Tired of having to resolve unending disputes between people who seek prominence in worshipping deities during temple festivals, the Madras High Court has said that what really matters is the purity of heart and devoutness with which a devotee worships the God and not the row in which he/she stands during the darshan or his/her ability to perform rituals.
Justice K. Ravichandrabaabu made the observation while disposing of a writ petition filed by one S. Natarajan of Chennimalai in Erode district seeking a direction to the Executive Officer of Subramaniaswamy Temple to permit him to perform the Mandapa Kattalai ritual to the deity during the Thaipoosam festival. Pidariyur Moondru Grama Nattu Goundergal Mutt, represented by its secretary N.P. Ramesh, had impleaded itself as one of the respondents to the writ petition and opposed the prayer of the petitioner on the ground that he and his family do not enjoy any exclusive right to perform the ritual and that the right belonged to the residents of three local villages.
‘Pure and clean mind’
The judge resolved the dispute by directing the Executive Officer to receive the money (necessary charges) from the petitioner for Mandapa Kattalai and allow him and other members of the Mutt to perform the rituals. He, however, made it clear that neither the petitioner nor any other member of the Mutt would be entitled to first respects such as Mudhal Mariyadhai or Parivattam .
“At this juncture, it is to be noted by both the parties that the God will never be partial in bestowing his blessings on the people either by noticing as to who is performing the puja and who is not or who is standing in the first row or who is standing in the last row. What is required to get his blessings is only a pure and clean mind with unconditional love and affection towards mankind and the rest of the world.
“Merely doing pujas by spending huge amounts of money with polluted mind loaded with arrogance or ill-feelings or evil thoughts or hatred will serve no purpose, as it may, at best, be for the satisfaction of such person alone and certainly not to the satisfaction of the Almighty.”
“Therefore, both the parties herein must realise that enjoying the prominence or the exclusiveness in doing the puja before the God is immaterial, while the blessings of the God will be bestowed on each and everyone who is pure, kind, polite, humble and leading the rectitude life,” the judge said.
