---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Gopi Kumar Bulusu <gopi@sankhya.com>
Date: 18 January 2012 07:42
Subject: Chairman - Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanam
To: Murali D <dmurali@thehindu.co.in>
"Chairman" - Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanam
Tirumala - Mount Shri - Mount of The Mother of Wealth - is the abode of Lord Venkateswara. For millenia people have visited and offered their prayers to Venkateswara. Naturally, Tirumala is the abode of Lakshmi, living in the lord of the sri (lakshmi) or Tirupathi. What a wonderful name it is.
Tirumala Tirpuathi Devasthanam, or the "Abode of Venkateswara, Situated in the Lord of the Lakshmi, and the home of the Gods."
Venkateswara holds Bhudevi (Earth) and Sridevi (Wealth) close to his heart. What an apt name for the temple town of Tirumala Tirupathi !
My objective in discussing this is not spiritual but literary and to the extent I can use the word in this context, scientific and political.
We often use the term "Chairman" to refer to the head of a group of people that convenes and commands a meeting. Slightly extending the term "Chairman" to include forms of all entities, not just humans - who qualifies to be the Chairman of the "Abode of Lord Sri Venkateswara" ?
Isn't it time that the "Government of Andhra Pradesh" stops "appointing" a " T T D " Chairman ? And isn't it time that the lowly human (without in any way diluting Advaita) can claim eligibility to be the head of the " T T D "
This of course creates a strange problem for the secular democratic government in India -- here is a democratically elected government, claiming the right to appoint the head for the abode for the lord of the lord for all wealths and the abode of all Gods !
What a contradiction !
Isn't it time for the democratically elected governments of India to give up their control (or the lack of it) on the spiritual centers for a billion Indians ? Bring them on parity with those following other religions ?
Is India becoming a leader for the rest of the world by appointing government officers to head spiritual centers or is it a clear case of the egoistic politician ?
If one were to apply the principles of regression, the lord of the lord of all wealths would not only be the chairman of " T T D ", but over association through organization the state of Andhra Pradesh, the whole of India.
This would naturally violate the secular intentions of the democratic republic of India.
In the best of the secular traditions, I humbly submit that state and central governments of India give up control of the spiritual centers of the Sanathana Dharma (or the contemporary Hindu Religion).
A closing note - The Great Sri Krishna Devaraya, who invested and restored large portions of the temple - installed his statues at the entrace to the Tirumala Temple, almost like a guard to the temple ! A strong contrast to peoples representatives of a democratic secular country - MLAs, MPs, Ministers, Prime Ministers, Presidents - who claim jurisdiction over the temple and claim "Very Important Person" status to get past the tens of thousands of the bhaktas waiting in queues to get to the sanctum scantorum on priority. I humbly submit to any one who happens to read this note to introspect
From: Gopi Kumar Bulusu <gopi@sankhya.com>
Date: 18 January 2012 07:42
Subject: Chairman - Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanam
To: Murali D <dmurali@thehindu.co.in>
(A facebook note I wrote, just thought of sharing with you)
"Chairman" - Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanam
Tirumala - Mount Shri - Mount of The Mother of Wealth - is the abode of Lord Venkateswara. For millenia people have visited and offered their prayers to Venkateswara. Naturally, Tirumala is the abode of Lakshmi, living in the lord of the sri (lakshmi) or Tirupathi. What a wonderful name it is.
Tirumala Tirpuathi Devasthanam, or the "Abode of Venkateswara, Situated in the Lord of the Lakshmi, and the home of the Gods."
Venkateswara holds Bhudevi (Earth) and Sridevi (Wealth) close to his heart. What an apt name for the temple town of Tirumala Tirupathi !
My objective in discussing this is not spiritual but literary and to the extent I can use the word in this context, scientific and political.
We often use the term "Chairman" to refer to the head of a group of people that convenes and commands a meeting. Slightly extending the term "Chairman" to include forms of all entities, not just humans - who qualifies to be the Chairman of the "Abode of Lord Sri Venkateswara" ?
Isn't it time that the "Government of Andhra Pradesh" stops "appointing" a " T T D " Chairman ? And isn't it time that the lowly human (without in any way diluting Advaita) can claim eligibility to be the head of the " T T D "
This of course creates a strange problem for the secular democratic government in India -- here is a democratically elected government, claiming the right to appoint the head for the abode for the lord of the lord for all wealths and the abode of all Gods !
What a contradiction !
Isn't it time for the democratically elected governments of India to give up their control (or the lack of it) on the spiritual centers for a billion Indians ? Bring them on parity with those following other religions ?
Is India becoming a leader for the rest of the world by appointing government officers to head spiritual centers or is it a clear case of the egoistic politician ?
If one were to apply the principles of regression, the lord of the lord of all wealths would not only be the chairman of " T T D ", but over association through organization the state of Andhra Pradesh, the whole of India.
This would naturally violate the secular intentions of the democratic republic of India.
In the best of the secular traditions, I humbly submit that state and central governments of India give up control of the spiritual centers of the Sanathana Dharma (or the contemporary Hindu Religion).
A closing note - The Great Sri Krishna Devaraya, who invested and restored large portions of the temple - installed his statues at the entrace to the Tirumala Temple, almost like a guard to the temple ! A strong contrast to peoples representatives of a democratic secular country - MLAs, MPs, Ministers, Prime Ministers, Presidents - who claim jurisdiction over the temple and claim "Very Important Person" status to get past the tens of thousands of the bhaktas waiting in queues to get to the sanctum scantorum on priority. I humbly submit to any one who happens to read this note to introspect
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