Kerala: 3 lakh devotees, including 539 women, sign up digital crowd management system at Sabarimala Temple

At least three lakh devotees, including 539 women in the age group between 10 to 50 years, registered on the online portal started by Kerala police for implementing Digitised Crowd Management System (DCMS) at Sabarimala Temple. 

PTI photo

Thiruvananthapuram: At least three lakh devotees, including 539 women in the age group between 10 to 50 years, registered on the online portal started by Kerala police for implementing Digitised Crowd Management System (DCMS) at Sabarimala Temple.
Last month, the state police had announced the DCMS initiative in an effort to make devotees visit hassle-free.
Devotees can opt for their preferred date and time to visit the 12th-century shrine, bookings for which can be done through the official website.
Devotees can also fix darshan timings and book bus tickets from Nilakkal to Pamba. The booking will be valid for 48 hours.
Kerala has been on a boil after the September 28 Supreme Court verdict permitting women of all age groups into the Sabarimala temple with right wing and Hindu outfits on a warpath over the state government's decision to go ahead and implement the top court verdict.
The hill shrine had recently witnessed protests by devotees against the attempt by some young women, including journalists, to enter the temple.
The day also saw the Kerala High Court coming down on the recent agitation at Sabarimala.
The court on Thursday turned down a bail plea by a man arrested last month, saying protests against the entry of women to the Sabarimala temple were unacceptable.
"The protests at Sabarimala are not acceptable as it is against the verdict of the Supreme Court," a High Court bench said, rejecting the request for bail by Kochi resident Govind Madhusudhan.
With agency inputs

http://zeenews.india.com/kerala/kerala-3-lakh-devotees-including-539-women-sign-up-digital-crowd-management-system-at-sabarimala-temple-2154111.html

In the Temples of Tamil Nadu, a Thorn Still Troubles Periyar’s Heart

Non-Brahmin students, including Dalits, trained as priests are stranded but still hopeful.

Students of the training school garland a statue of Periyar. Ranganathan (right) is the coordinator of the Archakas’ Association.

Kavitha Muralidharan

Chennai: G. Balaguru, 32, was performing a puja at a small private temple in the village of Pallipattu, in southern Tamil Nadu, when the news reached him. The Kerala government was appointing 54 non-Brahmins, including Dalits, as temple priests.
For the second time in a year, Balaguru felt his hopes rise that he might someday be appointed as a temple priest by the government of Tamil Nadu. The first time, T. Marichami – a non-Brahmin – was appointed to a temple at Madurai by the state government’s Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department.
Balaguru’s dream towards the ‘someday’ started over a decade ago. In 2007, he had joined a training school in Tiruchendur to be trained as a priest. Six such schools were set up across the state after the DMK government in 2006 issued an order allowing members of all communities to become temple priests. Balaguru, a Dalit, had always been pious and keenly interested in ‘temple affairs.’
“I used to do accounting in local temples as a volunteer,” he said. “My father had passed away some years ago and my mother used to work for a hundred days a year under MGNREGA. She was actually thrilled at the possibility of her son working in a government temple sometime.”

Students of the temple-priest training institute.

The journey towards the dream was not easy, however, for the 206 students trained in the schools.
“It is mandatory that those who have been trained have to be provided with government jobs,” said V. Ranganathan, state coordinator of Tamil Nadu government-qualified Archakas’s Association. “That has not happened till now.”
Also read: Casteism Front and Centre at Pune Summit to Promote Brahmin Entrepreneurs
The process of training was in itself discriminatory, Ranganathan said. “We need to be trained in two procedures – to perform rituals in the Tamil way and in the Agama way [using Sanskrit slokas and mantras]. It was easy for us to learn the Tamil way of doing things. When it came to Agama way, the Brahmins opposed it tooth and nail, and would threaten anyone who came forward to teach us the Agamas. A 90-year-old man who came forward heeding to our requests was beaten up. In fact, the association of priests had passed a resolution against teaching us.”
Discrimination was evident again when the students were required to do practical sessions with the idols of deities. “With the priests refusing to give us idols, we had to make our own idols for our practical sessions. We have also been assaulted by them.”

Students with a 90-year-old guru who was allegedly assaulted for offering to teach them Agama slokas.

Many of these 200-odd students continue to work in private temples for meagre salaries. Thirty-year-old A. Arun works in a temple at Aathur near Salem. “I did the course in Madurai. I do hope that someday we will land in government jobs; that is why I still continue to work as a priest.” He agrees that the government salaries could still be meagre, but landing a government job is more about dignity. “We do not want to be left out, especially in temples governed by the government which should treat everyone equally. It is our fundamental right.”
But S. Balakumar who works at a temple in Vellore has possibly given up all hopes. “Some of us work as priests, but there are others who have not been able to secure such jobs. They do menial works and have invited ridicule of those around them. It is very frustrating.”
Ironically, the schools stopped functioning after the first batch of students ran into trouble.
When E.V. Ramaswami, widely known as Periyar, announced a struggle in 1970 demanding that all communities should be allowed to work as temple priests, he called the discrimination a thorn in his heart. At the time, the DMK government asked Periyar to not go ahead with the protests and passed a law to the effect. In 1972, however, the law was challenged in the Supreme Court, which ruled against it. When passing the order in 2006, then chief minister M. Karunanidhi famously said that the thorn in the heart of Periyar was finally removed.
Also read: The Trigger Behind the Defacing of the ‘Disputed’ Manu Statue at Rajasthan HC
In 2015, the apex court refused to strike down the order, but said that appointments should be in accordance with the Agama that governs the worship at respective temples. Since then, except for Marichami’s appointment, there has been no progress.
More recently, these students including Marichami met DMK president M.K. Stalin and thanked him for the party’s efforts towards making members of all communities as temple priests.
“The present AIADMK government should take a cue from the Kerala government and appoint all of us as temple priests. It needs to show some strong political will,” says Balaguru. “You claim that Tamil Nadu is a land of Periyar, and that you follow his footsteps. Would it suffice to merely garland his statue on his birth and death anniversaries?”

G. Balaguru, a trainee Dalit priest.

Ranganathan says a social revolution is necessary to bring about the change. “A non-Brahmin can even become an IAS officer in this country, but cannot step into a temple,” he said. “I think this discrimination and untouchability is not just rampant but encouraged in the Hindu religion. It was a movement like Makkal Urimai Paathukaapu Maiyam (Centre for Protection of Public Rights) that stood up for us when we were stranded. No Hindu religious movement did. I personally believe that caste has to be annihilated for a non-Brahmin to cross all hurdles and become a priest. I have hence decided to follow the path of Periyar.”
Others hope that their ‘someday’ will arrive soon.
Kavitha Muralidharan is an independent journalist.

https://thewire.in/caste/tamil-nadu-temples-dalit-priests

 

ஏசுவின் ஊழியத்தில் தூத்துகுடி தமிழக இந்து அறநிலைய அதிகாரிகள்!

 
ஏசுவின் ஊழியத்தில் தூத்துகுடி தமிழக இந்து அறநிலைய அதிகாரிகள்!

தூத்துக்குடி அருள்மிகு சங்கரராமேஸ்வரர் திருக்கோவிலுக்கு மாப்பிள்ளையூரணி கிராமத்தில் 33 ஏக்கர் 79 சென்ட் புன்செய் நிலம் (சர்வே நம்பர் 182/7) சொந்தமாக உள்ளது. அதில் கிருஸ்துவர்கள் சர்ச் கட்டி அந்த பகுதியை சவேரியார் கடற்கறை என புதிதாக பெயர் மாற்றி சட்ட விரோதமாக மின் இணைப்பும் பெற்றுள்ளனர்.

மேலும் அந்த பகுதியில் சர்ச் கட்டியிருக்கும் பங்குதார்ர்கள் கெட்டு போன மீன்களை காயப்போட்டு பூமியை (கருவாடு அல்ல) மாசுபடுத்தி தொழில் செய்து வருகிறார்கள்.

கடந்த இரண்டு ஆண்டுகளாக பக்தர்கள் பலர் புகார் தெரிவித்தும், கோயில் பணத்தில் இருந்து பல கோடி சம்பளம் 'எடுத்து' கொள்ளும் அரசு அதிகாரிகளோ எந்த நடவடிக்கையும் எடுக்கவில்லை.

வன்புணர்வு செய்தவனிடமே பெண்ணை திருமணம் செய்து கொடுத்து, சட்டப்படி தினமும் வன்புணர்வு செய்ய வழி செய்து கொடுப்பது போல்....நிலத்தை ஆக்கிரமித்தவனுக்கே கடைசியில் நிலத்தை 'நியாய வாடகை நிர்ணயம்' என்ற பெயரில் கொடுத்து விடுகிறார்கள் இந்து அறநிலைத் துறையினர். 

அதாவது இனி காலத்திற்கு வாடகை என்ற பெயரில் ஒரு சிறு தொகையை கொடுத்து வாழையடி வாழையாக சட்டப்படி ஆக்கிரமிப்பாளர்கள் உபயோகப்படுத்தி கொள்வார்கள்.

ஹிந்துகளே... இந்த சிறந்த நிர்வாகம் உங்களுக்கு தேவையா?.... 

அடுத்துவனுக்கு கூட்டி கொடுக்கும் அதிகாரிகளின் கையில் உங்கள் கோயில் இருக்க வேண்டுமா? சிந்திப்பீர்....

Herculean task ahead for the authorities

The HinduInformative: A board displaying the details of rent due by tenants of Kapaleeswarar Temple. Photo: K.V. Srinivasan

An old-fashioned bungalow stands on the banks of the Adyar River on a sprawling five grounds. Located at the end of Bughs Road, beyond the Sundaram Temple at R.A. Puram, not many know of its existence. But it is a wellknown shooting spot and a much sought after destination of the directors of TV serials and feature films.

Today the bungalow is in possession of the authorities of Kapaleeswarar Temple, Mylapore. “It is our property and has been so right from 1958,” says A.T. Paranjothi, DC, HR & CE. Tracing its history, he says: “About 19 grounds (land was given to the temple by Bughs, a military personnel) was rented out to Krishnaveni, actress, in 1958 for a rent of Rs. 180. Later on n 1975 the rent was revised to Rs. 400. She did pay the rent till the temple authorities revised

the scale to Rs. 6,400 (commercial rent) as she was using the area for shooting purposes. So in 1989 the authorities filed a case against her and asked her to hand over the property to the temple. In 1994 the judgment was delivered in

favour of the temple. She fought many legal battles. Between 2002 and 2008, the authorities tried to evict the family but she and her daughter Anuradha Devi raised objections. Execution petition of the eviction was pending in the court till 2011 and finally after obtaining orders from the court at the fag end of the year, we recovered five grounds and 1.073 sq ft of land on Dec. 9, last year.

“While six grounds have been encroached by a single person (who has built residential buildings here), five grounds have been handed over to MRTS and the rest have been encroached by slum dwellers. Steps will be taken to evict them too,” says Mr. Paranjothi. According to him, history says that about 299 grounds of land were given to Kapaleeswarar Temple in 1952 by Mr. Bughs before he moved to England.

Another major recovery made by the HR & CE is a building in Kapali Nagar, opposite to Saibaba Temple on Venkatesa Agraharam. “We caught a tenant when he was trying to sublet his residence. Fearing criminal proceedings, he handed over the property to the temple,” says Mr. Paranjothi.

The Aavin parlour on R.K. Mutt Road near the bus stand was actually functioning on temple land for which it was paying no rent. The authorities issued eviction notice and the property was handed over the temple by the end of 2011.

There are 20 major defaulters — ordinary residents to private companies — who have dues running into

lakhs of rupees. “All of them will be penalised if they do not pay a fair rent and will be evicted if they refuse to,” says the DC. The temple has a lot of property donated to it by the Cholas, Pandiyas and Pallavas. At present, a number of tenants are using them for commercial and residential purposes. The rent was fixed by trustees, decades ago. Some were given on a 99-year lease, others for 50 years while some on a monthly basis. There were no proper guidelines until 1998. Depending on whether they were commercial, noncommercial or residential, rent was fixed, based on the market value. A Government Order, stating that the fares would be revised once in three years by 33.33 per cent, was issued. But as the tenants raised objections another G.O. reducing the rental rate was issued in 2007.

Based on this, the Government has ordered the HR & CE to track and penalise the defaulters and recover properties. Notices have been issued to all of them. While some have approached the judiciary, others have agreed to pay. “Properties worth more than 20 crores are yet to be recovered. It is a Herculean task and I hope to execute it to the best of my ability,” concludes Mr. Paranjothi.

PIL against pass system for Meenakshi Tirukkalyanam

“Religion says all are equal before God, but HR and CE acts contrary to it”

A public interest litigation petition has been filed in the Madras High Court Bench here against the practice of issuing entry passes for the Meenakshi Tirukkalyanam to be held in the precincts of the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple here on May 2.

An advocate, P. Sundaravadivel, had filed the petition alleging that the entry passes were circulated only among family members, relatives and friends of people working in the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments, Police and Revenue Departments thereby depriving the benefit to the common man.

According to the petitioner, the annual event of conducting a divine marriage between Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Sundareswarar was the most important and famous festival of Madurai. Lakhs of devotees from far and near used to gather in the city during the day of marriage.

Almost every devotee of Goddess Meenakshi would want to have a direct glimpse of the Tirukkalyanam which was originally conducted in the Tirukkalyana Mandapam inside the temple.

It was shifted to the Aadi Veedhi in the recent times to accommodate more number of devotees.

“I state that all devotees of Meenakshi Amman were happy at that time (when the venue was shifted) with the hope that they will get a chance of fulfilling their life long dream of watching the Tirukkalyanam. But, shockingly things did not happen that way,” the petitioner said.

Stating that the Joint Commissioner of HR and CE department-cum-Executive Officer of the temple introduced a pass system for watching the event, the petitioner alleged that these passes were garnered only by people belonging to certain government departments and ruling party functionaries.

“All these people occupy the entire space on the temple premises and none of the general devotees could see the Tirukkalyanam. Apart from these, the families of thousands of policemen and temple employees are allowed freely even without passes to watch the Tirukkalyanam.

“Thus, only the families of the rich and the influential persons could watch the Tirukkalyanam every year. This year, the HR and CE Department has decided to provide air-conditioning facility to the people who come to watch the Tirukkalyanam with passes issued by the Executive Officer.

“While millions of devotees are longing to see the Tirukkalyanam at least once in their lifetime, the HR and CE Department is abruptly denying it under the guise of pass system… When religion says all are equal before God, the HR and CE Department acts contrary to it,” the petitioner's affidavit read.

Representations

He claimed to have sent representations to the HR and CE Commissioner, Collector, Corporation Commissioner and Police Commissioner on March 30 seeking to dispense with the pass system.

The Corporation Commissioner alone responded asking the petitioner to approach the temple's executive officer.

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Event conducted inside the temple was shifted to Aadi Veedhi to accommodate more devotees

Passes given to kin, friends of people working in HR & CE, police, revenue departments: petitioner

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/article3344240.ece