A.V. RAGUNATHAN
Samprokshanam will be held as scheduled on April 25: Executive Officer
The move of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Department to bring in two outside priests to replace senior Bhattacharyars of the renowned Sri Devanatha Swamy temple at Thiruvahindrapuram near here faced with stiff resistance and resulted in law and order problem.
The two priests from Sri Uppiliyappan Temple at Kumbakonam, namely Dwarakanatha Bhattacharyar (42) and Kannan Bhattacharyar (41) who have been temporarily drafted for duty in the place of their two senior counterparts Neelamegham Bhattacharyar (83) and his son Narasimha Bhattacharayar in the Thiruvahindrapuram temple, one of the 108 Divya Desams, had become the target of attack by the so-called local people on Thursday.
The two priests accompanied by Vijayaraghavan alias Kutti Kannan (42), who recites the Vedas in Sri Uppiliayppan Temple, came to Thiruvahindrapuram in the evening to take charge. However, even before they set foot inside the temple a group of people blocked their car at the entry point and unleashed violence.
Mr. Vijayaraghavan told The Hindu that he just accompanied the two Bhattacharyars to offer prayer at the Thiruvahindrapuram temple. When the mob damaged the front windshield of the brand new hired car he got baffled and got down to assess the situation.
But soon he was surrounded by scores of frenzied persons who started landing punches all over his body and somebody hit his head from behind. This forced Mr. Vijayaraghavan to take shelter in a nearby house to escape from the fury of the mob.
The two Bhattacharyars who were seated in the car told the driver to go to the Thiruvahindrapuram police station where they lodged the complaint. Mr. Dwarakanatha Bhattacharyar told this correspondent that they had come to Thiruvahindrapuram on the direction of the Assistant Commissioner of HR & CE Department J. Bharanidharan who is also the In-charge Assistant Commissioner of the Thiruvahindrapuram temple.
The official told them that since there were certain hurdles in performing pujas at the Thiruvahindrapuram temple, where the Samprokshanam was scheduled to take place on April 25, it would be appropriate for them to go there and take up the responsibility temporarily, until further orders.
Mr. Dwarakanatha Bhattacharayar said that he was not in the know of things as to what had been happening in the Thiruvahindrapuram temple. However, the Assistant Commissioner had given them an assurance that nothing untoward would happen as adequate protective measures were put in place.
However, Mr. Dwarakanatha Bhattacharyar said that they were taken by shock and surprise that they were virtually greeted with brickbats and choicest epithets, and of course with physical assault and threat. It made them to beat a hasty retreat.
He categorically said that it was never their intention to usurp the place of or to emerge as competitors to the already serving Bhattacharyars. It was only on the request of the HR & CE official that they had to act in an expeditious situation that they obliged.
Already they were too busy with Sri Uppiliyappan Temple and therefore they would not be able to take up any sort of assignment in the Thiruvahindrapuram temple.
On the basis of their complaint the police have arrested nine persons. A police contingent has been posted at the temple to maintain peace.
Two notices
Assistant Commissioner (HR & CE) J. Bharanidharan had issued a notice on August 18: retiring Neelamegha Bhattacharyar from the temple services because he had far exceeded the 60-year-age limit stipulated in the HR & CE Act.
In his place the Assistant Commissioner had appointed his son Narasimha Bhattacharyar to carry on the temple rituals. However, on April 19 the appointment of Narasimha Bhattacharyar was cancelled and he was placed under suspension on the pretext that he was facing certain (unexplained) charges.
Narasimha Bhattacharyar has also been directed to hand over all the valuables and property belonging to the temple and also other contributions made by the devotees to the Bhattacharyars who were posted in their place.
However, allaying fears over the performance of Samprokshanam Executive Officer K. Nagarajan categorically said that it would be conducted as per schedule on April 25.
He hinted that a detailed inquiry into the allegations against Narasimha Bhattacharyar would follow after the temple function.
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