prasad1
Active member
There is a thread about Onam in ritual section. This a political piece.
Ahead of the Onam festival, a controversy is brewing over steps to erect a statue of demon king Mahabali, the mythical ruler around whom festival lore revolves, in the premises of a temple in Kerala.
The Travancore Devaswom Board's move to set up a bronze statue of Bali, modelled on a painting drawn by a Travancore king, adjacent to Trikkakkara Vamanamoorthy Temple in Ernakulam district, has been opposed by devotees and right wing outfitsHindu Aikya Vedi leader E S Biju said they were not against Mahabali and were extending solidarity to devotees opposed to installing the statue in the temple premises.
"Bali was a people-friendly ruler and devotee of Lord Vishnu, according to legend. So there is nothing wrong in installing his statue. But devotees have objection to setting it up in the ground of the temple, dedicated to Lord Vamana. We also support them," he said.
The leader also alleged that the Board was taking unilateral decisions in this regard and devotees had already approached the Devaswom Ombudsman against the TDB's move.
The issue gained attention in the wake of RSS mouthpiece 'Kesari' kicking up a controversy last year questioning the legend behind Onam, arguing that it marks the celebration of birth of Vamana and not the homecoming of demon king Mahabali.
Popular belief in the state has it that Mahabali's homecoming in the Malayalam month of Chingam to see his subjects is celebrated as 'Thiru Onam' annually, which falls on September 4 this year.
As per mythology, Onam, the harvest festival, is connected with demon king Mahabali, under whose reign everyone
lived in happiness and equality.
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/nati...king-statue-at-thrikkakara-vamana-temple.html
Ahead of the Onam festival, a controversy is brewing over steps to erect a statue of demon king Mahabali, the mythical ruler around whom festival lore revolves, in the premises of a temple in Kerala.
The Travancore Devaswom Board's move to set up a bronze statue of Bali, modelled on a painting drawn by a Travancore king, adjacent to Trikkakkara Vamanamoorthy Temple in Ernakulam district, has been opposed by devotees and right wing outfitsHindu Aikya Vedi leader E S Biju said they were not against Mahabali and were extending solidarity to devotees opposed to installing the statue in the temple premises.
"Bali was a people-friendly ruler and devotee of Lord Vishnu, according to legend. So there is nothing wrong in installing his statue. But devotees have objection to setting it up in the ground of the temple, dedicated to Lord Vamana. We also support them," he said.
The leader also alleged that the Board was taking unilateral decisions in this regard and devotees had already approached the Devaswom Ombudsman against the TDB's move.
The issue gained attention in the wake of RSS mouthpiece 'Kesari' kicking up a controversy last year questioning the legend behind Onam, arguing that it marks the celebration of birth of Vamana and not the homecoming of demon king Mahabali.
Popular belief in the state has it that Mahabali's homecoming in the Malayalam month of Chingam to see his subjects is celebrated as 'Thiru Onam' annually, which falls on September 4 this year.
As per mythology, Onam, the harvest festival, is connected with demon king Mahabali, under whose reign everyone
lived in happiness and equality.
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/nati...king-statue-at-thrikkakara-vamana-temple.html
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