Friday, February 27, 2009
Bhakti Maha Sangamam - The Tirupathi meet
Bhakti Maha Sangamam - The Tirupathi meet
S V Badri
27 February 2009
Kamal Kumar Swamiji’s name inspires and draws thousands of Hindus of all castes, specially the oppressed and downtrodden, the Lambadas and the most backward in Andhra Pradesh. This was evident when over 15,000 simple bhaktas joined him on the concluding lap of his Mahapadayatra that took 197 days, through 11 districts of Andhra Pradesh, a walkathon encompassing 5,255 kms. of unimaginable terrain!
Swamiji, founder General Secretary of the Hindu Devalaya Parirakshana Samiti, A.P., began his second Mahapadayatra on 6 August 2008, from Sri Kurmam Mandir, Srikakulam District, and reached Tirupathi on 14 February 2009. The first Mahapadayatra, from Saraswati Mandir, Basara, to Tirupathi, covered 3,200 kms.
This time the canvass was much bigger. Each of the 11 districts now has a proper secretariat of the Hindu Devalaya Parirakshana Samiti, with members drawn from all castes. Each of the over 788 villages that Swamiji traversed is now charged with bhakta fervour. People’s groups have been formed in each village to take care of their own Mandir affairs.
The most gratifying result of the Mahapadayatra was to bring awareness to common bhaktas in remote villages and disjointed Hindus in towns about the fate of Hindu Mandirs under Government control. The fiery and informative speeches of Kamal Kumar Swamiji had the desired effect at each myriad stop, and the Tirupathi Maha Bhakti Sangamam meet had representatives from EVERY village he passed through.
By the evening of 15 February, hundreds of bhaktas were pouring into Tirupathi. They were received and rested in six kalyana mandapams, and offered annadana with the respect due to a Hindu Atithi (guest).
The Grand Procession
The procession was grand and colourful. Over 15,000 bhaktas, each with saffron angavastram round the neck, men and women of all ages, some with infants, walked with a spring in their steps, led by Kamal Kumar Swamiji. Bhaktas dressed as Kali, Hanuman, Rama, Krishna… At every stop, they enacted tribal dance sequences of Mahishasuramardini, Asuravadha by the Devas, to the delight of onlookers lined on both sides of the roads.
The three kilometer-long procession enlivened the pilgrimage town. The tribal drummers were at their best, with beats reverberating in the air, long after they left. Slogans pierced the skies, calling for abolishment of the Endowment Department and returning Mandirs to Hindus for proper management, for providing Nitya Dhoop, Deep, Nivedanam to our Gods and Goddesses.
The procession took more than four hours to reach the Municipal School Grounds, the venue for the Maha Bhakti Sangamam. The colourful pandals and shamianas offered relief from the scorching February sun. Hospitality flowed, and the public meeting which began at 1 p.m. went on till 6.30 p.m. Dr. Subramanian Swamy, former Union Minister, presided over the Maha Bhakti Sangamam. Over 30 district functionaries of the Hindu Devalaya Parirakshana Samiti were invited to share the dais. Sri M. Subramaniam Yadav, Vice President of the Hindu Devalaya Parirakshana Samiti (HDPS) received the dignitaries and Bhaktas and gave a brief summary of Swami Kamal Kumarji’s second Mahapadayatra.
Sri Yelamanchi Prasad, Chairman, Global Hindu Heritage Foundation, USA cited examples of discrimination against Hindus in India and the appeasement of minorities. He gave a clarion call for the Government to “Quit Mandirs” and to leave Hindu Mandir affairs to Bhaktas.
Smt Lakshmi Parvati, wife of late Shri N.T. Rama Rao and President of NTR Telugu Desam spoke of the spiritual vastness of Sanatana Dharma and the importance of Mandirs in our Dharma. She recalled how her late husband had always worked for the cause of improving the conditions of the Hindu Mandirs.
Sri Bandaru Dattatreya, President, AP State unit of BJP, lambasted Chief Minister Samuel Reddy for not keeping his word of rebuilding the 1000 Pillared Mandap at Tirumala. He reminded the public that Mr. Chandrababu Naidu lost the election because he allowed the ancient Mandapam to be brought down during his regime. He warned a similar fate awaited the present government. He accused the regime of allowing 65000 acres of Mandir lands in AP to slip silently into private hands.
Dr. Subramanian Swamy rued that we are not consolidating as a Hindu vote bank, unlike the minorities, who get away with everything with just this weapon in hand. He briefed the cheering audience about his efforts through the courts to prevent the destruction of the Ram Setu by the Sonia-led UPA. While this government could not take an alternate alignment to protect the Ram Setu, it had no qualms in changing the entire alignment of a railway line in the Konkan area to protect a Church.
Dr. Swamy gave statistics of how the numbers of Mandirs are allowed to dwindle while in the same period, churches and mosques have increased exponentially, dotting the Andhra landscape under the Christian YSR regime. There are 42 mosques in Ayodhya where no Muslim offers prayers, while they fight for Babri where no prayers were offered for generations.
He said that even in Saudi Arabia they bring down mosques obstructing road projects, and a mosque can be relocated anywhere as the sanctity is of the Namaz, not the building. In contrast, the Mandirs are sacred as Prana Pratistha of the Vigraha and consecration is done as per the Agamas.
Dr Swamy averred that he would be impleading himself in the Chidambaram Nataraja Mandir case on behalf of the Dikshitars and would take the Ayodhya case to the Supreme Court. He assured the public that very soon restrictions on offering pujas to Sri Rama would be removed and bhaktas will have free darshan. He lamented that while it was Sri Krishna who was born in Kamsa’s jail, the present regime has put Rama behind bars in Ayodhya. It was my pleasant duty to translate this electrifying speech into Telugu.
Sri Datta Vijayananda Teerdha Swamiji of Avadhuta Datta Peetham, Mysore, spoke out against religious conversions by Christian missionaries. He urged the Centre to enact an effective anti-conversion law. Swamiji condemned the Government for having Hindu Mandirs under its control and not taking proper care of them, and demanded the abolition of the Endowment Department. He stressed the need to preserve Hindu Temples and Hindu Dharma, and encouraged Hindus to follow its rich and eternal values. He said Hindu temples must be freed from government control and all Hindus should look at serving the needs of the poor.
Sri Raghunadhacharya of Ashtalakshmi Peetham criticized government interference in Hindu Mandir affairs and offered His blessings and support to the Bhagiratha task undertaken by Kamal Kumar Swamiji.
Sri Ganjam Prabhakaracharyulu of Vaikanasa Peetham highlighted the plight of poor archakas and urged the government to immediately offer succour to them.
Sri Dusserla Satyanarayana, President of the Telengana Jala Sadhana which was instrumental in making water available through a series of agitations in the arid Telangana region, offered unstinted support to the movement.
Sri Bhanumurthi of Telangana Archaka Samajam spoke of the plight of the poor archakas and how successive governments have neglected this important segment of the Hindu Samaj.
Veda Bharati founder, Sri Neralla Avadhani’s book in Telugu, “Hindu AalayalakuSwatantra Prativarthi” was released by Kamal Kumar Swamiji and the first copy was received by Dr. Subramanian Swamy.
Dr. Prakasarao Velagapudi, President of Global Hindu Heritage Foundation (GHHF) spoke of its formation and mission and NRI support to the cause of freeing Temples from government control. He asked all Hindus to attend the temples and participate in the movement to repeal the Endowment Act.
Sri Kamal Kumar Swamiji demanded that government cease mismanaging Hindu Mandir affairs. He called for the abolishment of the Hindu Endowment Department. Shouts of Jai Shriram, Kamal Kumar Swamiji ki Jai pierced the air. People cheered every word he spoke. He spoke about his experiences during the Mahapadayatra, telling the people that he drew inspiration from their bhakti and commitment to the Mandir cause. His powerful oratory kept the people engrossed.
Sri Venkatnarayanan, Secretary, Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha, Sri Bhanu Prakash Reddy, President BJP (Youth), AP, Anita Sakuru, Vice President, HDPS and Ajay Sakuru, Sri Vinay Bopanna, Dr TRN Rao participated in the Bhakti Maha Sangamam.
End of meeting – Onward march to Tirumala
It was a sight that gladdened the heart. The colourful group of 15,000 headed by Kamal Kumar Swamiji left the Municipal Grounds to trek the Sacred Seven Hills. Unlike last time, they were not stopped when each one carried a Bhagva in hand. People vied with each other to touch the feet of Swamiji and to seek his blessings.
What was most gratifying was that the TTD choultries housed all of them at Tirumala and the darshan of Sri Balaji was arranged without a hitch. The TTD came forward to provide annadanam to all of them until the day they left the Sacred Hills after darshan. For over 90% of them, this was their first darshan of Sri Venkateshwara.
The Good News comes the very next day
The meeting took place on Monday, 16 February 2009. The very next day the AP Government bowed to our requests and passed a G.O. sanctioning a sum of Rs.2500/month towards Dhoop, Deepa, Neivedyam of 4000 inactive Mandirs, in addition to sanctioning a sum of Rs. 1,500/month to the archakas of these Mandirs.
This is just the beginning. Kamal Kumar Swamiji promised to continue his programme of awakening Hindu Bhaktas till the Mandirs are back under the rightful control of the Hindu Samaj.
Follow Up
With District-wise office bearers of HDPS in place, following immediate tasks are being planned:
1] Identifying a team of committed Hindu advocates and attaching them to each of
these district units.
2] Engaging the Government in legal battles to restore Mandir lands illegally occupied
in these areas, to the respective Mandirs, through the legal wing of the HDPS.
3] Identifying Hindu workers (full time) for each District Units @ 5/district to keep up
the momentum.
4] Proper selection and utilization of archaka manpower in the 4000 Mandirs
sanctioned by the recent GO of Government of AP.
There is still a long way to go. But with a committed Swamiji like Sri Kamal Kumar Swamiji and the thousands of Hindu Bhaktas whom he was able to inspire with his two Mahapadayatras, there is no doubt we will continue to achieve major victories in our struggle.
Appeal
Kamal Kumar Swamiji appeals to all Hindus to support this noble cause and join in the future programmes against the establishment to reach our goal – “Mana Devalayalani Maname Kaapadukuntam” (We will protect our Mandirs).
Labels: Balaji, Bhati, Swami, Tirupati, Venkateshwara
Once a Roja, now a Slumdog
Which one is hate and which one is love, Dilip Kumar Mudaliar @ A R Rahman?
S V Badri
25 February 2009
This is not to belittle the genius and success of A R Rahman. This is just to connect his recent statement at the Oscars to his background, and to reveal the unknown face Rahman was so clever as to keep under wraps. This is to bring to surface the second Rahman – one who took to hating his natal religion the moment he took to Islam.
To the entire world, he is humility personified. He is pious, religious, genius, the very best. So be it.
His second Oscar acceptance speech gave him away. It allowed us a sneak preview of the core of Rahman:
“All my life I had a choice of hate or love. I chose love, and I’m here”
To understand the statement, one must dig into his early life. It shows deeply hidden hatred for Hindus and Hindu Dharma, ever since he converted to Islam.Even I, who had seen him work from very close quarters on two projects in his pre-Roja days, was bowled over by his simplicity and humility. He nurtured this fine art for years to win over many of his producers and the public.
The early days of A.S. Dilip Kumar
He was born as A.S. Dilip Kumar to R.K. Sekhar and Kasturi (now Kareena Begum) in a Tamil Mudaliar family, the second of three children. His sisters are Kanchana (Rehana after conversion, which resulted in divorce with her staunch Hindu husband), and Fathima.
Kanchana’s son, G.V. Prakash, who has shot to fame as a music director having already scored music to many films starting with Veyyil and Rajnikant’sKuchelan, is also a staunch Hindu like his father. G.V. Prakash was the synthesizer player for Chettinad Vidyashram’s music troupe as a nine-year-old when my son, Aditya Kasyap, then in class XI, was the music club secretary and lead singer.
R.K. Sekhar (Dilip aka Rehman’s father) was an immensely talented musician, with no real breaks in the film field. He was more a conductor of orchestra for Salil Chowdhary and Devarajan in Malayalam filmdom (Mollywood). Yet his father’s passion for music was so embedded in Dilip’s genes that when he was just four-years-old, he started playing the harmonium. Later he learnt piano under the famous Dhanraj Master. His father gifted him a Synthesizer bought on a trip to Singapore, and this instrument so fascinated young Dilip that it became the source of sounds that would change the Indian film music world later.
In an interview, he says: “My father passed away when I was 9 years old. My mother used to narrate many tales about my father which used to make me very happy. My father was regarded to be highly knowledgeable in music by many people. I still listen to many of the old songs tuned by him. I think that it’s his enormous knowledge of music that has come down to me by the grace of God.”
Sekhar died ironically on the day of the release of his first film. Young Dilip had tagged along with his mother, hopping from one hospital to other, including CMC, Vellore, and to Bible-toting pastors and Sheik Abdul Qadir Jeelani (Pir Qadri), but it was too late…
He became an atheist. When 11 years old, he joined as keyboard player in Ilayaraja’s troupe, struggled hard and slowly made a name with his popular jingles. His loss of faith in God continued through his teens when in 1988 one sister fell seriously ill. Medicines, havans and Bible-reading pastors failed to revive her. The family finally tried the same Pir Qadri, whom they called very late in the case of Sekhar. Dilip’s sister made a miraculous recovery. This was attributed to the Pir and Dilip slowly came under his influence. Gradually, the entire family converted to Islam; Kanchana even accepted divorce as the price of conversion.
Thus A.S. Dilip Kumar became Allah Rakha Rahman. Today, Rahman says “Islam has given me peace. As Dilip I had an inferiority complex. As A.R. Rahman I feel like I have been born again” [http://members.tripod.com/
Asked what prompted him to convert to Islam, he said: “I remember my father suffering. He was taken to eight to nine hospitals, including the CMC hospital in Vellore and the Vijaya hospital in Madras. I saw him suffering physical pain... I remember the Christian priests who would read from the Bible beside his hospital bed... I remember the pujas and the yagnas performed by the pundits... by the time the Muslim pirs came it was too late. He had already left us. After my father passed away, for some years when I was a teenager, I believed there was no God. But there was a feeling of restlessness within me. I realised that there can be no life without a force governing us... without one God. And I found what I was looking for in Islam. I would go with my mother to dargahs. And Pirsaab Karim Mullashah Qadri would advise us. When we shifted to this house, we resolved to stick to the faith.”
The family’s penchant to check with astrologers did not desert them even after converting to Islam; an astrologer chose Dilip’s Islamic name! He gave him the name Abdul Rahman, but insisted that he should have two initials, so he became Abdul Rahman Rahman. Later, Naushad turned ‘A.R.’ to Allah Rakha, and Dilip Kumar became Allah Rakha Rahman.
It is reputed that G. Venkateshwaran of GV Films and his brother Mani Ratnam had some misunderstanding with Illayaraja, and that is how Rahman was picked for Roja; the rest is history.
A Roja becomes a slumdog - Hate vs. Love
“All my life I had a choice of hate or love. I chose love, and I’m here.”
Was the Oscar stage was so intoxicating that the truth had to come out? Dilip alias Rahman must explain what ‘hate’ is and what ‘love’ is. Does he mean that Hindu Dharma is ‘hate’ and that is why he deserted it; that Islam is ‘love’ and that is why he embraced it? Could he achieve these musical heights in any of the known Islamic paradises now blooming in the neighbourhood? Above all, is not this music itself the gift of Hindu Bharat?
A colleague and Rahman apologist mumbled that the musical wonder actually meant ‘Wahabi Islam’ when he spoke about ‘hate,’ and that ‘love’ referred to Sufi Islam – I am too old for such stories. If that is indeed what Rahman meant, then that is what he should have said – that too at a moment when he had the whole world’s attention, and adulation.
Tail Piece
It is pertinent to recall that in the immediate aftermath of Partition, the Peshawar-born and immensely talented Yusuf Khan took the film name Dilip Kumar to deflect possible non-acceptance by a Hindu audience. In the same era, however, Waheeda Rahman boldly stuck to her maiden name, and proved that Hindu Bharat was above petty prejudice and openly nurtured talent.
Certainly Dilip-Rahman deserves his success. But I am disappointed with his ‘hate’ versus ‘love’ acceptance speech. This was actually the moment for him to say Vande Mataram.
Labels: A R Rahman, Bollywood, Hollywood, Indian music, Slumdog millionaire
Ayyappa's Tiruvabarana Goshayatra
TIRUVABARANA GOSHAYATRA
The Background:
It is an age-old tradition that is thankfully continued to be worshipped till date. The Pandalam Raja, fortunately, remains the custodian of the Tiruvabaranam (the jewels for Bhagawan Ayyappa and Maligapuram Amma). These celestial jewels are displayed at Pandalam Palace Mandir during the Mandalam/Makaram period (End December through January 11th), every year.
Three teakwood caskets called the Tiruvabaranam Pettis are used to transport the sacred jewels from Pandalam Palace to Sabarimala. The caskets used till last year are over 120 years old. One of them developed a crack (Bhinnam), necessitating the making of a new set of Tiruvabarana Petti (Jewel caskets) for the Bhagawan. While the government's Travancore Devaswom Board is the custodian of the Ayyappan Mandir and corners all the revenue, it asked the Pandalam Maharaja, the traditional custodian of the jewels by virtue of being the descendent of the foster parent of BhagawanAyyappa, to make the new set of three caskets. I am informed that the Devaswom told the harried 'Maharaja', that it would cost him a cool Rs.1.5 Crore. Two quotations, one each from TN and the Kerala Handicraft bodies concurred with such an astronomical figure (It should not surprise you that finally it costed a fraction of the quote).
The Pandalam Saga in brief
King Rajasekhara, the early descendant of the Pandalam Rajya was a courageous, pious and just ruler. He was childless for many years and on one of his hunting expeditions, found a little child with a bell dangling round its neck on the banks of the river Pampa. The king was delighted, brought the child to his queen and named Him as Manikandan (Bhagawan Ayyappan's name). Manikandan grew up as a very wise and brave boy. Years later, the queen gave birth to a boy. The Diwan, nursing an eye on the throne, poisons the queen's mind. The queen is worried that Manikandan would supersede her son in succession for the throne and feigns an incurable headache. The palace Vaidya, acting at the behest of the Diwan, prescribes that only the milk of a tigress would cure the Queen. Manikandan sets out on a lonely journey to the forest. His father gives him a three eyed coconut (a ritual followed till date as the coconut shell is used to carry the Ghee for the Abhishek ofAyyappa). He accomplishes the task for which He took the Avatar by killing Mahishi on the banks of the river Azhutha river. Indra transforms Himself into a tigress and Manikandan returns to the palace, riding on it. King Rajasekhar learns about the deceit of the Diwan and about the real identity of Manikanda, as the Hari-Hara Putra, the divine son of Shiva and Vishnu, while He took the avatar of the enchantingly beautiful Mohini to destroy the evil Bhasmasura. He begs forgiveness of Manikanda and embarks on the holy task to construct a Mandir for Manikanda at the spot chosen by His guidance. The vigraha in the sanctorum was installed by Bhagawan Parasurama. The Pandalam Maharaja, King Rajasekara made a set of jewels to be adorned on this Vigraha on the day of Makara Sankranti, the day the Vigraha was consecrated and Ayyappa chose to manifest Himself as the Makara Jyoti each year. The tradition of the jewels being carried on foot in specially designed caskets from Pandalam to the Sannidanam (the Mandir) in Sabarimala was commenced during his reign and it is being followed till date without interruption. This is called the Tiruvabarana Goshayatra. While the Mandir has been taken under the Government control through the Tranvancore Devaswom Board, the jewels remain in the custody of the descendant of Raja Rajasekhara and the ritual continues till date.
Shri Chandramouli ji
Shri. Chandramouli ji, a very ardent Ayyappa Bhakta offered to undertake the divine task of making the new set of Jewel caskets. The Raja of Pandalam set certain ground rules. The most important of which is that he should not advertise through any medium, nor collect funds through advertisements, to complete the task. He was told that he can approach Ayyappa devotees known to him and through his sources. All the conditions were deeply respected and instantly accepted. Thus, he embarked on the mammoth task of mobilizing funds and finding the right people for designing the caskets. He started his Diksha the very day he got the clearance from the Raja. And embarked on the holy task with great devotion, the only strength that stood by him through a little more than 9 months it took to complete this Ayyappa-ordained task.
Funds came in a trickle. Through known Ayyappa devotee circles. And with the Blessings of Bhagawan Ayyappa, it gathered momentum. The required Sandalwood trees were sanctioned by the forest department and procured at good cost. Jewellers at Bangalore were identified to make the decorative pieces that adorned the Tiruvabharanamt caskets. Three caskets were specially made for the Tiruvabarana Ghoshayatra, to be handed over to the Pandalam Raja.
The ordeals and the pleasant surprises at each turn of its making that awaited Chandramouli ji would make an article by itself. The Tiruvabarana Caskets were readied in time and were displayed in select Mandirs in Chennai, A.P. and Bangalore for public Darshan, before they were ceremonially handed over to the Pandalam Raja. The caskets were on display at his private Mandir in his palace, with the Aabaranams displayed inside the Mandir for public darshan.
The Blessings and the Offer
I was very fortunate that as soon as the entire gold engravings were ready, they were brought to my house to be shown to us. And then came the offer-Would I be willing to join the team to trek 120 odd Kilometers that constitutes the Tiruvabarana Goshayatra. Each year, the Aabaranams leave Pandalam palace on 12th and would reach a little before 18-30 Hrs on the 14th January at Sabarimala, in time to adorn the Ayyappa Vigraha, for the Makara Jyoti Tiruvabarana Darshan. I instantly jumped at the offer. But had to wait for more than a month for confirmation. Because 26/11 happened, getting a security clearance for people to travel with the Tiruvabaranam became an ordeal in itself. Having submitted the photos in advance, we felt like students waiting eagerly to get our hall-tickets for the final examinations. I was losing hope as days passed by without any news and left it to Ayyappa. The very next day, I got a call that my name was cleared and that I could start my Diksha (Vratam).
Chennai to Pandalam
Twenty of us constituted Shri Chandramouli's group and most of us met for the first time at Chennai Railway Station on the 10th January. We got to know each other in the train and were all in eager anticipation of a close look at the Tiruvabaranam caskets, touch them, feel the intensity of their divinity and to offer our prayers etc.,
The security passes were not handed over to us. The suspense hangs grimly in the air as we reach Pandalam on the 11th. Our group leader urges us not to get disheartened should some of us are refused passes in the last minute. Simply put, he told us that we should view it as Ayyappa's command. So began our next round of anxious waiting. This time, the wait is like the one outside the examination hall to get the hall-tickets in the last minute. The few of us who were told orally that our names have been cleared, got it on 11th. Satish and Harish, who joined us from Jagtial, Telangana region and 4 people from Vijayawada who joined us late; were skeptical if they would get their passes. They had just then given their photos and were very anxious. This small group decided that they would return from Pandalam rather than trek the whole distance, only to be shoved out of the group and into a sea of humanity that would visit Sabarimalai on the 14th Jan.
Something prompted me to console them that they should stay with the group. I told them that they should believe in Ayyappa. And that He would ensure they got their passes on 12th morning. And when they received their passes the next day, there were tears of joy in their eyes that they did not hastily return the previous evening.
Pandalam Palace
If the ones at Jaipur and Mysore are the benchmark of regal structures, the Pandalam palace is a nondescript old house that struggles to pass off as a Palace. If they had not put the board "Pandalam Palace", we might have missed it. The impressive Ayyappa Mandir was the most attractive segment of the palace. We were welcomed by people streaming the rows of barricades to touch the caskets, to have a darshan of Ayyappa and the ornaments on display. Streams ofAyyappa devotees breezed into the town from dawn to dusk. Hundreds of them stayed back to trek along with the Aabarana Pettis and be part of the Tiruvabarana Goshayatra.
The official carriers
At 03-00 A.M. on 12th Jan, we assembled in the Mandir. The official carriers of the divine caskets with the Tiruvabaranam in it, walked in small groups. There were 23 of them. Each representing one family. It is news to me that these 23 people have been performing this task as handed over by their forefathers. The task is hereditary. They are all be employed in different parts of Kerala and even outside Kerala. Each one decently settled in life. But have not given up their hereditary duty to the Pandalam Maharaja, as carriers of the celestial jewels for the Makara Jyoti-Aabaranam Alankara Darshan. They are so zealous of this divine task that they curtly refused our offer of lending a shoulder, when we eagerly invented a rare trace of panting in them. And during break, they would politely tell us that it is their Ayyappa-ordained duty and they would not trade it for anything in their lifetime.
At the Palace Mandir, each of these 23 carriers were adorned with the Diksha Mala. Special pujas were made to the caskets. And the whole air was agog with expectation.
Garuda-the bird king
Each year, I was one of those millions of T.V viewers who watched with awe, when Garuda-the king of birds, made his unfailing appearance, circling high up in the skies, when the divine caskets danced to the "Sarana Gosham" reaching the celestial 18 Padis (Padinettam Padi) in Sabarimalai. The Garuda circles high as the protector of these Aabaranas. I was under the impression, like many of the readers might, that Garuda made His presence in the skies only at this appropriate time and only at Sabarimala.
It was a revelation to me. Garuda circled high at Pandalam, when the caskets commenced the Tiruvabarana Goshayatra. And in a trifle, vanished into thin air. And at each of the more than a dozen stops that we made, the Garuda would make his presence, circling high up in the skies, and as if on a cue, the caskets would commence the onward trek, only after the Garuda was sighted.
One can understand that the job of the carriers runs through their families.
Now, who has embedded this genetic trait in the Garuda?
Hair-raising stuff.
The Goshayatra
Having sighted the Garuda, the Tiruvabarana Goshayatra began at Pandalam on the 12th January. The entire route was lined with people on either side. Each vying to get a little finger on one of the caskets. The police and our volunteers had a tough time, keeping them at bay. Over a thousandAyyappa Bhaktas followed the Aabaranam from Pandalam, a ring of volunteers held hands to form a protective circle around the caskets. Women on either side of the road stood holding Aarathis. Men showered petals, coins and currency. These were dutifully collected in Hundis by volunteers from Pandalam Palace. Roads were lined with tables at regular intervals. Offering typical Kerala colored herbal water, butter milk, Narangi Vellam (Lime juice), Kattan Chai (Black tea), Sukku Vellam, Sukku Coffee etc.,
The route taken by the yatra has remains unchanged over generations. I was told that the same route taken by Bhagawan Ayyappa, when He set out to bring the tigress' milk.
The first halt was at Kaipuzha Krishna Mandir. The caskets were delicately placed on a specially erected stage. People were allowed to walk through barricades to have a closer darshan of the box.
We halted next at Kulanada Devi Mandir.
R.S.S. Annadana:
I was pleasantly surprised to see R.S.S. having an Annadana Shanty. Swayamsevaks distributed buttermilk and offered Annadana to hundreds of pilgrims at the Devi Mandir. I saw a Seva Bharati stall doing similar work at the Krishna Mandir. I was expecting to see more of Seva Bharati bunks. To my surprise, these are the only two places where the presence of the Swayamsevaks was seen. In the rest of the places, common people came forward delightfully to put up temporary structures and offer refreshments, food packets etc. The Satya Sai Seva group gave idli packets at Nilackal. There was a V.H.P. stall at Sabarimala which paled when compared to the number of pilgrims throbbing the neighboring Nightingale stall. 2 Mio people on the hill, phew, what an opportunity!
We halted at Ullanur Bhagavati Mandir and Kurianipally Devi Mandir before reaching the most famous Aranmula Parthasarathy Mandir in the evening.
What was mind-boggling was that people were waiting on both sides of the road, most times from wee hours in the morning. And the whole atmosphere was electric with bhajans, pujas and religious discourses.
A traditional welcome was accorded at Aranmula and we trekked along stopping at Ponnunthitan Devi Mandir, Pambadimannan Ayyappa Mandir, Chengolpuzha Subramania Swamy Mandir and reached Ayinur Pudiya Bhagawati Mandir, where it was decided that we would halt for the night.
Every square inch of the vast compound of the Mandir was occupied by Ayyappa Bhaktas. The Aabarana Caskets were dutifully taken inside the Mandir and were locked after according a few hours of public darshan.
We accepted Annadana by some devout Ayyappa Bhaktas inside the Mandir and took refuge on the open lawns of the neighboring bungalow. The owner was gracious to throw his main door open so we could sleep close to his fleet of parked cars.
It was in the night that Satish and Harish told me that they were disappointed at not going near the caskets or for not being able to take pictures standing along side it. I told them that Ayyappa would call all of us the very next day and we could have all the pictures that we would ever need. This seems to have satisfied them. But I kept wondering if Ayyappa would grant my second prayer on behalf of them.
Having walked more than 42 Kms in the day, each of us blissfully went to sleep at 11/30 P.M. only to get up at 01-30 Hrs to start the next day's yatra.
13th January
Even at this untimely hour, there were people lined up on either side of the road, urging us to choose from an array of invigorating beverages; black coffee, black tea and Sukku Coffee. Passing through Edappalur Bhagawati Mandir, Azhikkal Ayyappa Para, Edakkulam Devi Mandir, we reached Vadaserikkara, where we got our well deserved rest.
Overwhelmed by people's reception, our legs knew no pain as we trekked to our afternoon stop – Perunada Sastha Mandir. Ayyappa Seva Mandal's para-medical volunteers gave each one of us a soothing message with herbal oils that came as a relief to our strained calf muscles.
Call from Ayyappa
It was when we were stretching our tiring legs at the hospital compound of Perunada that something strange happened. Satish, Diwakar, Harish and I decided that we would go the Sastha Mandir where the caskets were housed and try our luck if we could take some pictures. When we reached the Mandir, the main door was closed. We were disappointed. Just then, a policeman who crossed us stopped and asked us politely if we would like to see the caskets from closer proximity. He showed us the side entrance to the Mandir and we entered the Artha Mandapam where the caskets were placed and policemen were resting. One of them looked at me directly and said, "Swami if you want to take pictures, go ahead".
Harish recorded the event on his videocam, while I met the Pandalam Raja and got myself introduced to him. The Raja was visibly happy that each one of us took time off to volunteer service to this divine cause. The second time Ayyappa heard my prayers on behalf of Satish and Harish!
Having rested for 2 hours, we commenced our trek, having sighted the faithful Garuda hovering high in the skies.
Curiously there were two houses where the caskets were halted and received by the house owners with great reverence. This was on the way to Perunada. Upon enquiry, I was told that these are the two stops Ayyappa had made on his way to Sabarimala. The houses had come up meanwhile, fortunately owned by devout Ayyappa Bhaktas, who deem it their honor to respect the age old traditional route.
Estate workers of Laha
The forest guest house of Laha was to be our venue of the night halt. On either side of the route to Laha from Perunada, we found vast tracts of rubber estates. While people in hundreds lined up the road, to offer pujas to the Aabaranams, it was most heart-warming for us to see groups of estate workers trekking through inhospitable terrain to reach the main road, to have a glimpse of the caskets. It was a very emotional moment for most of us to watch these simple workers carry flowers, Aarati plate, camphor etc. to offer their traditional pujas to the Aabaranams.
There was a grand procession of men, women and children, carrying traditional and very colorful umbrellas. The elephant decked in typical Kerala ornaments led the way to receive the Tiruvabaranam. Hundreds occupied the limited space available on the lawns of the guest house and we found refuge for the night on the platform of a closed shop. We knew we would have just a couple of hours to rest and by this time, our minds and bodies were tuned to this basic comfort the yatra offered us.
As is their usual wont, Satish and Harish had one more request. Is it possible that they could walk the entire last lap in close proximity of the Tiruvabaranam?
Though each one had a security pass, none of us were confident that we would be able to trek the final stretch with the speed of the professional carriers. We were not sure if we would keep pace with it or would be left behind to fend a multitude of Ayyappa Bhaktas. I told them blindly placing my faith in Him, that Ayyappa would lead us into the inner circle and we would have a comfortable journey.
14th January
W decided that we would leave some four hours in advance and wait at Neelimalai top, to join the Tiruvabaranam group so we could get some rest and time to sneak back into the group to keep pace with them. We started at 02-30 A.M. and through Plapally Kotta Thevar Mandir, Neelakkal, reached Attathode from where only the ones with passes trekked with the Tiruvabaranam. Others were politely diverted to Nilackal and to Pamba from where they would take the normal route of Pamba Ganapathi to Neelimalai and beyond.
Attathode and beyond
From Attathode, it is one steep climb down to the stretch of Pamba, unpolluted by the teeming millions. From here begins the most fascinating and the most tedious of our journey. Having crossed Pamba, the other side was just a rocky terrain with the gentle flowing Pamba to our right. Giant boulders protrude from nowhere and a false step could spell disaster. It is this stretch that made us wonder how it is humanly possible to carry the Tiruvabaranam caskets, balance deftly on the head while stepping on each giant rock. Even the Raja's palanquin bearers carried it so deftly through the maze of the most dangerous rocky terrain one could possibly choose to trek. It is in this stretch that Kodur Ravi and Diwakar lent me a great hand and stood by me as I gasped for breath every tenth step.
Miles of such perilous walk brought us to a stench of human excreta that announced the arrival of Periyanavattam. It is a shame that while at the main Pamba, there are toilets for the pilgrims, at Periyanavattam, the facilities are inadequate, forcing the pilgrims to defecate in the forests. I wish the Devaswom and the police would ensure that people are prevented to defiling the traditional route taken by the Tiruvabaranam.
We walked through the Swamy's Poongavanam. The stretch from Periyanavattam to Neelimalai top was knee-breaking and ankle-twisting ordeal. This is not the traditional route taken by AyyappaBhaktas from Triveni Pamba, Pamba Ganapathi to Neelimalai. We needed to halt at every five steps taken. And at one point, just 200 steps below Neelimala Top, we accepted the offer of a tea stall to stretch our legs on the typical Kerala mats that he spread generously for us on the sacred hill.
The Tiruvabaranam came hours later. We rested and recuperated, so were fresh for the final lap of our lifetime. For four hours before our arrival, people were stopped from trekking right from Pamba Ganapathi. And those who had trekked earlier, were asked to clear the route and stand beyond the iron barricade on each side, leaving the entire trekking area from Neelimalai to Sannidhanam free for our uninterrupted mobility. Policemen lined up on either side to ensure our route was free from incidents.
Diwakar and I got into the inner circle of the Aabarana procession, immediately after Garuda was sighted at Neelimala. Satish and Harish followed suit. Ravi joined us instantly and we formed a chain around the Pettis as we started our trek. The Tiruvabaranams stopped at Sabaripeetam. Special pujas were conducted and after 20 minutes of these rituals, we proceeded to Saranguthi. The procession halted here for traditional pujas to the Aabaranam. It was here that we decided that we would go to the front and lead the procession, because our goal was to reach the hill top and rush to Maligapuram from where we would have the darshan of the Jyoti. Each inch on either side of the barricades was occupied by a frenzied Ayyappa Bhakta. If he was not able to land a touch on the box, he would dutifully touch one of us volunteers and feel gratified. We were embarrassed, but were not surprised by their devotion and the gleam in their eyes.
The Tiruvabaranams were traditionally escorted by volunteers of All India Ayyappa Bhakta Seva Samajam. It was close to the Padinettampadi that the Devaswom officials, the Tantri etc. received the Aabaranams traditionally.
It is this last stretch that Bhaskara Kuruppu or Omana Kuttan, as he is familiar to his friends, receives the main casket. Others have said that somehow, the casket seems to mysteriously go out of control while nearing the Padinettam Padi and only Omana Kuttan could keep it balanced on his head, so they leave the last stretch to him.
Maligapuram
From the Padinettampadi, we rush straight to Maligapuram, with a policeman escorting us, having checked our security passes. At Maligapuram, we are just a handful to witness the Makara Jyoti, while rest of the each centimeter of the Sabarimala was occupied by a devout bhakta.
We were then escorted to the Mandir and let in to have a darshan of the Bhagawan decked in his resplendent Tiruvabaranam that we escorted from Pandalam. Tears welled in my eyes at His sight and only the second darshan allowed to me that night enabled me to have his darshan clearly.
I learnt subsequently that the Devaswom declared a head count of 2 million bhaktas on 14thJanuary.
Two events
The annual event when the Umbrellas are donated to Tirumala Balaji (during His Brahmotsavam), when the umbrellas are taken by a Padayatra from Chennai to Tirumala and the Tiruvabarana Goshyatra of Sabarimala are the two major events that should see more organized presence of the Swayamsevaks.
This would enable them to get in contact with common Hindu devotees in large numbers. And will be a great beginning in public mass contact. Think of it.
Security presence
It was a grim reminder of the times that we have come to live in. The presence of sandbag bunkers at Maligapuram, around Sabarimala Sannidanam, watch towers with commandos in their fighting gear, a bomb squad van that preceded the Tiruvabaram procession, followed by a police van with gun toting police, a police jeep joining the convoy at every important venue; carrying a senior police official, the Devaswom Tiruvabaranam Scorpio that flashed its presence at important venues and the ambulance that dutifully followed. There were close to a dozen policemen who walked barefoot throughout the journey. And the behavior of these men was admirable. While they firmly dealt with over-zealous people trying to break the cordon, they were polite enough; unlike the inhuman jostle one is used at Tirupati Balaji. And to come to terms, Tirupati Balaji's Mandir is ten times bigger in size; attracts the highest per day crowd of a little over one lakh and just ask the Bhaktas how shoddily the TTD deals with their crowd management (?). While 2 million people visit Sabari unfailingly around 14th Jan and each of has a darshan, to his entire satisfaction. Here is the crucial element which those at Tirupati should learn from the policemen of Sabari.
Cleanliness
And what Sabari could do well to learn from Tirupati is how to keep the place clean. The entire area around the Mandir, specially close to the dozen eateries, resembles a municipal garbage dump. There are not enough bins for pilgrims to dump the waste, which makes them strew it carelessly all over. One cannot see people engaged in clearing the mess, during the stay at the Mandir. Plastic waste (specially the covers used for bringing the Abhishekam material adds to this mess. Very soon, something serious has to be done to protect the fragile environment of this sacred place.
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Labels: Ayyappa, Sabarimala, Sabarimalai, Temple. Yatra
