar and Ronald Roshan (22), a resident of Kuttar Prakash Nagar. They were produced in the court on Wednesday.

(Intriguing how there's a Syrian christian from Kerala - a Verghese - infesting Mangalore Karnataka among the 7 catholic terrorists arrested.)



Monday morning, the banana plantation was found to have been damaged heavily to look as if people belonging to a particular community had barged into the plantation, and a saffron flag had been planted there, signifying that Hindu outfits had been involved with the destruction. The incident took place at a time when Hindu Samajotsav was being organized in the city.



The policemen said that during interrogation, the arrested persons revealed, they wanted to disturb the peace in the region by projecting the incident as a handiwork of a particular community.



(I.o.w. the arrested christians revealed that they had tried to frame Hindus for their crime and at a Hindu festival time too, so as to bleat persecution (and to turn the festival day into a local christian mourning day/guilt-trip day). Remember, as the catholic church has said for centuries: "the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church" or something. That is, playing at persecution is a means for acquiring converts, meaning: generating persecution sobstories are an evangelisation technique in itself.

Plus heathen festivals were often replaced by commemorations of alleged=fake "martyrs" in christianism. Christianism is also trying that in India: can see how christianism is trying to turn Pongal into a fake "martyr" day at haindavakeralam.com/HKPage.aspx?PageID=16667)



While making inquiries about those who inflicted the above damage, the policemen could by chance, lay their hands on the two accused, who had burnt down a motor bike on November 30 near Pandit House. Joy D'Souza (20) and Calvin Johnson D'Souza, from Nityadhar Nagar, accused of this act, were arrested and produced in the court on Wednesday. The policemen are also looking at the possibility of these two having been also involved with the destruction of the banana plantation.



Under the guidance of the city rural inspector Lingappa Poojary, Ullal sub-inspector of police Shivprakash has been conducting investigation.





Comments on this article

Alphanso, Canada

Sunday, May 24, 2009



Kudos to the Ullal police. Let us hope the Police goes to the bottom of this and publish the findings. These are all just scapegoats. The real villiians are enjoying behind the scene. Hope there is a confession from the churches and that they take true responsibility.



(Alphonso is implying that the church officials/congregations themselves were behind their own churches' vandalism, and that the nabbed christians are merely the footsoldiers.)



[...]

Quote:Attacks on Christian Churches are Self-Inflicted



Posted April 15, 2005

Sarath Bulathsinghala

LankaWeb

22/1/04



During the last few days there were reports of attacks on several Christian Churches by unidentified persons. In one recent case the Minister of Christian Affairs and the former Interior Minister himself accused the Evangelical Christian missions as the perpetrators of the crime. There are also reported events where the Evangelists themselves setting fire to their well guarded but ramshackle and illegal structures with the hope of building better structures - in the end with the full compliance... Read full source article.

Quote:Media Black Out - 23 Jihadi's convicted in Serial Church Blasts

22/11/2008 16:43:13 HK



Bangaluru: Special court convicted 23 Jihadi’s belonging to terrorist outfit Denndar Anjuman (often spelled Deendar Anjuman) in connection with serial church blasts in Karnataka, AP, Goa and Maharashtra in 2000.



the 23 were guilty under Sections 121 (waging war against the government), Section 121 (a) (conspiracy to wage war), 124 (a) (sedition), 153 (a) (disturbing communal harmony) read with section 120( b ) (conspiracy to commit offence) of the IPC. They will be sentenced on Saturday.



Blasts were conducted to accuse Hindu organisations and to destroy the communal harmony as well as to create friendship with Christian organisations!



Interestingly our Medias who are busy with Malegaon , Sadhwi, ATS etc haven’t felt it worth to report this-as the culprits are peace loving Jihadi’s!



(That's cause christomedia's silence on the islamic identity shows that christianism was in on the jihad against their churches for the sake of squealing persecution AND because christianism didn't want to get caught - again - in having attacked their own churches. Hence they worked with islam and got islam to do it, so that if the islamic culprits were found, it would be less of an embarrassment for christianism than if christians themselves were revealed to be behind it. Christoislamic motives aligned as always: to blame Hindus for their self-"persecutions". They're good at playing martyrs.)

Quote:can see how christianism is trying to turn Pongal into a fake "martyr" day at haindavakeralam.com/HKPage.aspx?PageID=16667

Quote:Cardinal Angelo Amato agreed to designate January 14 as the day to celebrate Devasahaayam Pillai Festival to mark the canonization of Devasahaayam Pillai. The date January 14 is significant. Januray 14 is Pongal, the joyous Hindu festival of harvest, celebrated with fervor in Tamil Nadu, Northern Sri Lanka and South Kerala. The Makara Jyothi of Sabarimala also appears on that day.



The website of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) announces that Devasahaayam Pillai was murdered on January 14 or January 15. (http://cbci.in/FullNews.aspx?ID=648) (Retrieved on 30.11.2012). The CBCI is keeping the date of the murder of the “historic” Devasahayam Pillai conveniently open and flexible for only one reason.



The reason for this "seeming vagary" is that the Thamizh month of THAI is sometimes born on January 15. The design behind this "seemingly innocent vagary" is very apparent -to link the Christian Devasahayam Pillai Festival to the Hindu festival Pongal so that Christians may celebrate both. The ignoble motive being – to appropriate Pongal sometime in the near future as also being a Christian festival.



This is typical Church modus operandi in Enculturation.

Quote:Jan 17, 2015 at 11:32am IST



Bihar: Idols worth Rs 1 crore stolen from temple

Press Trust of India@ibnlive



Katihar: Miscreants stole 'ashtadhatu' idols of Ram and Sita worth Rupees one crore from a temple in Katihar district of Bihar during the early Saturday morning.



Falka Station House Officer (SHO) Satyanarayan Rai said, "The idols were around 90 year old and were worshipped by devotees, who thronged the temple at Baretha Thakurbari. The priest Munna Thakur said he had locked the sanctum sanctorum late last night, but found the locks open when he reached the temple today morning.

Quote:Karnataka Govt.'s nonsensical move to take over Hindu Mutt's

23/12/2014 16:39:06



The proposed Hindu Mutt Takeover bill of Congress govt in Karnataka has drawn ample flak and ire from Hindu community all over the world. Here is a compilation of a few points on the same by Kiran KS, made by P Thyagarajan.



P Thyagarajan exposes the bill thoroughly thus:



1. It is nonsensical to state that “the government will take over, only when Mutt Swamis voluntarily proposes the same”.



All long, in the history of the land, there has never been an instance where a Mutt Guru has done this or can do this. This is because no Hindu Mutt belongs to a Swami. A Swami is a seer, a soul who is on the path of renunciation, who has no possessions or worldly belongings. His role is provision of spiritual guidance, along with administrative services. Mutts belong to devotees- the Bhakts.



2. The second claim is that a take over will be done "if the Guru is mentally or physically unstable or under-aged".



This again is a nonsensical claim- Hindu traditional Mutts have stipulated rules and regulations while anointing a Swami. According to rules and regulations, a minor or a physically/ mentally challenged person will never be a choice for such an elevated post.



3. The third claim states that a take over will be done when “Muttadhipathi dies or succession becomes difficult".



Karnataka has over 3000 Hindu Mutts, with every single Mutt having junior Swamis, who are entrusted with the task of aiding and assisting their seniors. Most Mutts have more than 3 junior Swamis. Therefore the claim of there being “an orphan seat” is never bound to arise. In case of any dispute related to succession arises, the Mutt is duty bound to resolve the same, within its own framework, as they have been doing for over thousands of years.



In such circumstances, there is no need for the ‘secular government’ to poke its meddlesome nose in these matters. Also in situations of disputes, the matter is always resolved by legal cells- the Court of law. Siddaramaiah's sleeping anti-Hindu government’s interference is least welcome.



4. The last clause stated by them runs thus: “When the contract entered at the time of taking over the Mutt…”



Siddaramaiah must make himself aware that Mutts don’t have any contract similar to the ones signed by Yeddyurappa-Kumaraswamy on a 20-20 basis.



Karnataka is blessed with some of Hindu Dharma's best Mutts- the ones at Siddhaganga, Sringeri, Udupi Pejawara, Adi Chunchanagiri, Kaginele, Taralabalu, Murugharajendra, Sirigere.... They run some of the best schools and colleges having made an exemplary mark of their own. These Mutts provide free food throughout the year to any single human who approaches them.



With regard to their administrative set up, they stand leaps and bounds ahead of Siddharamiah’s perpetually slumbering Congress government. Isn't it time Sonia Gandhi’s partymen laid their hands off from Hindu Mutts and their wealth?

Quote:Temple land encroachment in the name of Road widening

31/01/2015 04:59:42 Mohandas



In Thrissur Municipal Corporation area, nowadays, the Congress leaders and its Mayor are on an inauguration spree. Recently Poonkunnam Junction was widened and even before tarring one side road, Mayor Mr. Rajan Pallan inaugurated the road.



The shocking part of the game was that within a few days of "opening" of the road there were picture in morning newspapers that Rajan Pallan and a Devaswom officer standing on the temple ground giving instructions to some officials for widening the other side of the road. The other side of the road, which is a temple property, also immediately widened. Now you can see a large area of temple property is taken over for road widening.



My question is how could the Mayor all of a sudden take over the temple property?



Did Devaswom Board give permission for surrendering the temple property for widening?

(Probably. Devaswom is crawling with christians and appointed by christian govt.)



If yes, before granting of permission did the Devasom consult any Hindu organizations? If not, why?

(Because christianism doesn't want to be prevented or even unnecessary delays in its christianisation agenda.)



Have the Devaswom Board received any compensation (The property worth crores of rupees)

(All of which have now been swallowed up by christianism, obviously. No compensation to the Hindoos, as anyone can see. Devaswom board is already christian: already gets to leech on Hindoo temple wealth.)



I am not against widening of the road. My only grievance is that how the temple property could be all of a sudden and that too without any discussion taken over by the Corporation?



Are Temple property anybody's property? Can Rajan Pallan who is a Christian can acquire the Church land of Poonkunnam Church in such a "speed' for widening - without compensation?

Quote:[...]



Church steals temple land: Devotees confront the administration.

thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/article7063457.ece



Govt against consent of tribals for displacement: The NDA govt is on the verge of passing executive orders that would do away with the veto powers of tribals that protect their fores tlands in most cases.

business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/govt-against-consent-of-tribals-for-displacement-115033100028_1.html



[...]



Posted by Pagan at 4/04/2015 05:59:00 PM No comments: Links to this post

Labels: capitalism, communists, environment, evangelical, technology, tribal

Reactions:

Quote:National � Tamil Nadu

ERODE, April 3, 2015

Updated: April 3, 2015 05:34 IST

Temple devotees arrested



Hundreds of devotees taking part in the festivities of Sri Periya Mariamman Temple were arrested on Thursday when they were proceeding towards a land under dispute to prepare Pongal.



An area of 12.66 acres under the possession of Church of South India is claimed by Sri Periya Mariamman Temple Land Retrieval Movement as the original property of the temple.



Representatives of the Movement questioned the rationale behind permitting CSI to retain the land even after a government survey establishing that it was under unauthorised possession.



They criticised the district administration for not doing enough to retrieve the land for the purpose of laying 80 feet road linking the Brough Road with the Chennimalai Road.



Referring to the speed with which land was acquired from private owners for the proposed traffic island at Government Hospital Junction, they charged the government authorities with double standards.

• indiafacts.co.in/ground-report-treatment-of-hindu-students-in-christian-colleges/
  
  
• indiafacts.co.in/how-hindu-students-are-treated-in-the-christian-voorhees-college/
  
  

Quote:Stones were pelted on Mangaluru church by disgruntled former employee, say police



Mangalore Church 2



The News Minute| March 10, 2015| 5.00 pm IST



The Mangaluru police have arrested a person in connection to the stone-pelting incident that took place at the St Joseph Vaz prayer centre in Panir late last month.



A glass frame housing a statue of Mother Mary and Infant Jesus was damaged in the incident which took place on the night of February 24.



The arrested person has been identified as Ananda (30), a resident of Ukkuda, Kinya.



"The man was working with the church till a month ago and he was unhappy with the pay. He was drunk that night and was the one who threw stones at the prayer centre." Police Commissioner S Murugan told The News Minute.



Mangalore Church 3



Ananda, a painter by profession, was arrested on March 9 and sent to judicial custody the next day.



The investigation of the case was taken up by the ACP south, on the instructions issued by the police commissioner and a special team was constituted.



The Commissioner also said that the Panir incident was a random act, but that it had got attention from the public and was given a communal color. "The media gave it a communal color, now the media needs to clarify," he added.

• https :// web.archive.org/web/20110830200043/http://www.buddhapia.com/eng/tedesco/2.html
  
  
• https :// web.archive.org/web/20111005212442/http://www.buddhapia.com/eng/tedesco/3.html
  
  

Quote:Business | Fri Apr 10, 2015 6:05pm IST

Related: Top News, Business

India's rich temples may open gold vaults for Modi

MUMBAI/NEW DELHI | By Meenakshi Sharma and Krishna N. Das



Commuters get out of a taxi in front of Shree Siddhivinayak Ganapati Temple in Mumbai March 12, 2015.

Reuters/Danish Siddiqui



(Reuters) - The two-century-old Shree Siddhivinayak temple in Mumbai devoted to the Hindu elephant-headed god Ganesha bristles with close circuit cameras and is guarded by 65 security officers.



It is one of India's richest temples, having amassed 158 kg of gold offerings, worth some $67 million, and its heavily guarded vaults are strictly off limits.



India is the world's biggest consumer of gold and its ancient temples have collected billions of dollars in jewellery, bars and coins over the centuries - all hidden securely in vaults, some ancient and some modern.



A few years ago a treasure of gold worth an estimated $20 billion was discovered in secret subterranean vaults in the Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple in Kerala.



Now, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to get his hands on this temple gold, estimated at about 3,000 tonnes, more than two thirds of the gold held in the U.S bullion depository at Fort Knox, Kentucky, to help tackle India's chronic trade imbalance.



Modi's government is planning to launch a scheme in May that would encourage temples to deposit their gold with banks in return for interest payments.



The government would melt the gold and loan it to jewellers to meet an insatiable appetite for gold and reduce economically-crippling gold imports, which accounted for 28 percent of India's trade deficit in the year ending March 2013.



India's annual gold imports of 800 to 1,000 tonnes could be cut by a quarter if temples decided to participate in the scheme, say government and industry sources.



"We would be happy to deposit our gold to nationalised banks if the policy is beneficial, safe and earns good interest," said Narendra Murari Rane, chairman of the trust for the Siddhivinayak temple, portions of which are gold-plated.



But some Hindu devotees are not happy with the idea that their offerings could be melted down.



A Mumbai-based gold merchant, who said he and his father had donated around 200 kg of gold to Siddhivinayak and other temples over the years, said it would be a sin for the temples to earn interest on the gold offered to the gods.



"I make donations to God; not to any temple trust," the 52-year-old merchant said.



Modi would also like to convince Indians to open their family vaults, which hold an estimated 17,000 tonnes of gold in jewellery and other heirlooms.



But it will be much harder to convince Indian families, who sometimes have little faith in financial institutions, to break tradition and hand over gold passed down the generations.



India's love affair with gold spans centuries and is rooted in the Hindu religion. One of the biggest annual buying seasons is the Diwali festival around October to November. Gold marriage dowries are widespread and with 70 percent of the population rural, gold is financial security.



INTEREST RATE KEY



Key to Modi's plan will be the interest rates offered for gold deposits.



A similar gold monetization plan launched in 1999 proved ineffective, in part because the interest rates offered on gold deposits were regarded by temple officials as too low.



Under that scheme India's top lender the State Bank of India (SBI.NS) offers 0.75 percent to 1 percent and only 15 tonnes of gold has been deposited so far.



Temple officials at Siddhivinayak and Shri Saibaba Sansthan in Shirdi, both in Maharashtra, say they expect interest rates in the new scheme to be much higher and so would consider participating.



The government plans to reveal rate details when it launches the new scheme. Siddhivinayak's Rane said he expected at least 5 percent interest on gold deposits.



Rajendra Jadhav, executive officer of the Shri Saibaba Sansthan temple trust, said rates will also be key to his temple's decision. He declined to say how much gold the temple, dedicated to a 19th century saint, had in its vaults.



A successful gold monetization programme could go a long way in helping India reduce its trade imbalance.



India raised the import duty on gold, the country's biggest non-essential import, and imposed other restrictions in 2013 after the current account deficit hit a record $190 billion.



If India can cut imports, that would pressure gold prices that fell to a four-month low last month before recovering. Lower gold prices will help India cut its import bill.However, a successful scheme could also expose the government to potential risks, if gold prices were to take off and depositors decided to withdraw at the same time.

"There is going to be a lock-in period under the new gold monetizing scheme," said Sudheesh Nambiath, an analyst at precious metals consultancy GFMS. "Banks will have to replenish the stocks with imports later (if temples withdraw gold)."



(Editing by Paritosh Bansal and Michael Perry)

Quote:Devaswom to confiscate Poornathrayeshan's gold - Hands off; Devotees to mull massive protest

12/04/2015 00:07:01 HK



Safeguard of Lord Poornathrayeshan’s Temple Wealth: Confluence of Devotees on 17 April



Kochi: There is a mass protest against the bid being made by Kochi Devaswom Board in confiscating the temple treasures of Lord Poornathrayeshan and transferring the same to Thrissur. In connection with this, the Hindu Aikya Vedi will organize a protest meet in Thripunithura on 17 April, demanding the Devaswom to retract its decision.



The move will result in priceless jewels and ornaments belonging to the temple worth crores, being cluelessly lost. They have been stored and safely kept in temple vaults since centuries. Removing it from there is thoroughly against the wishes of devotees,” said Aikya Vedi leaders.



Sources have indicated that the latest budget of Kochi Devaswom Board has chalked down its decision of transferring ornaments and priceless jewellery belonging to Poornathrayeshan temple, to its on locker and thereafter making a sale out of the same.



“All ornaments which are not being used during daily pooja or during festivities are to be gathered and melted and sold off. The Devaswom Board plan includes other principle temples like Chottanikkara Devi Temple, Kodungalloor Bhagavathy Temple, Thrissur Vadakkumnathan Temple etc. The Board, which is facing acute financial crisis plans to level its losses through these means. However, the financial crisis happened as a result of corruption, involving political leaders as well as Devaswom Board officers, along with sheer negligence. They must resolve the crisis and find a solution, but not at the cost of temple ornaments,” said a devotee.



In 2006, Kochi Devaswom Board had secretly smuggled away a sizable portion of poornathrayeshan’s wealth to its own private vaults. Later it disappeared from Devaswom Board registers. Documents were later tampered with here it was shown that ornaments were in reality cheap imitation jewellery.



“But it has not been documented as to who examined these ornaments and who put an estimate on its worth. A case was initiated by Crime Branch and police, but it was hurriedly hushed beneath the carpet owing to political interference. If the rest of the ornaments belonging to the Lord are also taken away, the same fate will befall them too,” stated a devotee.



Various bodies of devotees have come forward, demanding that the Devasom Board retract from its decision of selling temple ornaments to meet their daily expenses. The protest meeting scheduled for 17 April will be inaugurated by RV Babu, General secretary of HAV.

Quote:1. On 22 March 2015, a sadhu was killed in a Durga temple near Shimla-Solan border and robbed the temple. The thieves robbed Rs. 25,000, two LED TVs, smartphones, etc. and killed the Sadhu.



2. On 23 March 2015, a robbery in Tirumala temple was reported. Rs. 17,300 was stolen from mobile Hundi.



3. On 15 March 2015, six idols of Gods and Goddesses made of brass along with the donation box were stolen from Radha Madhav Jagannath temple situated in Pilibhit.



4. On 14 March 2015, news broke out of a brutal rape of a Sadhvi from Ram Krishna Mission in West Bengal, and the refusal of local cops to file her complaint.



5. On 13 March 2015, The Hindu reported a robbery in Chikkaballapur. 11 panchaloha idols which are estimated to be 500-year-old, worth about Rs. 8 lakhs each, were stolen. The miscreants locked the door of pujari’s house and robbed the idols. This was the second time the idols were stolen from the temple.



6. On 4 March 2015, Sai Baba’s padukas were stolen from a temple in Ananthapur district. The culprit fled with the silver Sai Baba padukas worth Rs 60,000.



7. On 25 Feb 2015, PTI reported that some precious idols from a 200-year-old temple stolen in Masauli. Thieves broke into Radha Krishna temple in Tikaitagar and stole three ‘ashtdhatu’ and five brass idols worth crores of rupees.



8. Yesterday, Senior Journalist tweeted about an incident in Kochi, where a temple was looted and deity was destroyed.



9. Today, Editor of Headlines Today, Gaurav Sawant mentioned a similar attack in his tweet:

Quote: GAURAV C SAWANT @gauravcsawant

Follow



Theft at temple in Gole Market. Donation worth 'lakhs' stolen. Police investigates. #justsaying

8:34 PM - 24 Mar 2015

Quote: Sri @srithh · Apr 11



300 years old Panchaloha idol of Sri Medha Dakshinamurthy was stolen from Kasi Viswanath Swamy #Venkatagiri #nellore

Quote:SasDrifter

‏@DigestSas

" 3 statues stolen from Nepali Indian temples allegedly sold knowingly by NYC antiq dealer Nayef Homsi " @HKupdate

12:13 PM - 11 Apr 2015

Quote:Mahesh Gupta



Many ground reporters of NDTV etc are saying they get extra money to report church attacks while at the same time their bosses in Delhi are unwilling to entertain any news items of attack on temples. This is the truth face of Indian media



1

•

Reply

•

Share ›

Quote: Venkat Sundaram • 20 days ago



saw this tweet describing agenda of MSM linking the Church attacks "better" than any investigative agency

• http :// web.archive.org/web/20110830200043/http://www.buddhapia.com/eng/tedesco/2.html
  
  
• http :// web.archive.org/web/20111005212442/http://www.buddhapia.com/eng/tedesco/3.html
  
  
• http: // web.archive.org/web/20111005210807/http://www.buddhapia.com/eng/tedesco/pic1/list.html
  
  

• pardaphash.com/news/man-standing-on-the-shiv-linga-arrested-identified-as-muni-kumar-tirupati/694979.html
  
  
• hindujagruti.org/news/14568.html
  
  

Quote:Jk Nissan · Top Commenter

I saw his all pictures he was wearing holy Cross on his chains during his musical compitation & other occasions...this article is rubbish!

Reply ·

· 2 · August 15, 2012 at 3:52am

Quote:12 FIR Lodged Against Laxman Johnson who put step on shiv linga

25/07/2012 13:06:47 bharatpress.com/12-fir-lodged-against-laxman-johnson-who-put-step-on-shiv-linga/



12 FIR Lodged Against Laxman Johnson a Man Put His Foot On Shiv Linga,Shivsena Demand to police That Take Strong Action Against This Person Or They Will Do Protest against Laxman Johnson In Nation Wide ,Uploader Of Photo On Facebook A Week Before,A Mumbai Resident Converted Christian Laxman Johnson Comes In Controversy When He Uploaded His Photograph On Facebook profile , This Man Facing So Many Criticism On All Over Social Media by every Religion People,



An Unofficial Report Said That Shivsena Members Burned His House In Mumbai And he and his family members ran away leaving his house and hiding out from mumbai,Here Is One Of FIR Copy Which Lodged In Mumbai Police Station.Many more complaints has also been filed Against Him In Different Part Of India.People demanding strong action against him so that no else dare to do this kind of shameless act for hurting religion belief.Hindus are very much upset by this incident across the nation they are showing their anger on social media site like facebook and twitter



A copy of FIR/Complain Against Laxman Johnson Lodged by youth BJP

Quote:Times of India Verified account

@timesofindia



Six ancient idols stolen from Ramanathapuram temple http:// timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Six-ancient-idols-stolen-from-Ramanathapuram-temple/articleshow/46994429.cms via @TOIChennai

Quote:Six ancient idols stolen from Ramanathapuram temple

J Arockiaraj & B Sivakumar,TNN |

(J Arockiaraj is probably a christian name: like "Arogyaswamy", and spelling Augustus in cryptochristo fashion as "Agastya" - where christians have inculturated on Hindoo names and terms.)



Apr 21, 2015, 02.49 AM IST



MADURAI/CHENNAI: Six brass idols and a spear were stolen from the 1,000-year-old Adhi Ratneswarar temple at Tiruvadanai in Ramanathapuram district on Monday night.



The idols stolen "of Vinayaka, Murugan, Bhavani, Sita, Chandrasekar (Shiva) and Soolapidari (Kali)" were one foot and two feet tall and belonged to the Pandya period. The theft was noticed after the temple was opened on Monday morning and the authorities filed a complaint with Thiruvadanai police. Fingerprints have been collected and sniffer dogs were pressed into service.



TN government had said closed circuit cameras (CCTVs) would be installed in big temples, after the spate of thefts in recent years. But many temples including Adhi Ratneswarar do not have CCTVs yet.



"It is only due to renovation of the temple that the miscreants were able to get access to the idols. We will strengthen security in temples across the state," said a senior Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) official in Chennai. "The stolen idols have been photo-documented and we will be able to provide evidence about the idols to investigating authorities," the official told TOI.



Locals suspected to be involved in idol thefts



Ramanathapuram SP N M Mayilvahanan said, "It is only based on the photos provided by the HR&CE department we came to know that the idols are made of brass, not panchaloha." He ruled out the involvement of any international gang as the idols were not that of the main deity.



"We suspect the handiwork of locals in the theft. A special team has been formed to nab the culprits. We will be able to secure the stolen idols soon," said Mayilvahanan.



(They better. And they better publicly reveal the very christian religion of the thieves too. Indian christomedia will be most careful to remain silent when that detail is known, or else churches will immediately self-inflict damage to a church somewhere and bleat persecution to deflect the attention from their own crimes.*

Maybe the christo media will stop being silent on the christo identity of thieves (and start bleating "persecution of christian thieves of Hindoo temples") if people were to start breaking the necks of said christians who stole the vigrahas - and the terrorist-thieves ARE christians - when they're finally nabbed. <- Isn't death the prescribed Shariah punishment for stealing/various crimes? And don't the secularists in India keep insisting that India capitulate to shariah already and have it apply to the monotheisms under the current tendency for a non-uniform code? Hindoos should agree that Shariah should apply to all in India who are willingly of the monotheisms=mono-moronisms. Every single christo who even attempts to attack Hindoo temples deserves death.

And if they play at being communists or DMK rationalists - as christos do at various times - it won't matter. For all adhering to non-Indic religions in India, apply Shariah punishments. That way cryptochristos posing as communists and DMK etc will still get their comeuppance.)



The temple has Adhi Ratneswarar (Lord Shiva) and Snehavalli (Parvathi) as the main deity. Other idols are taken around the temple during festivals or important days.



"Saint Thirugnanasambandar has sung about the deities in his famous treatise Thevaram. The temple was renovated by the later rulers of Madurai, Nayak and Sethupathis. The idols are certainly antique no matter which era, Pandya, Nayak or Sethupathis," said retired archaeologist V Vedachalam.



This is one of the Shiva temples where pujas are conducted for Sun god.



Sun is said to have worshipped Lord Shiva placing him on a stage made of sapphire gems, hence the name Adhi Ratneswarar, said a temple historian.

Quote: L M SriNivasan Iyer retweeted

HaindavaKeralam @HKupdate · Apr 20



3 Hindu Priests, including a 81yr old attacked in Chennai ysterday in different areas at same time.



Chk @ranganaathan 's TL for update

40 retweets 10 favorites

Quote:L M SriNivasan Iyer retweeted

Ranga @ranganaathan · Apr 20



.@NewIndianXpress @thenewsminute.. planned attack on Brahmin's in Chennai between 7.30-8pm yesterday. 2 in Mylapore & 1 W.Mambalam

4 retweets 1 favorite

Quote: L M SriNivasan Iyer retweeted

Ranga @ranganaathan · Apr 20



.@narendramodi ji 3 attacks on Brahmin Priests in Chennai. 2 in Mylapore & 1 in West Mambalam between 7.30PM-8PM yesterday. #EVRGoons

210 retweets 46 favorites

Quote: L M SriNivasan Iyer retweeted

Ranga @ranganaathan · Apr 20



.@narendramodi ji #SaveTamBrahm from #EVRGoons...there is well planned & concerted attack. @tamilnadubjp should ask for CBI enquiry.

Quote: L M SriNivasan Iyer retweeted

nidhi bahuguna @vinirish · Apr 21



@ranganaathan @narendramodi #EVRGoons the DMK cadre did forcible Thali and poonool aruuppu (cut)

Quote:L M SriNivasan Iyer retweeted

Ranga @ranganaathan · Apr 20



.@narendramodi ji, when someone threw stone on church you called up Police chief. Hope you will act on attacks on Innocent Brahmins in TN.

Quote:Central African Republic: Muslims Held Captive, Raped / UN, Government Should Free Ethnic Peuhl Women, Children Held by Anti-Balaka

Posted by: APO Posted date : April 22, 2015 at 6:43 am UTC 71 views In : Press releases

Quote:Central African Republic: Muslims Held Captive, Raped

UN, Government Should Free Ethnic Peuhl Women, Children Held by Anti-Balaka

April 22, 2015

Quote:Madhav Gadgil Committee Report and the Catholic Church of Kerala

by C I Issac on 29 Nov 2013

[...]

Amidst the recent agitation against the Gadgil Report, the Catholic Bishop of Idukki threatened, "in Kerala they will create another Kashmir" if the Government did not discard the proposals of both Gadgil and Kasthurirangan. This threat is still alive. The malady is that so far the Bishop has neither tendered an apology nor withdrawn from his stand of civil war against the nation. The defunct Government of Kerala has not responded to this call/threat and its machineries are in torpor. Thus no action has been enunciated against him so far. Similar calls by priests in Nagaland in the 1960s had consequences from the 1970s onwards, for which we are still paying a heavy price.

Quote:Re: help naxals,

by Rajendra Rao (View MyPage) on Jan 23, 2012 12:57 AM

The Xtains are pure terrorists. Mr. Agarwal was putting together photographic evidence of evangelical activities in TirupathiWHENYSRwas in pwer- he was hunted down in Karnataka, extradited to AP, and no one has heard from him again. We think he is killed.



This is what xtains are doing in reality in India. How long will it be before they claimTTDhillsFORcheeesus?

Quote:1. Kullu's ancient Shangchul Mahadev temple burns to the ground



Report: The historic temple of Shangchool Mahadev and three four-storey houses were destroyed in a devastating fire at Patahar village in the Sainj valley. All ornaments and stock of the temple were destroyed, however, the rath (palanquin) of the deity was preserved.



Link: sanskritimagazine.com/newsworthy/kullus-ancient-shangchul-mahadev-temple-burns-to-the-ground/

Quote:12.66 Acres of temple land usurped by CSI Church, TN police arrest 100's of devotees

18/04/2015 14:31:59 HK



Tamilnadu Police arrested hundred's of Hindu devotees including large number of women in a temple land encroached by CSI church in Erode. Devotees wanted to conduct Pongal after reclaiming the temple land.





Sri Periya Mariamman Temple Land Retrieval Movement have been mooted to reclaim the 12.66 acres of Sri Periya Mariamman Temple. Even after taking the legal course and government survey establishing that the land belonged to temple, no action was taken by authorities to hand over the land to temple.

Quote:Delhi Church "Attacks" And The Bag Of Tricks- Understanding 'Persecution' as Propaganda War

26/03/2015 10:42:55 Aron

The Secular rhetoric in India is all about Delegitimizing the Hindu element.

Quote:The Church Trick at Karnataka



To understand how Churches methodically keep working against any perceived Hindu Party, would be the Tricks they played in Karnataka as soon as Yedurrappa formed the BJP government.



If we revise the huge Controversy and ruckus in Karnataka back then and now the Delhi "Church attacks" issue, we can see unmistakably they are from that Bag of tricks.



All over Karnataka, and in Bangalore too Churches suddenly claimed Vandalism.



Church spokesmen became better in Forensics than Investigative Cops.



Underlying this new skill of course was political positions of Churches- to insinuate the 'Hindu right wing' BJP.



How can we trust a police Force that functions under a pro- Hindu government and is "unable to clamp down on Hindu extremist groups"?



Police found later these acts were done by some Christians themselves, which was embarrassing after all the fuss.



But the real objective was to make the Hindu outfits to bear the weight of Police repression.



To deny rights of association and meetings to Hindu groups.



So that, the aggressive evangelism and conversion drives can go unchallenged by both the Government and Police.



The Government embarrassed by any insinuation that it is anti-Christian, or anti-minority, would make extra efforts to prove Christian missionary activities happen smoothly.



On the other hand, Hindu outfits that want to stop their rapid expansion into their areas and aggressive evangelism would be facing their own Government's Police denying those rights to converge there, or arrange any counter activity.



In this game playing- the Hindu mandated Governments would keep swearing by its Neutrality, and strain its relations with Hindu groups and finally commit political Hara-kiri asking- "who told you we are for Hindus ?".



On one side the government that Hindus surely helped to assume office would be trapped to disown its responsibilities to them. On the other, Non-hindus would be mobilized on that very thing denied- that this is a Hindu Sircar.



As an icing on the Cake, the church would heap insults on that very same Government as Persecuting Christians in a worldwide smear campaign.

(Just deserts for the "Hindu nationalist" government betraying its Hindoo votebank.)

Quote:Trivandrum Connect

@TvrmConnect



Suspected pipe bombs found submerged in pond near Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple; Five bombs, one reportedly live, being defused.

Quote:Anant Patel @AnantSDL 3h3 hours ago



.@TvrmConnect from the recent events I can safely assume it's the work of Christian's as now I have seen they r bigger monsters than muslims

7 retweets 7 favorites



4:44 AM - 26 Apr 2015

Quote:Explosives found near Padmanabhaswamy Temple

By kaumudiglobal, 26 Apr 2015 02:57 PM



Explosives found near Padmanabhaswamy Temple (26 Apr) THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A collection of explosives were found abandoned in a sack at the Sreepadakkulam of the famous Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in the capital city. The explosives were noticed when work on cleaning the pond was progressing. The police immediately reached the spot and examined the premises. The bomb squad defused he bomb. An entrance from the pond to the temple was also found. The pond is being cleansed by a team led by the Archaeological Survey of India.

Quote:Trivandrum Connect

@TvrmConnect



Temple security takes half-hour efficiency test - The Hindu http:// www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Thiruvananthapuram/article7140455.ece …

0 retweets 0 favorites

9:19 PM - 25 Apr 2015

Quote:HaindavaKeralam

@HKupdate



3 Temples Vandalised in Kerala in lst week (Mid March)



'Milk is only 4 crying babies'



Learn tht art frm ur Xian neighbbours



pbs.twimg.com/media/CA0jPY3XEAAiZmZ.jpg

pbs.twimg.com/media/CA0jQj9WoAAsiiI.jpg

pbs.twimg.com/media/CA0jRVuWQAAw79G.jpg









5:06 PM - 23 Mar 2015

Quote:ATHANAMTHITTA, March 18, 2015

Temple vandalised at Vallikkode



A Siva temple atop the Thadiyurulippara hillock at Vallikkode near here was found vandalised on Tuesday morning.



The temple atop the rocky hillock of Thadiyurulippara has been managed by the Malanada Devaswom Trust.



Devaswom authorities said an idol and a spear brought from Kashi had been installed at the temple by Tantri Akeeramon Kalidasan Bhattathirippad.

Quote:Saurabh Palkar @SauPa Mar 23



@HKupdate @surnell I thought that happened only in America...

0 retweets 0 favorites

mskumar#HDL @Satya2184 Mar 23



(Yeah, Catholic KKKristians in AmeriKKKa vandalised a temple in the US too. Saw news of this somewhere, may have been in the R2004 blog's twitter feed or the one at the indiafacts site.

Then again, what does one expect from KKKristians, AmeriKKKan or Indian or other?)



@HKupdate @DrGPradhan @surnell Secularism word work only for muslim christian RT @TimesNow @ndtv @aajtak @abpnewstv @newsxonline #shameless

0 retweets 0 favorites

Quote:HaindavaKeralam

@HKupdate



ForestOficers dstroy temple & tak away AyappaVigraha -Situat'n tense

#Pathanamthita

@SHAMMI_S

http:// www.mangalam.com/pathanamthitta/296016



mangalam.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/image_650x650/1426805881_1426805881_200315ptaga.jpg

Image also at: pbs.twimg.com/media/CAiyD3uW4AA53fA.jpg





6:17 AM - 20 Mar 2015

Quote:പത്തനംതിട്ട

അയ്യപ്പവിഗ്രഹം നീക്കി; കണമലയില്‍ സംഘര്‍ഷം

Story Dated: Friday, March 20, 2015 04:28

Quote:KRSN SAYS @YashasviSpeaks Mar 21



@HKupdate @Mahadevanmenon @SHAMMI_S Aisi Saari Shaktiyan Krsn ki Daasi Hain

(I don't understand the above line.)



InnovativeHindu @InnovativeHindu Mar 21

@HKupdate wht is the name of RDO



#Hindu Volcano @truevirathindu Mar 21

@InnovativeHindu @HKupdate DFO.



InnovativeHindu @InnovativeHindu Mar 21

@truevirathindu @HKupdate but wht his name



#Hindu Volcano @truevirathindu Mar 21

@InnovativeHindu @HKupdate Should be some muzee or xtian, hold on.



InnovativeHindu @InnovativeHindu Mar 21

@truevirathindu @HKupdate bcoz name is hidden in news reportage



#Hindu Volcano @truevirathindu Mar 21

@InnovativeHindu @HKupdate Aneez Jalaludeen I think?

Quote:Muslim Youth League Goons Dons Police Uniform, Masquerade as Law Enforcers

22/04/2015 04:39:19 Courtesy: Janmabhumi

Quote:Devaswom Board Eyeing Temples that have Sturdy Income: Kummanam Rajashekharan

05/05/2015 09:31:21 HK



Sultan Bathery: Hindu Aikya Vedi General Secretary Kummanam Rajashekharan has lashed out at Devaswom Boards for “hovering around with vulture’s eyes near temples that have a substantial inflow of wealth.” Exhorting the Hindu society to stand united against these atrocious deeds, Kummanam said that the Hindu society now stands united in spite of various opposing opinions.



“Devasom Boards have been eyeing temples that have a substantial in flow of wealth and are hovering around them like vultures that are on the look out for a prey. But the Hindu society will stand united against any such moves,” he said while addressing the audience the renovation programme at Bathery Ganapathy temple.



Referring to the scramble being made to take over Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple, he said that “those who have been showing undue enthusiasm in trying to shoulder responsibility of Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple must venture forward to renovate other temples that have been wallowing in ruins. How come they don’t show the same zeal in taking under their protective wings, churches and mosques that have tremendous wealth flow?”



Stressing the need for Hindu unity, Kummanan said that the wave of spiritual awakening being witnessed in the Hindu society is solely because of Hindu unity. “In Kerala, as many as 64 churches and mosques have faced closure owing to disputes in legal rights. But such an instance has ever taken place in the case of a single Hindu temple. Hindus might have differences of opinion, but they stand united. Their sense of unity stands unshattered.”

Quote:The 145 incidents of attack on temples were covered by 293 news articles from various publishers and media outlets—that is, there were an average of 2.02 news articles published per incident.

Quote:Burglary at 'Kashi of Gujarat': Lord Lakulish's crown stolenfrom Kayavarohan temple

VADODARA: Crown of Lord Lakulish at the historical Bhrameshwar Yog Mandir, Kayavarohan, was stolen on early Saturday morning. The burglars stole the silver crown and other silver articles used for 'aarti' along with an ornate collection...



[Opening still of video showing beautiful Bhagavaan]

Quote: "The heavy collection box contained Rs 10,000. The box was found damaged at the backside of the temple campus,"

The Times of India 2015-02-08

Quote:Burglary at 'Kashi of Gujarat': Lord Lakulish's crown stolenfrom Kayavarohan temple

TNN | Feb 8, 2015, 12.11PM IST

inShare

VADODARA: Crown of Lord Lakulish at the historical Bhrameshwar Yog Mandir, Kayavarohan, was stolen on early Saturday morning. The burglars stole the silver crown and other silver articles used for 'aarti' along with an ornate collection box. Kayavarohan, known as Kashi of Gujarat, is a site of religious and archaeological significance with the Lakulish temple being the most important shrine there.



According to temple functionaries, the ornate collection box weighed nearly 100kg. The accused, who took the heavy box, opened it later using an iron rod. "The heavy collection box contained Rs 10,000. The box was found damaged at the backside of the temple campus," said Patel. Burglars entered through the temple's rear entrance after disconnecting CCTV cameras. The unidentified persons forced open the inner sanctum's door before fleeing with the collection box and silver articles weighing around 4kg.



"The incident happened between 2am and 3am on Saturday. One of the security guards on duty saw the door at the backside that was ajar. He called other guards and informed us about the burglary," said Arun Patel, trustee of the Kayavarohan Thirth Seva Samaj. "We are conducting further investigation to find out the culprits," said Dabhoi police inspector I S Gohil. The Dabhoi police also sought assistance of the Forensic Science Laboratory, finger print experts and a dog squad. Kayavarohan, 40km from the city, is the birthplace of Lord Lakulish, the 28th incarnation of Lord Shiva and is enlisted as a heritage site by the Archaeological Survey of India.

Quote:Posted at: Apr 4 2015 9:18PM

Two Palampur temples ransacked



Our Correspondent



Palampur, April 3

Bhedu Mahadev and Akshyana temples in the Sulaha area of Palampur region were ransacked by some miscreants last evening. Not only this, pujaris of both temples were also beaten up mercilessly.



Some antisocial elements entered the temples, attacked the pujaris, ransacked all rooms and fled with the mobiles phones of pujaris and cash.



Villagers said the matter came to light in the morning, when pujaris of both temples reported the matter to the members of the temple management committees and panchayat pradhans.



They said the burglars had weapons and iron rods, adding that they also destroyed the temple property and searched all rooms.



They decamped with Rs 9,500 along with the mobile phone of one of the pujaris at Bhedu Mahadev.



There was no cash with the pujari at Akshyana temple, but burglars fled with the change from the “dan patra” and mobile phone of the pujari.



Both pujaris told The Tribune that they resisted the attempts of the burglars to loot the temple in the beginning, but were mercilessly beaten up later and thrown out of the temple complex.



They said there was threat to their lives and they could be attacked again since there was no adequate security for them.



Strong resentment prevails in the entire Sulaha area over the incident. Villagers have decided to provide security to both temples as they did not expect much from the police. They said in present situation even temples were not secure and demanded that night patrolling be geared up in the areas to restore the confidence of people.

(Heroic Hindoo heathens in Himachal.)



Meanwhile, SHO Bhawarna police station Raj Kumar said the first information report had been registered against unidentified people, but no arrest had been made so far.



He said different police parties have been sent to to arrest the culprits.

Quote:Remesh Ramachandran @Remesh2015



@HKupdate @RSS_Org In ambalappuazha sreekrishna temple premises,One pan outlet is operating their shop with Jesus photo on its wall.

Retweeted by HaindavaKeralam

Expand



Remesh Ramachandran @Remesh2015



@HKupdate @RSS_Org eds.Other than Hindu community,will anyone tolerate this kind of propagation in others religiouse place.

Retweeted by HaindavaKeralam

Expand

Quote:Strong India

?@noconversion



Xtians in SV college Tirupathi

Hindu religious leaders paintings were [vandalised with crosses] & they complain Christian persecution?



pbs.twimg.com/media/CAtoVDXVIAAfhRv.png

• http :// web.archive.org/web/20110830200043/http://www.buddhapia.com/eng/tedesco/2.html
  
  
• http :// web.archive.org/web/20111005212442/http://www.buddhapia.com/eng/tedesco/3.html
  
  
• http: // web.archive.org/web/20111005210807/http://www.buddhapia.com/eng/tedesco/pic1/list.html
  
  

Quote:Subramanian SwamyVerified account

‏@Swamy39



Union Govt's ASI has under the leadership of a Director named M. Mohammed moved four masjids to a new spot to allow restoration of temples





annapurnapande # HDL ‏@ManyaPande Mar 14

@Sallu141990 nice ,why not in ayodhya if possible :::

0 retweets 0 favorites

Quote:J Gopikrishnan ‏@jgopikrishnan70 Mar 14



@Swamy39 He is KK Muhammed, Regional Director (North) Archaeological Survey of India. He was head of Delhi also..He is a Keralite.

26 retweets 12 favorites



spv

@DigestionResist



@jgopikrishnan70 recd a WhatsApp msg. Same person? He has grt respect for Shiva @Swamy39

https:// pbs.twimg.com/media/CAHjrd9VAAARoYL.jpg

Quote:The Good Doctor @Kaalateetham · 3h 3 hours ago



patheos.com/blogs/warrenthrockmorton/2015/05/14/money-travels-with-the-passengers-on-gospel-for-asia-mission-trips-to-india/ …



Not only Indian laws but US laws are broken too by Gospel for Asia to deliver cash illegally in Kerala India

Quote:The Good Doctor

@Kaalateetham



Guess what is this

pbs.twimg.com/media/CFCk5ESVAAA7Xx3.jpg



0 retweets 0 favorites

Quote:Harbans Singh

@brfharbans



How come Shiv Bhoomi is Chinese when throughout history it is only Dharmic Hindus that have worshipped/ pilgrimaged to that spot? @PMOIndia

Gurgaon, Haryana

Quote:Mallikarjuna @HariHaraBhakta 3h3 hours ago



@brfharbans @PMOIndia Even if Tibet becomes a reality, will Tibet gives Manasasarvoar and Shiv Bhoomi and its corridor to India?

Quote:Harbans Singh @brfharbans 3h3 hours ago



@HariHaraBhakta Have proposed Shiv Bhoomi be jointly governed by Tibet, Nepal, India. Sort of Dharmic Fed. in charge of the spot. @PMOIndia

2 retweets 2 favorites

Harbans Singh @brfharbans 3h3 hours ago



(But it doesn't become "equally Buddhist/Jain etc", right? Not "all-Dharmic". Only Hindoo-Bon. Else Buddhist inculturation/encroachment tactics regarding the sacred Hindoo site will inevitably return in time. Hindoos)



@HariHaraBhakta Ram Bhoomi, Krishna Janmbhoomi, Shiv Bhoomi: All 3 are not in the hands of Dharmics. This is to be reversed. @PMOIndia

1 retweet 1 favorite

Quote:"asia is the land of buddha, asia is the land of buddha".... - @narendramodi_in

where Rama & Krishna from africa??

Quote:Subramanian SwamyVerified account

@Swamy39



Union Govt's ASI has under the leadership of a Director named M. Mohammed moved four masjids to a new spot to allow restoration of temples

Quote:J Gopikrishnan @jgopikrishnan70 Mar 14



@Swamy39 He is KK Muhammed, Regional Director (North) Archaeological Survey of India. He was head of Delhi also..He is a Keralite.

26 retweets 12 favorites



spv

@DigestionResist



@jgopikrishnan70 recd a WhatsApp msg. Same person? He has grt respect for Shiva @Swamy39

https:// pbs.twimg.com/media/CAHjrd9VAAARoYL.jpg

Quote:[...]



The sacred art of Nepal is in demand.



Why? See above. Western interest in Nepali sacred art is centuries old and hit pop status in the 1960s and 1970s. There is a booming market for Asian art in general and both Nepali Buddhist art and Nepali Hindu art plays to a certain Western desire for the Eastern. It is common to see replica Nepali art in Western decor so it stands to reason that wealthier individuals would be willing to pay to decorate with the real thing.



(Alien dabblers "converts" are the greatest offenders/demons of them all. And indological types. And all oryanists without exception.

On this last, Nazis were famous for collecting Bon religious iconography, and even for manufacturing nazi forgeries as replacements for Bon to market such fake planted 'Bon' imagery as "proof" of super-oryanism in Tibet.)



[...]



The sacred art of Nepal is looted.



Jugen Schick’s hauntingly-titled “The Gods are Leaving the Country” (amazon.com/Gods-are-Leaving-Country-orchid/dp/9748299198) documents 10 years of Nepali idol theft. Since it came out, there has been 10 more years filled with robberies (ekantipur.com/the-kathmandu-post/2012/09/27/oped/stolen-statuary/240146.html). A simple online news search turns up more recent examples than even I expected. Indeed, I’ve talked about remote, unguarded locations but that paints an incomplete picture. Nepal experiences sacred art theft from some of its most well known, most sacred, and (one would assume) best guarded sites. To grab just a few articles (my internet is slow, there are certainly more):



March 2010: Idol of Ardhanarayan stolen from Bhaktapur (where I am now, a World Heritage Site). stolengods.org/article/idol-stolen-from-bhaktapur/

February 2014: Idol of Lord Ganesh stolen from Bhaktapur district. stolengods.org/article/idol-of-lord-ganesh-stolen/

July 2014: Theft of a Tara Devi from Kathmandu. stolengods.org/article/idol-of-lord-ganesh-stolen/

Quote:Stolen Gods @stolengods



India: Millennium-old temple idol stolen in Kasaragod http:// www.stolengods.org/article/millennium-old-temple-idol-stolen-in-kasaragod/ … pic.twitter.com/7rJuK8ftMQ

https:// twitter.com/stolengods/status/606769184702394368/photo/1

Retweeted by HaindavaKeralam

Quote:Millennium-old temple idol stolen in Kasaragod

Wednesday, May 27, 2015 12:27 hrs IST

by Our Correspondent



Millennium old temple idol stolen in Kasaragod

Two idols of the over 1000-year-old Kammadath Bhagavathy Temple in Kasaragod district have been stolen.



Kanhangad: Two idols of the over 1000-year-old Kammadath Bhagavathy Temple in Kasaragod district have been stolen. The idols, one of them being made of 'panchaloha' (five metal-alloy of gold, silver, copper, iron and lead), are estimated to cost Rs 16 lakh in the market.



The theft was noticed by the employees who came to clean the temple in the morning on Wednesday. They found a rope which was used by the thieves to enter the temple. The door of the sanctum sanctorum of the temple was found broken.



The main panchaloha idol, believed to be millennium-old, was stolen in 1985 too. Another idol, made of bronze, was installed in the sanctum sanctorum during that period.



In 1993, the main idol was recovered from a hole of a tree on the premises of Thirumeni Konichal Temple in the Peringom police station limits during the probe and was re-installed in the temple. However, the bronze-made idol was retained in the sanctum sanctorum. This time, both the idols have been stolen.



Chittarickal police have launched a probe into the incident based on a complaint filed by the temple trust board chairman K. Jayadevan.

Quote:Stolen statuary



The logic is irrefutable for the restitution of stolen Kathmandu Valley statuary from Western collections. But will we be able to protect the gods when they return?



- Kanak Mani Dixit



SEP 27 - A stone image of Uma-Maheswar, the celestial couple, sat atop a hiti in Nasamana Tole of Bhaktapur for 900 years. It disappeared on 23 May 1984 and is today in possession of the Musee Guimet in Paris, bought off the Sphinx art dealership in London. It is not on display, as this writer confirmed walking through the Himalayan section of the museum earlier this week.



There used to be hundreds of Uma-Maheswars dotting Kathmandu Valley’s lanes and bahas. The image of Shiva-Parvati couple in agreeable companionship atop Mount Kailash was obviously much-liked by the nobility and public centuries ago - also why most have been stolen today to feed the ‘Asian art market’ of private collectors and museums.



The statue kept by the Musee Guimet in storage needs to be restored to its place of origin. Till the time that our society and government are able to mount a campaign for return, the museum should consider itself custodian rather than title-holder. It keeps the Uma-Maheswar as a naaso, held in trust for the people of Nepal.



The idol mafia



The statues that populated our temple sanctums and courtyards were ‘experienced’ exclusively by the locals till the 1950s. The lowering of the national drawbridge allowed the overseas world to finally witness the art and architecture of Nepal. This star-struck gaze of the Western world was gratifying, but a new source of statuary opened for the ‘Asian art market’, and the loot began immediately.



The idol mafia includes the local thug and middleman and extends to dealers, ‘art experts’, private collectors and museums from Tokyo to London to Los Angeles. All modes were used to get the idols out, from stealth to false certification. The Kathmandu elites were involved, as were so many diplomats, development experts and so-called adventurers. The gods travelled as personal baggage, by diplomatic pouch, in false bottoms of international overland buses, and by ship or air cargo.



Amidst the turbulence of modernisation and never-ending political instability, the Valley’s lay population and clergy alike was unable to organise against burgeoning industry. The plunder peaked in the 1970s-80s but continues to this day. On 19 September, this newspaper reported of 10 statues valued at USD 200,000 put up for sale by the Christie’s auction house.



Logic of restitution



The logic of restitution is remarkably simple and, it would seem, irrefutable. These statues are not the excavated remains of a long-lost civilisation, but part of a living, breathing culture. The gods are lifted even as they receive the worship of devotees, the achheta and abir. The psycho-social impact is incalculable when an important cultural anchor is gone from the baha, leaving the plinth or niche empty.



Especially in the case of historical stone sculptures, one can categorically confirm theft, beyond the Nepali law that bans export of ‘antiques’ more than 100 years old. One can be unequivocal because the stone images are invariably found in public spaces, with no private person or entity with the right to sell or ship.



When the statues were carved and consecrated, neither sculptor nor benefactor would have considered that, centuries later, they would be the target of collector-bandits. This is why they were not anchored securely and why they are so dreadfully easy to lift.



Lain Singh Bangdel, the late artist and pioneer against idol theft, told this writer in 1999, “The collectors in the West should know that almost all Nepali art that came into the market over the last 30-35 years was procured through theft. Almost all the idols in the Western collections are definitely stolen.” A Unesco official in a communication had this to say: “...the possessor of a stolen cultural object must return it regardless of personal involvement or knowledge of the original theft.”



Divine contraband



It is sad and strange that our population has not risen in protest despite the decades of continuous pillage. The scholarship is weak, the cultural activism tepid, and the Department of Archaeology but a passive recipient of the rare statue that is returned.



One cannot deny the possibility that, amidst the raging impunity, the statues will once again be lifted when they are returned. Which is why the campaign for restitution must involve not only restitution, but the development of a ‘half-way home’ at the Department that will treat the returned gods with dignity, and security for the gods once they are back in their original sanctums.



Fortunately, experience indicates that the logic of restitution is strong enough for individual collectors and museum administrators to readily agree to give back statues when approached. In August 1994, an American collector voluntarily returned four gods after he was shown Bangdel’s photographs proving their public ownership - a 12th century Saraswati, 9th century Buddha, 14th century Surya, and 10th century Vishhnu. In 2000, the Museum fur Indische Kunst of Berlin returned a 12th century Uma-Maheswar taken from Dhulikhel in 1982.



The champions



While the loss of idols is felt deeply by the bhaktajan, the communities do not understand the intricacies of the ‘art trade’ to mount a response. The best they can do is to lock the remaining statuary, toranas and mandalas behind ugly iron armatures. Meanwhile, the flame of concern has been kept alive by a handful of individuals, around whose efforts the future campaign will have to be constructed.



Bangdel and the German travel guide Juergen Schick spent much effort, and braved suspicious locals, to photograph hundreds of idols on their pedestals and niches. In 1989 and 1998, respectively, they produced documentation of the deities in situ, in order to protect them and help retrieve those that might get stolen.



In early 2011, historian Ramesh Dhungel published a survey on Nepal’s “lost heritage” kept by New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. The conservation architect Ravindra Puri has just opened a gallery in Bhaktapur that exhibits replicas of stolen idols as a way of highlighting the reality of the divine contraband.



Archaeologist Sukra Sagar Shrestha has started the Nepal Art Register on the web, as a means to “disrupt the market for stolen Nepali sculptures and facilitate the return of those now in exile.” Ulrich von Schroeder, who has watched horrified as the gods disappeared since he first arrived in 1965, is working on a comprehensive catalogue of 2000 Valley statues. Sharing the truth with those who hold the idols will help in their return, he believes.



A campaign for restitution



The campaign for restitution would include: technological innovations to prevent theft; sensitisation of local communities; tracking of auctions; court cases nationally and internationally; pushing the Department of Archaeology into action; and building on the photography of Bangdel and Schick. Unesco and concerned groups in the idol-recipient societies must be asked to help.



To begin with, we must bring home the gods whose present overseas address we know, including the Uma-Maheswar at the Musee Guimet. And we must follow the trail of the 15th century Laxmi-Narayan from Patko in Patan, sold by the Sotheby’s auction house in 1990.



This article is based on a presentation on 24 September made at the conference “Objects, journeys and transformations” organised by the research organisation CNRS in Paris



Posted on: 2012-09-28 07:17

Quote:Gautam Sen

‏@gautamsen12



Gautam Sen retweeted ॐ भारत ॐ



Secularism is alive and well in Hindu fascist India, but he us not urinating on the idol,as recommended in Harayana.



Gautam Sen added,



twitter.com/dharam_vj/status/607214942186397696

Quote:ॐ भारत ॐ @dharam_vj

Hindus continues to be Persecuted. Yes, under Modi's India.

Quote:नंदिता ठाकुर

‏@nanditathhakur



And many want us to allow non Hindus in our temples ... For this ???



(Alien tourists and "converts" and other dabblers regularly desecrate sacred Indic imagery too. E.g. they illegally shoot porn movies in front of Buddha images in SL, Himalayan and SE nations, which is clearly meant as a desecration. One group was recently in the news on being caught. And IIRC French "tourists" kissed a Buddha etc. All aliens without exception, and all unHindoos of India, should be kicked out of Hindoo temples & sites and banned from these spaces for good.)

Quote: rohini kulkarni ‏@rohinikulkarni6 6h6 hours ago



@nanditathhakur @ani30oct my blood boils.....is their not single Hindu to teach these bastards a lesson WHAT SORT OF TOLERANCE IS THIS.