Janaki Jambunathan
Active member
From Jyothishkudi, Swami Pillai Lokachariar reached sri vaikuntam.Without his noble sacrifice of life, we probably would not be having darshanam of Namperumal in Srirangam (peruman came back to Srirangam after more than 40 years.)
kazhiyurvaradanblog.in
Vakunda Ekadesi is grand festival for Namperumal
The Hindu carries an article about the well of Vedanarayana Perumal Temple in Kodi kulam or Jothishkudi - place where Srirangam Namperumal was taken for saftey ! While dying he was holding to ants and insects so they could reach Vaikuntam along with him!
Where is that compassion to day?
TAMIL NADU
A well remains out of reach for Scheduled Castes in this village
P. A. Narayani
MADURAI, JANUARY 06, 2020 00:00 IST
UPDATED: JANUARY 06, 2020 05:32 IST
The community waits for caste Hindus to fetch water
On Saturday morning, a steady stream of men and women, carrying pots and vessels, were making a beeline to fetch water from a public well near Vedanarayana Perumal Temple, under the foothills of Yanaimalai (elephant hills) near Madurai.
“This sacred well is the main source of drinking water for the village. Remove your slippers and come near the well,” says 60-year-old V. Malaiyayi, a resident of the village.
Every villager can fetch water from the well, except members of Scheduled Caste families, says A. Aiyammal, another resident.
Pointing to a marutham tree around 100 metres from the well, she says: “They can stand near the tree with their vessels and we fetch water for them. We do not object or prohibit them from fetching water from the well. But, if they try to draw water from the well, honeybees will attack them or they will be punished by the gods,”she says.
Due to the institutionalised caste system, even today members of Scheduled Caste families refrain rom fetching water from this well. In 2011-2012, former district collector U. Sagayam, who inspected the village, said that everyone can fetch water from the well. But the SC people say that they fear the repercussions of breaking the age-old practice.
Presently, they either consume hard water from public taps or wait under the marudham tree for caste Hindus to fetch water for them. “We have all been brought up saying that fetching water from the well would invite the wrath of the gods. We ensure that our children also don’t go near the well,” says a resident of the SC community, speaking on condition of anonymity.
A.P. Selvam, village assistant, claims that the caste Hindus never openly prohibit people from fetching water. “We are just 60 families in number and most of us work in their [caste Hindus] farmlands as labourers. We do not want to act in defiance in order of the village and invite unwanted trouble,” says another member from the SC community.
Collector T. G. Vinay says he will inspect the village and take action.
LOKACHARYA COMPASSION
Our great vaihnava saint Lokacharyar Sri Pillai Lokachariar, about 118 years old then, saved our dharisanam by getting Namperumal safely out of Srirangam . This sad episode was because of Malik K…
kazhiyurvaradanblog.in
Vakunda Ekadesi is grand festival for Namperumal
The Hindu carries an article about the well of Vedanarayana Perumal Temple in Kodi kulam or Jothishkudi - place where Srirangam Namperumal was taken for saftey ! While dying he was holding to ants and insects so they could reach Vaikuntam along with him!
Where is that compassion to day?
TAMIL NADU
A well remains out of reach for Scheduled Castes in this village
P. A. Narayani
MADURAI, JANUARY 06, 2020 00:00 IST
UPDATED: JANUARY 06, 2020 05:32 IST
The community waits for caste Hindus to fetch water
On Saturday morning, a steady stream of men and women, carrying pots and vessels, were making a beeline to fetch water from a public well near Vedanarayana Perumal Temple, under the foothills of Yanaimalai (elephant hills) near Madurai.
“This sacred well is the main source of drinking water for the village. Remove your slippers and come near the well,” says 60-year-old V. Malaiyayi, a resident of the village.
Every villager can fetch water from the well, except members of Scheduled Caste families, says A. Aiyammal, another resident.
Pointing to a marutham tree around 100 metres from the well, she says: “They can stand near the tree with their vessels and we fetch water for them. We do not object or prohibit them from fetching water from the well. But, if they try to draw water from the well, honeybees will attack them or they will be punished by the gods,”she says.
Due to the institutionalised caste system, even today members of Scheduled Caste families refrain rom fetching water from this well. In 2011-2012, former district collector U. Sagayam, who inspected the village, said that everyone can fetch water from the well. But the SC people say that they fear the repercussions of breaking the age-old practice.
Presently, they either consume hard water from public taps or wait under the marudham tree for caste Hindus to fetch water for them. “We have all been brought up saying that fetching water from the well would invite the wrath of the gods. We ensure that our children also don’t go near the well,” says a resident of the SC community, speaking on condition of anonymity.
A.P. Selvam, village assistant, claims that the caste Hindus never openly prohibit people from fetching water. “We are just 60 families in number and most of us work in their [caste Hindus] farmlands as labourers. We do not want to act in defiance in order of the village and invite unwanted trouble,” says another member from the SC community.
Collector T. G. Vinay says he will inspect the village and take action.
