Even while the euphoria over the reversal of the government takeover of the famed Nataraja temple here is still lingering in the air, a dissenting voice is heard from a ‘podhu dikshithar’ about the manner in which the upcoming kumbabishekam of the temple has been planned.
The kumbabishekam was last performed in 1987 and after a gap of 28 years another kumbabishekam is scheduled to take place on May 1. At a time when the podhu dikshithars’ community is heaving a sigh of relief after a long-drawn legal battle over the administration of the temple has ended in their favour, the discordant note has come as a shock and surprise to them.
R.U. Kanagasabesa Dikshithar has shot off a letter to Chidambaram Sub-Collector M. Aravind stating that the kumbabishekam is being planned without formation of any organising committee. He has stated that as several crores of rupees would be involved in carrying out the renovation and subsequent kumbabishekam it would be only appropriate that a committee has to be formed to keep a tab on the event.
Mr. Kanagasabesa Dikshithar has also called for proper auditing of the donations and the spending on the kumbabishekam. He told The Hindu that spelling out the reason for his demand he had sent three letters to the community secretary Bhaskara Dikshithar but all the missives were ignored. Hence he has sought the official intervention to regulate the event. The Sub-Collector has sought a reply from the dikshithar community in this regard by February 8.
Only the temple gopurams were getting fresh coat of paint and the entire expenses on this score was borne by donors.
The diskshithars were just confining their role to giving guidelines to the donors wherever necessary, Mr. Bhaskara Dikshithar said, adding they would give an appropriate reply to the Sub-Collector.
