Annadhanam

[Guest guest]

Dear Bhagavatas:

 

We have received quite a few mails from members of “Sri Ranga Sri” in response

to the appeal of Dr. Venkat Kanumalla Swamin for donations for "Annadanam

project" in Pomona Ranganatha temple.

 

Having published the original appeal, we will be guilty of partiality, if we do

not offer an equal opportunity to the alternative views. It is in this spirit

that a few mails representing the alternative views are placed before our

readers. And, we have no opinions to offer either way.

 

We believe that this is a matter that is best settled by dialogue between the

proponents and opponents of the respective views. Those who wish to respond to

any of them, or to have further discussions may do so by contacting the

concerned parties directly through personal mails.

 

We wish to reiterate that “Sri Ranga Sri” is NOT A DISCUSSION GROUP.

We therefore, request members not to post any further messages on the subject.

Moderator

“Sri Ranga Sri”

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>From Sri jiva

Sat, 09 Nov 2002 01:12:40 +0000

 

“This does not belong here. With so substantial a donation, I could feed ten

thousand people rice.

 

A tap to www.theHungerSite.com will give somebody a cup of rice”

 

jiva

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Another alternative view is given below:

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" After much hesitation and self restraint, I have ventured to express my views

on the subject of Annadhanam at Ranganatha temple in Pomona, New York. I can

understand the lofty ideology of Sriman Venkat Kanumalla who sent out an appeal

for donation In for this project.

 

I am only trying to suggest that Annadhanam is to be practiced to feed only the

poor and hungry people who are in need and deserve for providing community

service. Most devotees attending Ranganatha temple functions in New York are

financially secure and are commuting in cars and vans often in Mercedes Benz,

Lexua and SUVs who can easily pay for food provided in the basement. God bless

them all for continuing success of their families with happiness and prosperity.

They do not need any free handout for satisfaction.

 

No temple even in India is obligated to provide free food to devotees. Only

Thirupathi extends this service as gesture of goodwill to thousands of poor

pilgrims from far off places as this temple generates enormous income everyday.

 

Matams (Ashramams) provide food to Vedic ghosti after their hard service and all

visitors make conscientious contributions to the Matam (Ashramam) for community

public projects to benefit the needy class. These are private institutions to

which individuals are affiliated.

 

Acharyas treat devotees as guests who come to them to seek their blessings and

Bhagawat Anugraham and offer them food at institutional expense. Temples as

public institutions do no provide this service. Perumal koils maintain Madapalli

and Pathukadai from where pilgrims and devotees buy high quality food items for

cleanliness and consumption.

 

Ranganatha temple in New York has to generate funds as a public institution to

pay off the huge debt to the bank and maintain high quality service as the

premier vaishnavite temple in North America. Let us try to be pragmatic than

being blind idealogues.

 

You will be amazed to know how much funds you can generate from food sales alone

than from sale of archana tickets and pooja sponsorship. For example, just view

the revenue statements (from food sales alone) of Boston MahaLakshmi temple and

Pittsburgh Venkateswara temple even in the last few years of worsening economic

recession in the US.

 

It is blasphemous to suggest that these temples are not authentic Vaishnavite

temples like Ranganatha temple. I know these temples from day one in the seed

and how much sweat, hard work and dedication it took to make them shining

examples today. Money is pouring because of devotion to Perumal and Thayar in

these temples including the Bridgewater temple in New Jersey, where worship is

followed according to Pancharatra agamam. Of course with growth comes conflict

of competing forces,all in the name of God. This is human and solution comes as

cool heads prevail.

 

I am not at all speaking against providing Prasadham to devotees after

poojakalam and Sattumurai. Prasadham can be teaspoonful or handful depending on

the crowd and time and is not intended to fill up anyone. Distribution of

fruits as Prasadham at the Mahamandapam is ideal as it avoids the mess of

distributing cooked food, eating with hand and wiping on the floor or wall.

These are gross habits that are hard to control in a crowd.

 

I understand that whenever we go to temple with our family in this country, we

often spend several hours there with no time to go home for lunch or dinner. It

is a very lucrative business for the temple to provide food for a nominal cost

for which people are grateful and willing to spend money.

 

Most of us working as professionals eat vegetarian food in restaurants in this

country and do not insist on food to be cooked by only a Paricharakan in

Madapalli who has taken up Bharanyasam according to sastram. Everyone visiting

temple for worship follow standards of cleanliness and hygiene. It is easy to

get volunteers who can pack snacks like Pongal, Uppuma, Tamarind rice, lemon

rice and yogurt rice etc in disposable containers and sell each for a dollar.

You can charge additional 50cents for chips,soda or coffee each.

 

Very orthodox people can buy orthodox food at the madapalli to suit their

requirement. we can definitely ban forbidden items like onion, garlic and

masala in the temple premises. It is all a matter of common sense that do not

violate religion in our every day practice.

 

I am a devotee of Ranganatha temple, NY from the early days of inception.It was

fostered by a small but strong nucleus of dedicated vaishnavites with Sriman

Venkat Kanumalla serving as pivotal force.

 

It is sad to note that many of the founding members have faded away to the

background in the past few years. No doubt that new blood has been infused to

hold the fort but the task is arduous and burdening everyone. We need new ideas

to open new venues to establish progressive policies to beckon public

participation.

 

There is a vast Hindu community in the Orange County of Pomona and adjoining

Weschester county,all along Palasides Parkway to Tappanzee bridge connecting the

state of Connecticut and in NY city and Northern New Jersey who are in driving

distance to Ranganatha temple. We seem to be scaring away the general public

at large by fostering only exclusive Vaishnavite orthodoxy as the stipulated

requirement to be a part of this temple. Please do not use the temple as

propaganda forum for your own vested idealogy.

 

Anybody who wants to pray in any language before RAMA, Krishna, Govinda,

Narayana, Narasimha and Mahalakshmi (Sridevi and Bhudevi) should be greeted with

folded palms irrespective of what other deities he/she goes to pray in any other

place. We can only say that we follow Vishitadwaita doctrine of Bhagawat

Ramanujacharya in this temple. We should not disrespect other views, criticize

their philosophy and hurt their feelings with our propaganda.

 

Our business should be to provide the forum for anyone to pray and prostrate

before Sriman Narayana to receive His Grace. Let us not try to be

self-righteous preachers and assume the role of Acharyas, as we are only

ordinary people with our own faults and limitations. We must learn to project

friendlier accommodative stance towards others and shed our exclusiveness as

Vaishnavites close to God.

 

I will not be surprised if some people raise their eyebrows to disapprove of my

opinion. I am convinced that we need to reform our attitudes and action to

receive the benefit of public support for our mission.

 

Adiyen

 

Srinivasa Raghavan

 

 

 

 

 

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