Save Tirumala, the sacred and ancient treasure
“ஒழிவில்
காலமெல்லாம் உடனாய் மன்னி,
வழுவிலா அடிமை செய்ய வேண்டும்நாம்,
தெழிகு ரல்அரு வித்திரு வேங்கடத்து,
எழில்கொள் சோதி எந்தைதந்தை தந்தைக்கே”
“At all times and
forever by his side, we
Must perform stintless
service, to the
Radiant lord of
Venkatam, the hill with
Streams. He is my
father’s father” - Nammalvar
(Translation Srirama Bharati)
It is this attitude of service every Sri Vaishnava devotee
yearns for at the feet Sri Venkatesa, or the Lord of Thiruvenkatam. If one
Azhwar echoes the devotion to the Lord, another sings about how he yearns to be
born as something on Tirumala hills. Tirumala is very special to Sri
Vaishnavas, and to all the devotees of Sri Venkatesa. He is a family deity to
millions, and every auspicious occasion in the family prayers to him, offerings
to him and pilgrimage to Tirumala is undertaken.
Unlike the pilgrimage to other divya desams, Tirumala has
always been different. May be because of the terrain in the days before the bus
route was laid, but after that too the special place continued. In as much as
Hindu pilgrims believe in the concept of “bulawa” Tirumala it is strongly
believed only his grace and “bulawa” can take one there. Strict code of conduct
would be followed for the pilgrimage. The contributions that were made at the
Home Hundi would be readied for the Tirupati Hundi, strict cleanliness norms
followed, austere outlook, no new clothes once in Tirumala, no flowers on the hair for women etc., There can be no
room for any mistakes when it comes to Tirupati Perumal. From writing the first
salary cheque to Srinivasa to sending him the first wedding invitation, He
holds a special place. Never can you make a “mannat” to Him and leave it
unfulfilled. It is not fear of God, but a discipline, with the knowledge that
the Lord of Thiruvenkatam is the most gracious and giver of boons.
Does one need any more proof about his Grace, the swelling
millions at Tirumala day after day is a proof. It was that aspect of Grace that
got personified as verses in Swami Desikan’s Daya Satakam. The grace of
Vekatesa to grant anything including Moksham, and the Hill he resides Tiruvenkatam
itself is the solidified Daya. From
Nammalwar to Desikan the emphasis when it comes to Tiruvenkatamudayan is his
capacity to give liberation, to surrender (prapatti) at his feet. It is a
different matter that in the last few decades the focus of the materialistic
pilgrims has turned the abode into one of showering material prosperity alone.
Tirumala and Tirupati temples have a long history of
historical record of endowments. Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam itself has
published a multi-volume epigraphic records. Starting from the time of Pallava
rulers, Chola, Pandya, Vijayanagara, Thanjavur, Chandragiri rulers it is
veritable record of how kings, big and small, devotees made endowments starting
from simple items like offering ghee, oil for the temple lamps to the most
expensive ornaments. From film stars to cricketers, politicians to businessmen
we have seen in 20/21st centuries the kind of contributions they
made to Tiruvenkatamudayan.
The traditional endowments have been very careful in
specifying what a particular endowment is created for, and how it should be
used. This is unlike the Hundi and other contributions devotees make today.
Most of the offerings made in kind of cash have been given for daily
Naivedyams, annual and monthly utsavams, maintaining the temples and shrines,
building facilities, offerings for the temple lamps, sambavanais to priests,
vedik pandits, adhyapakas, and others in the service of the Lord. It is very
interesting to read the way every endowment is record as seen in the epigraphic
records. They all end with the statute that this particular practice would
continue as long the sun and the moon last. Very clear that all that has been
created has to be followed in perpetuity. What happens if they are
discontinued? Hindus may have no concept of eternal sin or born in sin. But
there is ‘papa’ that accrues for any wrong doing. The endowments records do say
that if these are not followed, anything wrong happens the ‘papa’ of killing a
tawny cow on the banks of Ganges would accrue to that person.
But, what has been happening at the Tirumala temple,
administered by the government created TTD, run like any other government
organization is the opposite. There is neither the attitude of service, nor the
fear of committing a sin. Things only deteriorated as TTD and government grip
on the temple administration tightened even as the temple’s popularity soared,
and collections sky rocketed. The administration did not stop at looking after
the financial matters, but also interfering in conduct of pujas and festivals.
TTD got obsessed with its queue management for ordinary devotees on the one
hand and VIP darshans on the other. It went on a rampage, destroying the
physical nature of the Tirumala, wreaking havoc on heritage and also meddled
with agamic practices.
It is not that devotees were not aware of all these, but
there was nothing that could be done. The hereditary ‘Mirasi’ system that was
in practice for hundreds of years were abolished. The archakas and paricharakas
all went to Court. The Courts too upheld abolition of ‘Mirasi’. Decades after
all this happened two days ago we saw the chief priest of Tirumala Ramana
Dikshitulu and few other address a press conference and make a frontal attack
on the misdeeds of TTD. One of the basic complaints is that the changes that
are being brought about in the priestly order is to strike at the root of
Tirumala’s Agamic principles. Tirumala temple is a Vaikanasa temple where only
the Vaikanasa archakas can perform aradhana. Neither the great acharyas nor the
biggest of kings changed this order at Tirumala, but TTD is trying.
“I think the devotees don’t know much about the archakas
till now. Because, in Tirumala, the daily rituals are conducted as per the
Vaikanasa Agama. This is a very complex Shastra handed over by the God of
Tirumala (Thiruvenkatamudayan) himself. The aradhana is conducted as per the
agama and even the priests who should perform them have been appointed by the
God. This is how: When the mother (mother of the priest) is pregnant, in the
eighth month of the pregnancy the ritual of Vishnu bali, of initiating the
to-be born happens. The baby inside the womb receives the Narayana mantra, and
the baby is born a priest. That is how the Vaikanasa priest born to Vaikanasa
parents alone can perform aradhana at Tirumala, as ordained by the God. That a
baby born of the Vaikanasa clan, belonging to the particular order of rishis,
following the Shukla Yajurveda shaka should only perform the rituals is the
order of the God,” Dikshitulu said.
TTD now wants to override the family archakas and appoint
outsiders. Not only that, the hereditary archaka families say that since 1997
(Mirasi system abolished in 1996) no one has been appointed as an archaka from
their families. Younger members of the families, even if fully qualified are
not even allowed to enter the temple. Archakas, the closest to the God, the
ones who have to perform kainkaryam without any expectation are being treated
as any other employee, right from signing attendance registers!
“These officials think they know everything, others don’t
know anything you have to do what we tell you with arrogance. Arrogance born
out of ignorance. Out of this arrogance they have interfered in the pujas and
rituals beyond a limit. They in order to support their VIPs, film stars, rich
visitors ask us to reduce the aradhana and also interfere in timings.
Suprabatham has to be performed in brahma muhurtam that is
at 4 a.m., but is being done at 3 a.m. Not only that on important days like
English New Year, Vaikunta Ekadasi and other important days suprabatam is
performed just at 12.05 a.m., considered the beginning of the day as per
English calendar. Insisting that VIP’s are waiting for darshan Tomala Sevai, a
very important event of the day, all the upacharas for the deity with agama
mantras are recited. Even that they want us to conduct in 5 minutes. The Sahasranama
they say 500 is enough, 200 is enough,
reduce that. Naivedyams not done as per the Shastaras, much reduced,”
Dikshitulu said.
He sees a systematic, and long term plan afoot to bring down
the sanctity of the temple. This is also something pretty visible for those who
follow what happens in and around Tirumala and Tirupati. Conversion attempts,
trying to grab land on the Seven Hills, and even an insensitive and deliberate
attempt to name a new laboratory produce hybrid pig variety intended for mass
production and slaughter as ‘Tirupati Varaha’.
Apart from these are the financial issues. Few years ago
there was a controversy about the missing jewellery of Perumal that were gifts
from the great king Krishnadeva Raya. The issue was never dealt with by the TTD
and there were no replies. Apparently, TTD is beyond even RTE. So, no one can
get any details on the treasures, movable or immovable. Who accounts for the jewellery,
who audits and where are the accounts?
“When we used to perform as hereditary priests, we used to
preserve them and when we transferred the service from one family to the other,
openly in front of officials, gold valuers, used to check every jewellery,
weigh them, and then hand over. Even if there was any short fall, if there were
any gems were missing, as per the valuation of the valuer we used to pay up.
That is how we preserved the jewellery till 1996. From ‘96 to now who has
checked them. Are those ornaments there or not, we do not know. Only new jewellery
is being adorned. Who is checking,” Dikshitulu said.
Krishnadeva
Raya was a great devotee of Tiruvenkatamudayan, and records show he had visited
Tirumala seven times. He and his wives had made many contributions to the
temple and just to give a sample of his contribution:
Inscriptions 32 to 39, trilingual in Tamil, Telugu and
Kanarese records a ruby crown, ratna kiritam given by Krishnadeva Raya in his
first visit and gifts made by his wives Chinnajidevi and Tirumaladevi.
Crown made of gold
with nine kinds of precious stones – 1555 weight of gold for the basement work
for setting the stones, 1076 weight of solid gold selected for kundanam work,
2822 rubies refined, 160 emeralds weighing 108 ratulu or carats, 423 old
diamonds weighing 65 manjalu weight, 3 big rubies including the central ruby,
10 sapphires, 17 cat eyes, 1 topaz, altogether weighing 3130 units, 1339 pearls
weighing 163 carats, 1 string of pearls, gold wire into which the pearls are
inserted weighing 15 units, the total weight of the above said crown 3308.
Three stringed
necklace containing 1370 blue coloured pearls, 1 manikkam (gem), 2 sapphires, 2
kusulus, 15 addigas (small ornaments) weighing 225 ratulu, 1 padakkam
containing 6 big pearls, 60 diamonds, 11 emeralds, 3 manikkams, 5 rubies all
weighing 61 (units of largest weight), and 25 silver plates for the purpose of
karpura harati.
Epigraphs 66, 67, and 68 recorded on July 6, 1514 is a
significant one, for Krishnadeva Raya makes a visit after his expedition
against Prataparudra Gajapati on his way back to the capital of Vijayanagara. Lots
of gold and a few items relating to land and prasdams to be given out of it are
mentioned. Look at the footnote of the inscription.
“Anyone that is guilty of sacrilege will acquire the sin of
killing cows, brahmanas and their own parents on the banks of the Ganges.
To protect and carry on a charity yields double the merit of
the gift; by misappropriating other’s gift, one’s own gift becomes fruitless.
Of the two acts of giving and protecting the gift, the
latter is far more meritorious than the former. By gift one attains svarga
(celestial region) while by protecting one reaches everlasting heaven.”
The spirit with which the donations were made and taken care
of obviously is missing in the way TTD is treating them. What care do they have
for the sanctity or the heritage value of the abharanams? TTD in fact has been
ruthless about pulling down heritage structure to mindless create concrete infrastructure
in Tirumala. No amount of pleading by the archakas and devotees could salvage
an ornate 10th century mantapa that used to stand majestically in
front of the temple. It has demolished all the houses, mathas that used to be
on the mada veethis around the temple.
The press conference by archakas is a wake-up call, at least
now the devotees should come together for the sake of the sanctity of Tirumala.
Should CBI probe? Should ASI inspect the temple structure? This needs probe
definitely, and Tirumala needs to be saved. In the case of Tiruvanantapuram,
Supreme Court and advocates got hyper active. Well, here is a temple as rich as
it can be, under government control, where there are allegations, does anyone
care. TTD found a way to silence the voice of dissent, day after the press
conference of the archakas brought in a rule to retire them at 65, throwing out
Ramana Dikshitulu and others.
Comments