Hindu Temples And Mutts targetted by State or UPA

[Guest]

<!--QuoteBegin-Bodhi+Jun 12 2007, 01:09 AM-->QUOTE(Bodhi @ Jun 12 2007, 01:09 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->Guruvayur temple non-issue.
2. 'I don't make the rules at Guruvayur' - Guruvayur temple head priest Chennas Raman Namboodiripad
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Guys, please go through the above link. In that, the tantri gives one of the most elegant interviews I have read all my life. He justifies his action with an excruciatingly beautiful argument.

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Q:The tantri has since clarified that the punyaham was conducted only because Ravikrishna, as the son of a Christian lady, is not a Hindu by birth.

A: By what right does anyone say he is not a Hindu? His school certificate proclaims him a Hindu, his passport says he is a Hindu -- <b>what authority has the priest to overrule the Government of India</b>, which issued the passport?
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What a contrast between a tantri who knows his duty and his limits, and a mantri, a politician who knows no limits to his power!

[Bharatvarsh]

Well the SOB's who are behind this know they r chattin sh1t, but since it's Hindus they ain't scared, arguements and debate will only take u so far, i think some of these scum need a beating liks Muslims would have given them and they will shut their mouths.

[Guest]

<!--QuoteBegin-Bodhi+Jun 12 2007, 01:09 AM-->QUOTE(Bodhi @ Jun 12 2007, 01:09 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->Guruvayur temple non-issue.[right][snapback]70010[/snapback][/right]<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->If the pseudo-Hindu dude with the christian mum had really been Hindu, he would not have whined to his dad about the temple performing the purification rites. Any Hindu (including Hindu-at-heart) knows and understands.
The dude just set a trap in motion. They're very clever. The temple had no choice but to walk right into the setup.

Of course this issue is not about what the media likes to present it as. Feigning some purpose of 'doing good for Hinduism' (or even by inventing some 'caste' angle), the government could use the event to try to intervene and impose itself on the temple now, so that in future cryptochristians and other terrorists should be allowed in freely. And then Hindus won't be allowed to clear the temple of their ill-will. And the temple will no longer have the power of its sanctity and will be made vulnerable.

Next to that, the christos will start preaching to Hindu devotees inside the temple premises like they're doing in AP as per the reports.


Christos have always built on hallowed ground (like in Rome, Greece, ME) to keep the local site/divinity's force down. Otherwise, they've always made sure to defile the place first. In fact they purposefully chose to break temples down on the temples' sacred days. (And the pope still chooses to visit unconverted countries on sacred days of the local populace.)

Though islamis do the temple-defiling thing too, they usually do it only out of spite - to further torment the kaffirs (like extinguish sacred Zoroastrian fires that should never go out; and there are innumerable examples in the Indian context).
In christianity - especially catholicism - the main goal is about claiming others' holy sites. (If they can't get it or if they consider the heathen site too sacred to warrant continued existence in any form, they will try to destroy it.)

They did it to break the hold of ancient temples/sites over the locals: in N Europe, in the Roman Empire. It's what they have threatened to do with several sacred locations in India. Oddly enough protestants have also caught on: they've tried to do the same to certain S Korean Buddhist temples.

And this is why they pretend Ramar Sethu is nothing and tried to keep the matter under the radar as much as they could - to keep Hindus ignorant or doubtful (though the terrorists themselves know very well how significant it is, how important its hold is), yet want it broken at all costs.

Christoislam doesn't want coexistence. It wants absolutism. Hence: destroy or build over the temples of other religions. Fire temples? Demolish! Turn into mosque. Roman temple to Diana? Away! Church. Buddhist or Hindu temple? 'We'll raise a cross over you and turn you into a church/mosque someday, you'll see'.

http://www.buddhapia.com/eng/tedesco/3.html
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->June 26, 1998. Su-jin Kim, a Christian, breaks into Wonmyong Sonwon (Zen Center) in Cheju Island, decapitates 750 granite Buddha statues and destroys a gilt bronze Buddha triad, gold-plated jade Buddha and many other Buddhist items. He is caught by people at the temple while breaking windows of the living quarters. Kim confesses at the police that he destroyed Buddha statues in order to convert the temple to a church.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->http://hamsa.org/interview.htm
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->In Tamil Nadu Christian slogans appear on Hindu pilgrim routes to Tirupati and on the route around Arunachala Hill at Tiruvannamalai that pilgrims circumambulate on full moon days. I am told that Christians plan to raise a cross on the hill’s summit when the opportunity arises. I am not at all surprised. The theoretical ground for this “good deed” has been laid years ago by Catholic theologians and missionaries like Fr. Raimundo Panikker and the Benedictine monk Abhishiktananda. They have already claimed the holy hill and all of India for Christ in their writings.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->Christoislam can only parasite. It has never offered and will never offer anything of the remotest use to humans or other animals. Yet many Hindus still insist on defending these terrorist ideologies from any justified criticism. It's so unspeakably sad how their misplaced efforts make such people a great liability to Hinduism. (A past version of myself included, so not hypocritically criticizing only others with this.)

[Guest]

<!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif' /><!--endemo--> Good grief.
Post 43 (myself) - sorry I didn't notice it before:
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Yet many Hindus still insist on defending these terrorist ideologies from any justified criticism. It's so unspeakably sad how their misplaced efforts make such people a great liability to Hinduism. (A past version of myself included, so not hypocritically criticizing only others <b>here</b>.)<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->Seriously ambiguous.
I mean 'here' as in 'with this statement' of course. Not 'here' as in 'at IF'. IF being the only place that I've come across where Hindus have no romantic illusions about christoislamism. (Also learnt to shed some myself here - cheers.)

Now corrected the confusing wording in #43 itself.

[Guest]

<!--QuoteBegin-Bodhi+Jun 11 2007, 03:39 PM-->QUOTE(Bodhi @ Jun 11 2007, 03:39 PM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->Guruvayur temple non-issue.

1. 'It is Brahminical arrogance' - Union Minister Vayalar Ravi - lots of lies and stupidity, which are thrashed and clarified in this interview:
2. 'I don't make the rules at Guruvayur' - Guruvayur temple head priest Chennas Raman Namboodiripad

and now,
3. 'If I get a complaint I will take appropriate action' - G Sudhakaran, Kerala Dewaswom minister

In this, this fellow says:

<!--QuoteBegin--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Q:The tantri has since clarified that the punyaham was conducted only because Ravikrishna, as the son of a Christian lady, is not a Hindu by birth.

A: By what right does anyone say he is not a Hindu? His school certificate proclaims him a Hindu, <span style='color:red'>his passport says he is a Hindu</span> -- what authority has the priest to overrule the Government of India, which issued the passport?
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wow! Does the Indian Passport mention the faith too? Has he even seen an Indian passport ever?
[right][snapback]70010[/snapback][/right]
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The genius wants to bring a legistation on this issue:
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Kerala Cooperation and Devaswom Minister G Sudhakaran told reporters that the LDF government was of the opinion that all believers should be allowed to worship in temples.

The government would think of bringing in a legislation in this regard after consulting with all people concerned, he said.
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Are there any Mosques, Fire Temples, Churches or Gurudwaras in Kerala that has restrictions on who can enter or not?

[Guest]

George Thundiparambil on Why Guruvayur is different

[Bharatvarsh]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Are there any Mosques, Fire Temples, Churches or Gurudwaras in Kerala that has restrictions on who can enter or not? <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
No non Parsi is allowed into any Parsi place of worship, no non xtian is allowed communion and so on, they are fine with everything else but only want Hindus to relax their rules.

[Guest]

Sai Baba temple bans mobile phones
The Sai Baba temple in Shridi has banned mobile phones since Tuesday as part of steps to tighten security.

The move comes in the wake of reports of threats to famous temples in Mumbai.

The Siddhivinayak temple in Mumbai recently banned coconuts and garlands after a tip off from the Israeli intelligence, reports said.

[Guest]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->The Sai Baba temple in Shridi has banned mobile phones since Tuesday as part of steps to tighten security.
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Security aspect aside, ban on cellphones within temple premises is a welcome change. Most people don't have basic etiquettes in regards to use of cell phone in public places anyway. The last thing we need in temples is a some character jabbering at top of his voice or some latest hindi jingle ringtone buzzing every couple minutes.

Cameras have been banned for a while. Typically I leave my cell phone, camera and chappals in the car/taxi/rickshaw or sometimes even with the vendors outside the temple from where one buys the coconuts, flowers etc. This way trip to temple is lot less stressful and one can focus on the reason we are there.

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->The Siddhivinayak temple in Mumbai recently banned coconuts and garlands <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This hardly seems necessary. If security is a concern, why don't they put some airport like scanners outside temples? Most big commercial houses or government places have them these days.
Or they could be selling coconuts/garlands inside the temple within a secure zone.

[shamu]

They should provide alternate machanism by providing those items inside the temple which devotees can purchase there.

[Guest]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Sabarimala priest's grandson arrested</b>

Thiruvananthapuram, June 23: The grandson of Sabarimala temple's head priest was arrested Saturday when he went to the state secretariat to conduct a ritual as part of his protest against Kerala Devaswom Minister G. Sudhakaran.

Rahul Easwar, who was released on bail later, reached the secretariat building with two other priests.

Easwar, grandson of chief priest Kandararu Maheswararu, had announced that he would conduct the prayer for the betterment of Sudhakaran, who he alleged was making outrageous comments against Brahmins and priests.

The Sabarimala temple is the most prominent Hindu shrine in Kerala.

Though no one backed Eashwar's puja plans, a large number of Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiv Sena supporters were present.

<b>Sudhakaran has been credited with initiating a debate over granting entry to non-Hindus in Kerala temples. He has said that a law would be unveiled soon to change the traditional temple entry rules</b>. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Guest]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->विधायक के मंदिर प्रवेश के बाद हुई शुद्धिकरण पूजा

रामेश्वरम (तमिलनाडु)। स्थानीय विधायक हसन अली के मंदिर में प्रवेश के बाद यहां के प्रसिद्ध श्री रामानाथस्वामी मंदिर में पुजारियों ने शुद्धिकरण पूजा की।
  रामानाथपुरम नगरपालिका के उपाध्यक्ष एम राजमणि ने बताया कि मंदिर के पूर्वी स्तंभ में आई दरार को स्थानीय विधायक हसन अली स्वयं देखना चाहते थे। इस संबंध में वह राज्य हिंदू धार्मिक सहायतार्थ संस्थाओं के मंत्री के आर पेरियक्कांप्पम को रिपोर्ट देंगे। इस सिलसिले में उन्होंने शनिवार को मंदिर का दौरा किया। इसके बाद मंदिर प्रशासन ने रविवार को शुद्धिकरण पूजा की।
  भाजपा की स्थानीय इकाई ने एक गैरहिंदू विधायक के मंदिर में प्रवेश के खिलाफ प्रदर्शन किया। भाजपा और शिव सेना ने विधायक के मंदिर प्रवेश की निंदा भी की। राजमणि ने बताया कि विधायक ने इससे पहले मंदिर संबंधी भोज में भी भाग लिया।
  मंदिर के अधिकारियों ने बताया कि राज्य के पूर्व मुख्यमंत्री फारूक मारकियर भी एक बार इस मंदिर में आए थे। उस समय पुजारी कालिदास महंत ने उच्चतम न्यायालय में अर्जी दाखिल उनके प्रवेश का विरोध जताया था। बाद में फारूक ने अदालत में अपने व्यवहार के लिए माफी मांगी थी। यह वाकया करीब 20 साल पहले का है।
http://www.jagran.com/news/nationalnews....d=3495150#<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Local MLA Hassan Ali went inside Rameshwaram temple to do some 'investigation' of a crack in the wall that has appeared. Temple priests performed a shuddhi followed by the event.

20 years back TN Minister Farook Markiyar had done the same, for which he had to apologize in the supreme court later.

[Guest]

In follow up to the above post 52:

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>I will go to temple again: Defiant TN MLA</b>

Ramanathapuram, TN, June 27: A defiant Ramanathapuram Congress MLA Hasan Ali, whose visit to Sri Ramanathaswamy temple near here led to a purification exercise there, on Wednesday said he would visit the shrine again and again" and dared BJP or Hindu Munnani to stop him.

He told PTI here that his forefather Seethakathi Vallal a popular trader and philanthropist who was in the court of the Sethupathy King who ruled Ramanathapuram around 200 years ago, was a trustee of the temple and charged that BJP was acting as if it was only interested in the temple affairs.

He said he would go to the temple with a lot of people again. He said he had gone to the temple several times earlier from the age of 13. "I am not against Hindu temple or Hinduism. Why should I not go to the temple?" he said.

Authorities of the Sri Ramanathaswamy temple, 40 km from here, performed a cleaning and atonement pooja after Hasan Ali had entered it on Saturday last.

Meanwhile, BJP national executive member K Murali said when a system was there and non-Hindus were not allowed inside the temple, it should not be violated. He said Muslims and Hindus in Rameswaram are like family members but charged the MLA was trying to spoil this atmosphere.

Even in mosques, non-muslims are not allowed to sit on 'Nambir.'

"The Muslims, in fact organise boats for the float festival of Sri Ramanathaswamy temple and they also get honoured. But all that is done outside the temple."

He wanted the Congress high command to take action against "such divisive elements" in the party.

http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=88739
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[shamu]

<!--QuoteBegin-Bodhi+Jul 3 2007, 11:48 PM-->QUOTE(Bodhi @ Jul 3 2007, 11:48 PM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->He told PTI here that his forefather Seethakathi Vallal a popular trader and philanthropist who was in the court of the Sethupathy King who ruled Ramanathapuram around 200 years ago, was a trustee of the temple and charged that BJP was acting as if it was only interested in the temple affairs.
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His forefather's name doesn't sound like a muslim name.

[Guest]

<b>15 wounded in attack on Amarnath Yatra base camp</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->At least 15 people, including two pilgrims, were injured in a powerful grenade explosion near the main entrance to the Baltal base camp of the Amarnath pilgrimage in north Kashmir late on Tuesday.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Moron Singh is sleeping, should we summon God's envoy to make Moron Singh's grey matter move.

[Guest]

http://www.bharatjagran.com/bharat-jagran-...2007/310307.htm
<b>Campaign for autonomy of temples, pluralism and development</b>

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->7.        ***In Karnataka, the Govt. has set new standards of lawlessness by taxing the temples and without any justifiable legal authority simply diverting their funds to enhance the Muslim run Madrassas and Christian run churches - both being the adversarial religions against Hinduism. In the year 2002-2003, out of Rs 79 crores of temple revenues, Rs. 59.15 crores was given away to mosques, Madrasas, Hajj, etc. , Rs. 12.75 crores was given to Christian institutions and a mere Rs.  7.1 crores was allocated to maintain over 248,000 temples (attachment A).  No where in the world does a Govt. engage in such robbery of one religion to benefit its competitors.  <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

http://satyameva-jayate.org/2007/07/29/psu...sm-at-its-best/ which cites above source
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->The chart shows how proceeds from ~ 250,000 temples in Karnataka have been distributed over the past few years:

http://hindudharma.files.wordpress.com/200...es-expenses.jpg

It shows that between ‘97-’98 and ‘02-’03, <b>disbursements to temples for renovation and maintenance fell (more than halved) from Rs 16.5 cr to Rs 7.1 cr  even as revenues collected from Temples rose from Rs 58.63 crores to Rs 79 crores.</b>

Wait, there is more.
.
<b>Over the same period, Disbursement to Madarsas, Mosques and Haj committee rose more than 4 times from Rs 14.25 cr to Rs 58 cr and disbursement to Christian institutions and churches more than doubled from Rs 5cr to Rs 12.75 cr.</b><!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Guest]

Don't know if the following's been posted before, I didn't come across it until now:
News from 2005, on how terrorist government took over a <b>Veerashaiva Mutt</b> and spirited away its <b>Swamigal</b> (spiritual head):

http://sankaracharyaarticles.blogspot.com/...konam-mutt.html
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Thursday, January 20, 2005
 
<b>Government designs on the Kumbakonam Mutt.</b>
www.vikatan.com/jv/2005/jan/23012005/jv0202.asp

Excerpts: Junior Eagle update

<b>“Swamigal’s Disappearance: Secretary’s Death!”</b>

“Remember I told you about the startling news of the Kumbakonam Veera Saiva Matam near Mahamaka Pond – the one that was the preview for Kanchi Matam’s takeover.

Now, the board that had been put up by the Mutt people has been removed and HRCE has put up a shiny new board in Amma’s favorite color: green” Junior Eagle gave us follow-up while munching chips.

“You said the <b>Mataadipathi was more or less under house arrest</b>,” we reminded.

[Junior Eagle:]“That’s right. Word is going around that the HRCE, which has taken hold of the Mutt is trying to forcibly kick out Neelakanta Swamigal. <b>VHP people and a whole lot of devotees thronged in front of the Mutt on Maatu-Pongal day</b> [Jan. 15th]

“We don’t want to kick him out or anything. <b>Swami himself wants to go to Bangalore</b>. He said he wants to stay a few days to do special pujas and then go back,” the <b>HRCE officials said</b>.

“Whatever it is, let us hear it from him in person – Bring him out!” the crowd chanted. Finally they brought the Swamigal to the gate.”

<img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/img/224/2632/320/darshan%20of%20swamigal.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' /><i>Darshan of swamigal - Jaya-style!</i>

“So what on earth did Neelakanda Swami say?”

[Junior Eagle:]“Even though they brought him out and stood him at the gate. <b>They wouldn’t let anyone get near enough to talk to him.</b> From far away, the devotees shouted out at the top of their lungs:

<b>“Swami! They say you want to go to Bangalore?”

To which, Swamigal replied in his mother tongue, Kannada:
“I don’t want to go anywhere anytime soon!” and he went back inside.</b>

“If we come to know that you threw him out by force, we won’t let it go!” warned the crowd before dispersing.

<img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/img/224/2632/200/confrontation%20with%20officers...devotees%20wonder%20-%20can%20we%20trust%20them.1.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' /><i>Unconvinced, devotees confront officials</i>

But the next day after Maatu Pongal. [Jan. 16] <b>the officers forcibly loaded him into their vehicle and have taken him somewhere.</b> No one knows his whereabouts.
[Ed: As dinamalar’s report on Jan 18 shows, Neelakanta Saranga Desikendra Swamigal was taken to Power Agent Handi’s house. Read on to see what happens next to Handi.]

This had already angered devotees – <b>on the same day, Secretary of the Mutt, Handi died of a heart attack</b> [Ed: that’s right, the same day HRCE officers presumably dropped the Mataadipathi off at his house.], increasing their anger.

“Handi was already very perturbed by the Mutt issue” [ie HRCE’s takeover of the Mutt]. “That was the reason for his heart attack. The Government is going to have to answer for all this,” say furious [devotees].

END EXCERPT
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd--><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->[Later reports from dinamalar follow:]

www.dinamalar.com/2005jan18/imp51.asp

<b>“Entry Barred to Veera Saiva Mutt – Hindu Organizations strongly protest.” – </b>Dinamalar, Jan 18, 2005

Dinamalar, Jan 18, 2005

Summary Translation:

Hindu Organizations strongly protested against the barring of public entry to the Kumbakonam Veera Saiva Mutt. This Mutt was previously being administered by Neelakanta Saaranga Desikendra Swami.

Citing improper administration, HRCE brought the Mutt under its control on the 7th. <b>Swamimalai Temple Deputy Administrator, Danapaal took over administrative responsibility for this Mutt.</b>

[snip]

Yesterday morning [ie Jan 17th], <b>HRCE barred public entry to the Mutt</b>. They also <b>denied entry to journalists</b>. Worried devotees and Hindu Organizations gathered in front of the Mutt.

END SUMMARY<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd--><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->www.dinamalar.com/2005/jan19/imp41.asp

<b>“Veera Saiva Matam’s Madaadipathi Suddenly Expelled: Hindu Organizations, Devotees Shocked!”</b> – Dinamalar, Jan 19, 2005
[...]
The Mutt Administrative Committee’s Deputy Chief, Ramathirunavukarasu said:<b> “HRCE officers forcibly expelled the Madaadipathi from the Mutt. At present, Swamigal is staying at the house of Power Agent Anthanappa-Handi on Needa Mangalam Road.</b> The expulsion of Swamigal has deeply distressed devotees. <b>It was on the 7th, Madaadipathi’s birthday, that the Swamimalai Temple’s Secretary forcibly obtained Swamigal’s signature to sign over the Mutt to the HRCE.”</b>

In regard to this, from the HRCE side, those who have taken over responsibility for the Mutt said: “The previous administrator and Madaadipathi himself signed over the Mutt, as he was preparing to leave. He was not expelled by anyone. He has not disappeared. He left on his own.”

The Madaadipathi’s Power Agent Anthanappa-<b>Handi</b> was going to Chennai with VHP District Chief Swaminathan to Chennai to <b>move an order opposing the HRCE takeover</b>. During that time, the day before yesterday, he ended up in the hospital with sudden heart trouble. [Ed: Other reports say that he died. Some media said he <b>died mysteriously</b>.]<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[ramana]

From Pioneer, 11 Oct., 2007
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--> Unholy commerce

Anuradha Dutt

The very thought of marketing prasad through a State consumer federation is sacrilegious

The festival season is here, and it means brisk business for manufacturers and suppliers of prasad throughout the country. At major pilgrimages, the demand for offerings swells manifold as lakhs of supplicants besiege the gods for blessings.

The Navratra melas and Diwali celebrations promise a windfall. Tonnes of fruit, laddoos, milk sweets, batasha, rice-puff, makhana and elachidana; heaps of coconut; mounds of flowers; and, innumerable incense sticks, tassles and gilded chunris are sold and bought, the quantity swelling with the surge in the number of worshippers.

Unbeknown to most, the bulk of these offerings are spirited away, to be recycled and sold. The priests, management and contractors are all in league. The very cabal, which for eons has terrorised believers on grounds of ritual purity, is living off this execrable practice. The recycling of prasad, forbidden by the rules of religion, has become a flourishing trade, with the perpetrators quite blind to their transgression.

The majority of pilgrims being simple and unlettered, they are easily duped. At some places, there is not even a pretence at subterfuge, as at the ancient Sheetla Mata shrine in old Gurgaon, which is dated to the Mahabharat era. Reduced to the deity who protects children from small pox and other diseases by a largely rustic populace, the exquisite pure gold image of the goddess Lalita Sundari mutely watches the faithful being divested of their offerings by priests, who transfer the coconuts, chunris and the rest of the prasad to an adjoining room. Here, it will all be auctioned off, to be re-packaged and sold.

The scene is replicated at most of the popular sites, where power struggles among priests and trustees are rooted in control of the commodities, money and jewellery that pours in as offerings. It is common for rival mahants to be murdered.

Even the campaigns to restore the original shrines of Ram, Krishna and Shiv at Ayodhya, Mathura and Varanasi are riven by feuds among various claimants to these sites since immense profit is at stake. For, whoever finally gains control over them is assured of extremely rich pickings and a permanent sinecure.

At Ayodhya, for instance, in addition to the Sunni Waqf Board, the Ramjanmabhumi Nyas, backed by the VHP, is also pitted against the Nirmohi Akhada and Congress-supported Dwarka Shankaracharya, Swaroopa-nand Saraswati, for control of the disputed site, where the Babri Masjid once stood.

The late Mahant Ram-chandra Paramahans of the Nyas, who revived the campaign in the 1980s, belonged to Dasnami Akhada. Earlier, the Bairagis, a sect that popularised Tulsidas's Ram Charit Manas by means of dramatic renderings, fought for ownership of the site.

This, however, is a lengthy battle, involving several protagonists. Supply of prasad is a less complicated endeavour that promises immediate returns. At the Tirupati shrine, even expeditious darshan inside the sanctum sanctorum comes for a price though, to be fair, an estimated 15,000-20,000 people are daily fed vegetarian food, free of cost. The annual provisions bill is said to be about Rs 300 crore per year.

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam Board, which administers the pilgrimage, has about 30 contractors for the supply of the items, required for the preparation of food and laddus, comprising the prasad. The board now plans to deal directly with bulk suppliers in a bid to reduce costs and ensure transparency.

<b>Currently, two popular pilgrimages in Kerala are in the centre of a controversy, related to prasad.</b> In the first case, the Travancore Dewasom Board, which governs the temples, has been castigated for shortlisting Elite India Exports -- <b>owned by a Muslim businessman, incidentally -- for preparing and supplying the payasam at Sabarimala.</b> Three other bids for the contract, which were lower, were overlooked. A nexus between the board officials and trader is suspected, and the matter is now in the High Court.

The second incident involves the sale of the prasad of the renowned Krishna shrine at Ambalappuzha in Aleppey district -- the item being greatly in demand and apparently in short supply -- through an outlet of the Kerala State Cooperative Consumers' Federation. A plan was being considered by the federation for selling the prasad to devotees, denied the same at the temple. Before it received sanction from the Dewasom Board, an outlet began to peddle the sacred offering. Local employees are being blamed for the lapse, which has provoked Hindu ire.

<b>Religious groups have gone so far as to accuse the Communist regime with deliberately indulging in an anti-Hindu act. For, the very thought of marketing prasad, like a common item, through the State consumer federation, is sacrilegious. But then, recycling offerings is no less profane.</b>

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[Guest]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>This happened in Kerala, not in Kashmir!</b>
11/23/2007 9:53:52 AM  HK
link
Every now and then the secularists boasts that "The Muslim blood of Kerala is not of Invaders but of Arabian traders"

Will the Secularists now come up with new theory of Genetic Mutations-From Traders Gene to Invaders Gene?

The history of attack on temples from the time of Hyder Ali and his Son Tippu to Recent attacks on Tali Temple in Angadippuram and yesterdays attack on Kuratoor Sree Dharmasastha temple & Perumanchira Maha Vishnu temples shows the one and only trait of Islamic fundamentalists worldwide-The Intolerance

[Temples vandalized by Jihadis in Thiruvananthapuram]
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<img src='http://www.haindavakeralam.org/kt/temple-temp2.JPG' border='0' alt='user posted image' />

<img src='http://www.haindavakeralam.org/kt/temple-temp4.JPG' border='0' alt='user posted image' />

[Bodhi]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Jaya outraged over death of temple cows; seeks CM's scalp
Pioneer News Service | Chennai

Opposition leader J Jayalalithaa on Monday flayed the DMK regime for failing to stop 15 cows from dying of hunger at the renowned Ramanathaswamy Temple at Rameswaram, and demanded the resignation of Chief Minister M Karunanidhi for his Government's failure on all fronts. 

In a statement here, the AIADMK general secretary expressed outrage that 15 cows donated by ardent devotees to the temple had simply been allowed to die because they were not fed or cared for by the temple authorities.

Doctors had found that the cows suffered from no disease, but had merely died of hunger and malnutrition.

The temple comes under the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR & CE) department.

Jayalalithaa said the Minister concerned, KR Periyakaruppan, had been quoted as saying that those who donated cows did not donate the money to maintain them.

"His callous attitude is highly condemnable, as it is his department's responsibility to tend the hapless cows," she said.

Jayalalithaa also blamed the DMK Government for the power crisis, a "deteriorating law and order situation", and failure to arrest spiralling prices. "Karunanidhi is unable to resolve any issue concerning the people. He cares neither for people nor for animals. It is better for him to resign. Or, the Centre should take steps to remove him," she said.

http://www.dailypioneer.com/indexn12.asp?m...t&counter_img=6
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