SRIRANGAM Great Temple

[Guest guest]

OFFER OF GOLDEN CHARIOT

TO THE SRIRANGAM GREAT TEMPLE

 

Thanks be to Mrs Prema Nandakumar (<premnand)

for the report of May 18 2000 on the offer of a ' golden chariot ' for

Lord Sriranganatha in Srirangam.

 

The offer seems to have been made by a devotee of Hosur. The hereditary

trustees ( 'sThalattAr') have reportedly disfavoured this, for the reason

that

"the Lord cannot be brought out in procession as and when one likes but

only according to the centuries-old rules laid down by Sri Ramanuja and

traditions". Mrs Nandakumar has added that "the Executive Officer

(appointed by the Government) feels that golden chariot processions

of the Lord for devotees to fulfil their vows would augment the income

of the temple."

 

INITIAL REACTIONS

 

Sri Vijayaraghavan of Buffalo NY (<vijayaraghavan_s) has

declared his support for the views of the ' sThalattAr ' and has gone on

to say, "One should not yield to money pressure.... The question becomes

where does one draw the line."

 

Sri Sampath Rengarajan (<srengara) expresses himself in

specific terms on Srirangam traditions, and this merits full reproduction:-

 

"It is indeed painful to think that the century old protocols (as mentioned

in 'kOil ozhugu') is under threat of alterations. Some of these procedures

go way back to even the time of Sri-thiru-mangai AzhwAr. It is always said

by our AchAryAs that, One should not attempt to alter these for the sake

of getting more revenue. Everything for peria perumAL is unique and were

laid out by poorv-AchArA-s. It is not advisable to change them for the

sake of one or the other irrespective of whether one likes it or not."

 

THE VIGILANTES

 

Mrs Nandakumar by her initial report, and Sri Vijayaraghavan and

Sri Sampat Rengarajan by voicing unambiguous disapproval of the offer,

have become an impromptu vigilante group on this issue.

 

WHAT SHOULD BE DONE ?

 

This is an issue on which such reasoned criticism should be registered

by a large number of devotees who would care to preserve the precious

elements of our religious traditions and institutions. The concerted

views expressed should also be placed with the Press in Chennai.

 

It is indisputable that any offering made in, or to, a temple should

conform to the religio-cultural traditions of that temple.

Even if intended well by the Hosur devotee, the present offer

of a golden chariot would be a high offence to the ancient

traditions and protocol of the Great Temple of Srirangam as

this is not in the historic scheme of the Great Temple festivals.

It will be a diminishing of the spirit of veneration and love

in which Sri Ranganatha is held, as this would mean

the Lord's ' purappADu ' every time any one pays fees,

as though the Lord is some common moveable object held up

for mere display and for some good money-spinning fun.

To force such an alien practice on the Great Temple would

betray a grave disregard for all that represents its unrivalled

eminence. [This is the kind of disregard that was behind all

manner of savagery committed in this holy-of-holies by the

medieval iconoclasts who justified themselves in any loot,

massacre and vandalism against what they called 'idolatory'.

svAmi dESikan's 'abheeti-stavam' is the prayer offered in this

saddest period of Srirangam history. There is no religion or

any other movement which has no symbol or venerated object

or sanctified place of its own. The ignorance and cynicism

implied in the derogatory expression 'idolatory' would not apply

to Sri vaishNava religion, but rather elsewhere to the orgistic

fantasising and devising of macabre magic rites and bizarre

cult objects raucously propagated through the media.]

 

It is hoped that by now the form of the offer has since been rejected,

but it seems necessary nevertheless to re-state some of the basic

and crucial characteristics of our religion and religious observances,

as particularly vivified in the Great Temple ('periya kOyil') of Srirangam,

and to identify the reasons for rejecting the present idea of 'golden

chariot' despite the arguments to the contrary.

 

WHAT THE RATHAM / CHARIOT IS NOT

 

The ' tEr tiru-vizhA ' ( rathOtsavam, chariot procession) is not to be

viewed as an isolated commercial 'fun-time' binge or the tourist's

exotica or a hoop-la pageant with TV-value. The 'ratham' procession

is not something to be requisitioned as a 'command performance'

any time on payment of fees.

 

Revenue enhancement is one of the visible responsibilities of

the administration, even though the revenue-devolution has

no high priority for proper repairs and physical upkeep of the

temple structures as well as the adequate conduct of the

prescribed rites and observances. As things are in respect of

temple administration, one has to be wary of fancy innovations

of revenue-harvesting. Just two years back, the vociferous son

of a farmer politician and sometime national-level V.V.I.P.

hailing from the South, had attempted to rut his way to have an

unprecedented 'puRappADu' (ceremonial excursion) of

chakra-t-t-AzhvAr to mark the 'sudarSana-hOmam' sponsored

by him for being performed in the Thousand Pillar hall of the

Srirangam Great Temple. Mercifully, public opinion prevailed

against money-dazzle and political brawn and the 'hOmam',

such as it was, got performed sans the 'puRappADu'.

 

TRADITION OF TEMPLE FESTIVALS

 

Temple festivals in general, and the festival-calendar of

Srirangam Great Temple ('periya kOyil') especially, are solemnly

observed as ' paruva-vizhA ' (parvOtsavam) on the onset of

seasons, as provided in the pAncha-rAtra Agama work

' pAramESvara-samhitA'. The time, sequence, manner and

symbolism of celebrating the temple festivals are also detailed

in the padma purANam.

 

FESTIVE PLACE OF 'RATHAM' / CHARIOT PROCESSION

 

The chariot of the Lord is to be brought out only on the sequential

day (usually near the conclusion) of the ten-day around-the-temple

('oor-valam', 'parikramaNa') processions, before daybreak and after

sunset, of the Lord issuing forth each time on His different mounts

('vAhanam'). Thus, the 'ratham' procession is not an isolable activity,

but is integral part, and a slotted part, of the full seasonal festival.

 

SIGNIFICANCE OF FESTIVALS

 

Temple festivals signify a noble spiritual essence such as gets

ignored in the bustle of to-day's life. The devoted preservation

of tradition and custom is necessary for the health and harmony

of the religious faith treasured in the temple, and for ensuring

the psychic soundness and cheer of the individual members

of the community at large. The sacred rituals and festivals of

the temples are canonically prescribed and are observed

precisely for this reason, and should not be tinkered with.

 

AMBIENCE OF SACREDNESS

 

It is important that in planning renovations and pilgrim-

management in temples, the over-all ambience of sanctity

should not be violated. The ambience of our holy places

partakes of the temple structure, the surpassing literature

dedicated to the temple by great mystics, theologians and

philosophers who are the pride of humanity, the poignant

and meaningful ceremonies and festivals observed since

antiquity, the self-denying community of devotees who

stand committed to the worship and, above all, the precious

Deity as the supreme object ('para-vastu') of worship.

 

SRI-RANGARAJA ~~ DEITY PAR EXCELLENCE

 

The Deity, Sri Rangaraja, is the one who is THAT very

' para-vastu ', He is para-vAsu-dEva, and He is verily

azhakiya-maNavALan (the Bridegroom Beautiful) which

He became as the Beloved of ANDAL who especially

dedicated the special verse ~~

 

"ezhil-uDai ammanai-meer enn-arangat-t-inn-amudar

kuzhal-azhakar vAi-azhakar kaNN-azhakar, koppoozhil

ezhu-kamalap-poo-azhakar emmAnAr....,"

 

~~ to indulge in some few of the infinite elements of His

beauty. Sri parASara bhaTTar speaks of the enchantment

of the reclining Lord affecting the yOga-slumber ("nidrA-

mudrA-bhirAmam"), and of nam-perumAL (the utsava-moorti)

as the One of spell-binding looks ("paSyan -mAnasa-paSyatO-

hara-rucha:"). He is the brilliant gem of contemplation

("chintA-ratnam"), so says svAmi-dESikan. nam-perumAL

appears to his devotees in the same form in which the awe-struck

arjuna prayed of Sri-krshNa to appear for him ("kireeTinam

gadinam chakra-hastam, tEnAiva roopENa chatur-bhujEna",

In that very form in which you sport your diadem, four-armed

and holding your mace and the discus). nammAzhvAr has the

identical vision of namperumAL ~~ Sanku-chakkarankaL enRu

kai-kooppum, tAmaraik-kaN enRE taLarum.

 

This is what the devotees know of the lord of Srirangam,

with the Great Temple of seven enclosures and rich in surrounding

verdure ("ArAmam Soozhnda arangam"), the Srirangam extolled

in the climes of the north, and in the climes of the south

("ten-nADum vaTa-nADum tozha ninRa tiruvarangam").

Lord of the universe, He is yet pleased to have Srirangam

for his favoured abode ("punal arangam oor-EnRu pOyinArE").

 

The 'archA-vigraham' is adored as the most dear of the

five forms of the Lord's manifestation ( 'ambhas-yapArE ' ).

Religious faith is established in the symbolism of the

immutable relationship between the Creator and the

creature, and the 'vigraham' is the symbolism animated.

The 'archA' it is where the Creator reaches forth unto His

creation, the infinite articulating through finite forms.

Divinity is validly experienced ( ' bhOgyatvam ' ) in the

assumed reversal of roles when the omnipotent Lord

yields to the protection and care of His worshipper.

 

THE NAM-PERUMAL MANTRAM

 

This is the ultimate destination of the mystic's progress.

Sri pillai lOkAchArya anoints nam-perumAL with a self-sufficient

'mantram' distilled out of the entire literature of the AzhvAr

and the AchArya savants. The 'mantra' is available as an

aphorism (No.142) in the ' dvaya-prakaraNam ' chapter of

Sri lOkAchArya's esoteric work ('rahasya-grantham')

'mumukshup-paDi'.

 

"tiruk-kAiyilE piDitta divyA-yudhankaLum,

vAittu anjal enRa kAiyum,

kavitta muDiyum, mukhamum muRuvalum,

Asana-padmattilE azhuttina tiruvaDikaLumAi

niRkiRa nilAiyE

namakku-t-tanjam."

 

He, this periya-perumAL ('paramAtman'), is Our Own Lord,

'nam-perumAL'. There is complete adoration of the Lord implicit

in the full compliment of the Great Temple's traditional

festivals and festivities, without any need to introduce newly

any golden ratham which would an unpardonable diminishing

of the veneration in which the Lord is held.

 

DEVOTEE'S FULFILMENT IN A BETTER WAY

 

These religious factors and historical facts should ever be

in the minds of the temple administrator for he is there to

dutifully protect them.

 

The Hosur devotee who offered to build the golden chariot

need not, on the other hand, feel disheartened that his offer

has to be declined. Can he be persuaded to underwrite

any of the numerous renovation tasks which have become

overdue in the temple ?

 

He can have the fulfilment of his votive offering ('nErtti')

in a much better way. He could perhaps get the 'gO-ratham'

chariot of Sri rangarAja renovated and refurbished in time

for the next Adi-brahmOtsavam (April 7, 2001) of the month

of pankuni ('meena') mAsam. The gO-ratham is the smallest

in size of the three chariots of Sri rangarAja, but is the

only one which is fully built up as a veritable gallery of wooden

sculptures, but has not for years been cleaned and sprayed with

wood-preservative and painted. This is the only chariot in which

the Lord rides out pleasurably on the day following the

pankuni-uttiram. It is well-known that the 'uttiram' marks the only

day when Lord Sri-rangarAja and Sriranga nAcchiAr get together

in the year in order to receive the recital of Sri rAmAnuja's moving

'gadya-trayam' submissions. The name gO-ratham symbolises

the corpus of the vEda as the Lord's vehicle, and that He is the

core meaning of the vEda.

 

aDiyEn rAmAnuja-dAsan, T.S. Sundara Rajan.