cleanliness at Thirukkadaiyur Abhirami koil

[T R RAMAMURTHY]

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Dear Friends,
I am a TB stationed outside TN. During my last visit, I had opportunity to go to a few temples in TN. One of the places I visited was Thirukkadaiyur. The visit to Thirukkadaiyur made me sad. I was appalled at the lack of cleanliness in the temple which was caused more due to the Shastiabdhapoorthi and Sathabhishekhams held day in and day out there in the temple. Faith is one significant thing but discipline is also important. There was akshathai strewn all around with flowers and other things which were casually left out. It would not be wrong if I say I had a vomiting sensation. I could not concentrate on devotion to mother Abhirami. Mother Goddess, pardon me. I do not know if others had a similar feeling. If such holy temples can not be maintained, what else could be? Of course, this is not due solely to TBs. Should there be public outcry or not against this.
T R Ramamurthy

 

[Dr.T.N.Jambunathan]

The Shastiabthaboorthi is done around Markandeyan Sannathi. and not around Ambal sannidhi which was fairly clean when I visited this place in Jan 2010 Jambu

 

[pannvalan]

There is an English proverb "Cleanliness is next to Godliness". But, I always insist, it is cleanliness that precedes godliness. Where there is no purity - internal or external- God does not reside and He cannot be seen or realized there. That's my firm belief.

Temple is a public place, which receives a large number of visitors every day. On auspicious days and festival days, the crowd will be unmanageable.

I have seen mothers/grandparents washing their children/grandchildren's back, after
they pass stools (somewhere inside the temple) right under the drinking water taps.

I refuse to take bath in a temple tank, because it is so filthy and stinking. Temple tanks are no longer 'punniya theerthams'.

I hang my head in shame, if I happen to take a prestigious visitor to a popular temple, where all this is seen.

We should pay the temple servants including archakas very well, so that they don't unnecessarily trouble the visitors with unfair expectations and demands. If they are well paid, they will look after the temples neatly and carefully, as if they are a large sized 'puja room' of their own home.

Above all, discipline is a must for every section of the society.

 

[drsundaram]

I endorse your views. Not only cleanliness is severely lacking ; one can also see the way the archakas make money. Depending upon one' budget they perform/ chase in high speed the events mechanically, not to loose any [ in their language "party"] in the process. It is reported each archaka is having a group and they are knitted well.. Each one is said having good house/ and cars. I do not aim at telling they should not earn. They should also like any body. But they seem to take advantage of the sacredness of the place vis vis the ritual and neatly exploit not respecting the purpose and sentiments of devotees who visit there.
I think, in Kerala, priests do not run after only money . They are strict in their duties.
I sincerly stand to be corrected whereever I am wrong.

 

[sangom]

There is an English proverb "Cleanliness is next to Godliness". But, I always insist, it is cleanliness that precedes godliness. Where there is no purity - internal or external- God does not reside and He cannot be seen or realized there. That's my firm belief.

Temple is a public place, which receives a large number of visitors every day. On auspicious days and festival days, the crowd will be unmanageable.

I have seen mothers/grandparents washing their children/grandchildren's back, after
they pass stools (somewhere inside the temple) right under the drinking water taps.

I refuse to take bath in a temple tank, because it is so filthy and stinking. Temple tanks are no longer 'punniya theerthams'.

I hang my head in shame, if I happen to take a prestigious visitor to a popular temple, where all this is seen.

We should pay the temple servants including archakas very well, so that they don't unnecessarily trouble the visitors with unfair expectations and demands. If they are well paid, they will look after the temples neatly and carefully, as if they are a large sized 'puja room' of their own home.

Above all, discipline is a must for every section of the society.

Once, years ago, I went to Chidambaram temple and enterd through the south (I think) entrance, not the main entrance. The whole place was stinking of human excreta. It was around 5 P.M. and there were many people defecating within the temple premises, just at the periphery. Because of this my entire "darsan" became a meaningless affair.

Temple employees, including the priests, all over India, almost always see their temples just as a குரங்காட்டி views his monkey - an instrument for making money. That is why it is said that for the priest the idol is just a piece of rock, nothing more. Even if their incomes are increased manifold, their greed will only go on increasing and never get satiated. The best thing is that we don't give any money to them under any guise, just visit and have darsan.

If anyone has the means to find out the deposits/investments of the employees of the major, famous, temples one will be able to see the truth.

 

[sangom]

I think, in Kerala, priests do not run after only money . They are strict in their duties.
I sincerly stand to be corrected whereever I am wrong.

Dear Sundaram,

It is the same thing here in Kerala also.வீட்டுக்கு வீடு வாசல்ப்படி ! Though the Kerala temple priests are supposed to follow tantric rituals for the poojas, many of them are blissfully ignorant of these tantric minutiae; they just learn some basic mudras which are shown even in movies and then, with the right political backing and money backing, get to become "divinely" selected as the priest. Such dramas can be seen in the case of Sabarimala which reportedly earns the income to maintain almost all other temples of Travancore Devaswom Board. The situation is no different in Guruvayoor. I have had occasion to observe the huge bank deposits of some of the temple employees and priests; you will be wonderstruck by the amounts. And that was 40 years ago!!

One anecdote: there was a namboodiri decently employed in the teaching profession. His close relative got "selected" as the main priest of one famous temple. This priest immediately booked one very costly car of the Tata Sumo type! He then asked this teacher to take leave and come to the temple for one "season" as assistant priest and said that he could make 2 to 3 lakhs easily. There are several such assistant priests in that temple!

 

[T R RAMAMURTHY]

Dr Sundaram Sir,
As far as the Archakas of Tirukkadaiyur, they should be called as doing the disservice to the TB community. They do not care for any one except for the Shastiabdhapoorthi parties. There is no motivation left for them as they have accumulated and amassed filthy wealth. In their houses, I am told, note bundles are stashed in their old houses in Paran. These were located in Income tax raids.
Whether it is Markandeya sannidhi or outside the precincts of Amman temple, the scenario in the whole temple premises smacks of total neglect except for money spinning exercises. I would not add to the mess there by performing or letting some body close to my family perform such functions there.
Thanks

 

[sangom]

Talking about temples, I wish to narrate two experiences in which I really felt the divine presence in temple.

1. It was 1973 or 74. During my official tours I visited Kalady. If my memory is correct, the Sankara Mandapam and pillar were not there. I went to a small krishna temple nearby. Poor and dilapidated condition it was in. The priest's attire and emaciated body further trumpeted the poverty. The priest did "alankaaram" with sandal paste, made by him in the traditional way, (grinding sandalwood piece on stone) and adorned the idol with a single garland made of Tulsi leaves. Then he closed the door for "naivedyam" and opened for "deeparadhana" or Arati. Only one or two other old ladies were there. I could feel a sense of serenity coming over me when I heard the bell and saw the camphor light going around the idol of Krishna - a smile was there in the idol's face which I can still recall.

I don't know whether the temple exists now, whether it has prospered etc.

2. It was 1970-71. I was in Gauhati. On my way to office (about one mile by walk) there were the judges' bungalows, each one in a vast compound of 5 to 6 acres by the side of the mighty Brahmaputra. In one corner of one of those compounds was a huge banyan tree. Its root had formed into the shape of Ganesha - elephant's trunk with what we might perceive as its face, ears and a tummy. One very poor assamese (brahmin, I think, because he used to have "poonal" and I found himdoing his sandhya) had covered a small area around the tree with jute sheets and plastic sheets so that there was a small tent of about 12' X 12' and about 4' high. He had divided this tent into two, one for the God and a side enclosure to keep all his belongings, I think. Morning and evening poojas were regularly done by him. The "naivedyam" in the evenings was invariably "urad" (முழு உழுந்து) soaked in water without even salt. On some days if he could purchase coconut, he would add coconut pieces also. Since it was just a few hundred yards from my house, I used to go to that "temple" almost every day. The "aarti" was simple, first a lighted oil lamp made of clay, and then camphor in another plate made of clay.

This priest spent his time in the tent and I used to find him poring over some old, worn-out books in assamese or some palm-leaf "chuvadi". He said those were "puranas", I could not get more info. All my questions about him, his family, native place, etc., were never answered; he used to smile those away. When I asked him whether he had permission to make the tent, he replied that the "judge saab" had kindly allowed him to stay and do the poojas but without any construction.

I got some of the most spiritual moments sitting inside that cramped tent and praying.

It is, therefore, my conviction that we should avoid the famous temples and seek the divine in some of the less glamorous ones, if at all we need a temple for prayer.

 

[sankara_sharmah]

I had gone to Thirukkadaiyur in April 1977. There was no crowd. The temple was then known only as the temple of Abhirami. There was an agraharam street with public taps. Brahmin women were taking water from the tap. No hotel anywhere nearby. We had noted down down the place as one where we could go and settle down after retirement.

Then came the sashtiapthapoorthi gang. I went there about 10 years back. I was shocked. Rank commercialization. Abhirami forgotten. When I was in the temple, a bus load of Brahmins from Chennai came there. One of the mamis asked me whether this temple is famous for any planets like Rahu, Kethu etc. When I told them that only Abhirami is there, they pushed off without even entering the temple.

 

[pannvalan]

It shows these paapigal (papatmas) go from temple to temple, only to do papa nivarthi.
Why should they evince interest where the real God resides?

 

[RVR]

I had gone to Thirukkadaiyur in April 1977. There was no crowd. The temple was then known only as the temple of Abhirami. There was an agraharam street with public taps. Brahmin women were taking water from the tap. No hotel anywhere nearby. We had noted down down the place as one where we could go and settle down after retirement.

Then came the sashtiapthapoorthi gang. I went there about 10 years back. I was shocked. Rank commercialization. Abhirami forgotten. When I was in the temple, a bus load of Brahmins from Chennai came there. One of the mamis asked me whether this temple is famous for any planets like Rahu, Kethu etc. When I told them that only Abhirami is there, they pushed off without even entering the temple.

Navagraha temples in the erstwhile Chola Naadu is doing roaring business.

As you rightly said, people don't believe that Lordess Abhirami's கடைக்கண் will solve all the problems.

Abhirmai Battar's Abhirami Andhadhi is a wonderful master piece in Tamil Literature.

Abirami Pattar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lordess Abhirami can change a `New Moon day' into a `Full Moon Day' if the devotee is sincere.

Even the temples are exploiting the weakness of the devotees. The Navagraha tour is a big business for the tour operators now.

Both Saint Arunagirinathar and Thirugnana Sambandar have clearly written that none of the Navagrahas will affect them as they are keeping their `Ishta Devatha' in their heart. Unfortunately our people don't believe such great saints and go blindly after Navagrahas.

All the best


[/FONT]

 

[sangom]

It shows these paapigal (papatmas) go from temple to temple, only to do papa nivarthi.
Why should they evince interest where the real God resides?

Since this is a forum for TBs and since TBs generally measure the amount of "punya" they have accumulated, by the number of temples and the number of times they visit each temple, this remark may hurt many.

People who are in Thiruppukazh singing group sing the thiruppukazh:

காவியுடுத்தும் தாழ்சடை வைத்தும் காசினி முற்றும் திரியாதே
but they aslo take pride in visiting as many temples as possible. There is a saying in Malayalam, "pooravum kaanaam, thaaLiyum oDikkaam" (we can see the temple festival-pooram- and at the same time collect "thALi" leaves, used for cleaning hair, ancient shampoo leaves); similarly, temple visits give double benefits - seeing places, and accumulating punya.

 

[anandb]

There is an English proverb "Cleanliness is next to Godliness". But, I always insist, it is cleanliness that precedes godliness. Where there is no purity - internal or external- God does not reside and He cannot be seen or realized there. That's my firm belief.

Temple is a public place, which receives a large number of visitors every day. On auspicious days and festival days, the crowd will be unmanageable.

I have seen mothers/grandparents washing their children/grandchildren's back, after
they pass stools (somewhere inside the temple) right under the drinking water taps.

I refuse to take bath in a temple tank, because it is so filthy and stinking. Temple tanks are no longer 'punniya theerthams'.

I hang my head in shame, if I happen to take a prestigious visitor to a popular temple, where all this is seen.

We should pay the temple servants including archakas very well, so that they don't unnecessarily trouble the visitors with unfair expectations and demands. If they are well paid, they will look after the temples neatly and carefully, as if they are a large sized 'puja room' of their own home.

Above all, discipline is a must for every section of the society.

These comments would probably invite the wrath of fellow Tamilians but I think it has to do with the inbuilt psyche of Tamilians. I find Tamilians to be the worst when it comes to cleanliness. I have seen so many middle class Tamilian homes and a majority of them I found that cleanliness is the least priority. There are all these arty items and dolls and paintings on the walls with a thick layer of dust which can give someone asthma. All it needs is a simple duster and some effort every couple of days but everyone seems to be so busy doing everything else other than dusting. Then why bother to keep a dusty looking shelf full of dusty dolls and who is going to appreciate them?

I think the people as well as the cleaning machinery have to cooperate in helping to keep clean. When people see mountains of garbage everywhere they think they can also make a small contribution and it will not matter. But a lot of it has to start at home and from a young age. Unless cleanliness is part of the psyche it is difficult to be clean.

I read some years ago that while Indians are good in private hygiene and bad in public hygiene the Westerners are the opposite. So while we take bath and change underwear regularly and throwing garbage all around in public, the average Brit changes underwear once in 8 days but does not mess around in public.

 

[pannvalan]

Home or a public place, to maintain cleanliness, certain small things will do.

1. Throw garbage only in the dustbin.
2. Keep an article back at the place from where it was picked up.
3. Toilets and Kitchen shall be kept neat and tidy, like a puja room.
4. Train your children to adopt clean habits.
5. Don't misuse drinking water for other purposes.
6. Similarly, wash basins must be cleaned as often as necessary.
7. Use floor cleaners and disinfectants to the required extent.
8. Wear properly washed clothes. (It gives freshness to the mind too).
9. Do not spit wherever you like.
10.Take care of children, the old people and the sick ones, with utmost sincerity and
dutifulness.

 

[jayamani]

A writ petition was filed for payment of salary as per GO.

The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : HR&CE Commissioner told to study 41 temple employees’ plea for salary

Arulmigu Vaitheeswaran Koil is very famou ksehtram with huge crowds most of the time. The Salary paid to the gurukkal is Rs.560.00 and by their own admission, they are making use of devotees for their survival. HR & CE department is getting an income of Rs.2 crore as per the report. Considering the crowds, it is certainly a possibility. What type of salary are being paid to these archaks/gurukkals. But, this approach of some gurkkals/archakas is certainly having a negative impact on devotess.

This is the status in many of the temples. Government is making huge revenues from Temples and not even a significant percentage is spent on the maintenance of the temples and salaries to temple staff. There should be sufficient staff to do the cleaning and related work also.

The officials of the HR&CE will be active only when there is a VIP visit. The Administration collects all types of fees, special, extra special, VIP, near the sanctum sanctorum etc and still no effort to maintain the temple premises. Apart from this food taken in the prakara itself is another embrassing feature with left over all around.

Lot of volunatary efforts by some organisations towards uzavara pani is being done in some of the temples and even if the Temple Administration or Govt is approached, no body cares. HR & CE is run like a Government Dept with no accountability and no effective system towards upkeep of the temples. Even some of the Kumbabhishekams of some temples were more due to the contribution of donors and public than by the Government. One can see an example in Sri Oppiliappan koil, where most of the works were undertaken by devotees and admn just oversees it.

One could find refreshingly serene atmosphere in privately maintained temples in Coimbatore. I had experienced the same in Nanganallur Anjaneya swamy temple which is nicely maintained

Unless HR&CE is reorganised or made accountable, things cannot improve. Only Hindu Temples are under the direct Government control and the money generated by the temples is not fully utilised either for the same temple or other temples who require funds.

 

[sangom]

In Kerala, the wages in the Travancore Devaswom Board are quite high as compared to what Shri jayamani has stated about Vaitheeswarankovil. Still, the maintenance, cleanliness, sincerity etc., are not at all satisfactory and fleecing the devotees is also not less. The only difference I found is that here the priests do not openly approach the parties and canvass them to do any special pooja/s. But some priests even come drunk, it is reported.

Hindus lost their control over their religious institutions long ago and some research is needed to find out the causes which led to such a legislation. Now, the State Govts. will acquire any temple if it is found to earn above a certain prescribed level. So, many privately owned temples reportedly resort to manipulation of their accounts in order to remain safe from the clutches of HR&CE. Perhaps RVR may know more about this.

 

[sankara_sharmah]

Running a temple is no joke. One of the temples in our village has been handed over to HR &CE by the owners because there was no one in the younger generation who is interested. They are not there now. Another temple was handed over to the Shringeri Mutt. These temples have no income.

We have a private temple which is run by a family trust. Since a lot of properties have been left to the trust, it is being managed. But with no regular income we do not know for how long. We are not able to get a qualified priest. Only the original family members are allowed inside the temple.

One of the Namboothiri Illams near Guruvayur handed over several temples to the Guruvayur temple administration. Hardly any one goes there.

There are thousands of temples with hardly any income. No devotees.

 

[T R RAMAMURTHY]

I think the discussion is taking somewhere else where it was not meant. Here is a temple which is collecting crores each month and archakas are also making crores. The temple priests are certainly having the blessing of Abhirami Amma but would Amma care something about the cleanliness which incidentally is next only to godliness. HRCE and the Priests are equally to blame. We are not talking of the temples where there is no collection but about a temple which is minting money temple management and the archakas like.