With the number of devotees thronging Sri Deverajaswamy temple of Kancheepuram showing no signs of reducing, appeals have been made to the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department not to restore the idol of Athi Varadar to the temple tank after the festival.
As per the schedule drawn up by the temple authorities, the festival will go on till August 17, after which the idol is scheduled to be restored to its niche in the tank.
Sri Sri Sri Satakopa Ramanuja Jeeyar of the Manavala Mamunigal Mutt on Monday told journalists that the Athi Varadar idol should not be ‘buried’ in the tank again.
He said that heads of various mutts shared this view and wanted the idol to be retained at the same place or any other place the government may decide, enabling the devotees to offer their worship. The Jeeyar said that Krishna Premi of Mangalasasana Divyadesa Samrakshana Trust, Kancheepuram, during his recent meeting had told him that Athi Varadar appeared in his dream and told him that he should not be buried again. “Why should Lord Perumal be put under water and slush,” he asked.
The Trust submitted a representation to K. Phanindra Reddy, Principal Secretary/Commissioner of the HR&CE Department, that the practice of taking the idol into the tank for concealing it from the public view began [many centuries ago] when there was an apprehension that Muslim invaders might damage the idol.
As the threat was no longer there and lakhs of devotees were visiting the temple, there was no need to keep the idol in the tank.
The idol could be made available for continuous “darshan,” the representation said. A senior government official said consultations with heads of certain mutts (“Madathapathi”) would have to be done in this regard.
Explaining the Trust’s position, Suresh Bhattar, secretary, said one of the reasons, as articulated by the organisation’s head, Krishna Premi, was that the idol should be preserved as a treasure.
It would be in fitness of things if the idol is kept outside the temple tank permanently. Considering the possibility of the tank getting polluted, one should ponder over whether it would be proper to keep the idol in such an environment.
Akkarakani Srinidhi, chief of the Tirumalai Ananthanpillai Peetham, however, does not agree with the position of the Trust.
“The temple has a history of controversies. If the custom associated with the idol is not followed, it may only pave the way for yet another controversy.”
( With inputs from S Sundar in Madurai )
