Cleanliness

[Guest guest]

It is unfortunate but true that general level of

cleanliness in temples in India times is quite low.

Outside Parthasarathi Temple in Tiruvellekeni you can

find garbage dumped and stray cattle and flies

feeding.

In Tiruvellore, the walls of outer 'prAkAra' are

smeared with dung and sometimes the adjoining area is

used as public toilet and the stench is overpowering.

The temple-tank is quite filthy and people use it to

wash clothes.

 

Even in Tirupati one can see pilgrims spitting and

urinating in public. After eating prasAdam they will

throw plaintain-leaves and 'dhonnai' anywhere and

everywhere they like.

 

In smaller temples even the inner 'prAkara' is

sometimes badly littered. The 'madapalli' or holy

kitchen of some temples looks anything but holy.

 

The excuse usually trotted out for uncleanliness in

temple surroundings is "lack of money-power and

man-power". This is not always true as even rich

temples are kept unclean. (Puri and Kalighat, for

e.g.)

Does it require great deal of money to desist from

spitting, urinating and dumping trash inside and in

the vicinity of temples. A temple administration does

not have to have a million rupees to ask temple-staff

like archakar or madapalli-assistant to at least

appear clean and well groomed. It requires only

"will-power" and basic discipline and sense of

decency.

 

Instead of spending lakhs and lakhs on building

gopurams and mani-mandapams why can't some money be

spent on keeping existing temples physically clean?

 

Another thing, nobody in our temples observes silence.

Even in sanctum people will talk loudly, chatter and

generally keep fidgeting all the time. Why do they do

this? Is there no code of decorum to observe while in

the sannidhi?

 

In comparison, you will all agree, the smallest church

or mosque in India is definitely much cleaner and

certainly much quieter. Why cannot we achieve it?

 

Were our temples and temple-worshippers always like

this? I doubt it. How were our temples described in

terms of basic cleanliness say, in the time of AcharyA

Ramanuja or AzhwArs? Any references to importance of

cleanliness in SriVaishnava literature?

 

Sampathkumaran

 

 

 

 

 

=====

 

 

 

Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.