The cooks working in the scores of temples under the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) umbrella feel slighted by the way they are referred to as: Potu workers (Potu Karmikulu). They instead want to be called as ‘Pachaka’, which is the Sanskrit word in vogue in all the endowments temples and surprisingly not in the TTD.
The cooks, who prepare the ‘Naivedyam’ (divine offering) for the Almighty and take care of the entire kitchen operations, are considered next only to the ‘Archakas’ (priests who handle the rituals to the presiding deity) and Adhyapakas (scholars who chant the hymns).
The temple hierarchy in the descending order of seniority has Archakas, Adhyapakas, Pachakas and finally Paricharakas (attendants taking care of other temple activities).
However, the cooks feel that they are not getting due respect as they are confined to the kitchen, considered away from the focal area.
There are around 150 regular employees working in TTD-run kitchens who prepare Laddu, Vada and other special Prasadams, besides more than 350 on contract basis.
“The change will bring dignity to more than 500 skilled cooks,” says K. Ravi Kumar, working as a cook in the TTD’s Sri Suryanarayana Swamy temple, Tiruchanur. He has represented the issue by post to the senior officials, besides through the TTD’s in-house grievance cell, but to no avail. “While attendant has been renamed as ‘Office subordinate’, why not this?,” he wondered. The word ‘Pachaka’ is found in the 80th sloka of second chapter in Sri Paramapurusha Samhitha.
“It is derived from Pakasala, meaning kitchen. ‘Karmikulu’ are those employed in office or factories, but ‘Pachaka’ or ‘Thaliga Swamy’ is a traditional word and hence appropriate,” says Agama pundit Kanduri Srinivasacharyulu, who works in Sri Padmavathi Ammavari temple, Tiruchanur.
When contacted by The Hindu , TTD Chairman Chadalawada Krishnamurthy acknowledged the need to add dignity to their profession and preferred the word ‘Potu Swamy’ or an equivalent chosen by the TTD board, in consultation with the Agama pundits.
“I will speak to the Executive Officer on this issue,” he said.
They feel slighted to be referred as ‘potu workers’
