Once upon a time in Trivandrum

Aryabhatta and ancient Indian mathematicians would've never imagined on how their '0' would run out of conceivable, comprehensible limits. First the CAG of the country put the nation in shock-o-shambles when our Corporates & Ministers drained the treasury dry, but now those exorbitant numbers have turned to pure euphoria when the ancient vaults of Trivandrum's trademark temple was opened.

Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple

At last reports, its over 2,00,00,00,00,00,000 or a mere 2 Lakh crore, ( US $ 22 billion) and counting, with one last vault yet to be opened. Some speculative reports say it would be close to a cool 5 lakh crore or >50 billion US Dollars, enough to run the State of Kerala for a decade, after clearing out our 80,000 Crore debt, and to help out struggling European countries like Greece, Ireland and Portugal.

Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Trivandrum and Kerala struck front page on major newsmedia across the world; from NY Times to Guardian, from BBC to FoxNews. Money always makes headlines, doesn't it? Even the weight of Gods appear to increase geometrically according to the glitter of their chips.

And Voila! Here descends a whole breed of local patriotic-cum-parochial-class gentlemen on their personal hobby-horses, riding in all directions. One demand: "Spend it! Right now! Right now!" Right-wingers demand Sree Padmanabha University, Medical Colleges, spending it only for Hindus etc. 'Left'ies want it to be distributed among the poor! Some even want to build Vizhinjam port, Cochin Metro, Airports and a few Technoparks with that money.

May be if you come across another secret chamber of  a lost Pharaoh under Giza, how ludicrous it will be to suggest to take all that money and distribute it among the poor. Who in their right senses would suggest Vatican to sell those artifacts at Sistine Chapel to swell up 'community welfare' funds?

History is priceless, we just cannot sell tradition just like that. Just. like. that. It's our pride, our roots. It is for our future generations to admire and learn where they come from.

Surely, those suggesting ready-cash-in of this priceless treasure must've gone bonkers.

Luckily all haven't lost it yet. Chief Minister Chandy has confirmed that the treasures are and will remain temple property, with the honourable SC reaffirming this stand. So Universities and Metro Trains and space-ships are out of the immediate schemes, at least for now.

So, now what? 

Protecting the treasures within the temple is theoretically and meta-ethically the best option. But there is a practical handicap to this. Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple adheres to, and enforces one the strictest customs and codes of Hindu religion. It poses a very real challenge to the assemblage of security measures. Except for peripheral beats and rounds, the Commandos with boots and guns are a big no-no inside the sanctum. Electronic devices and CCTVs are prohibited. Unless we assemble together a 'Swiss Guard' type of exclusive protection force, protection is surely going to be a nightmare.

Another is the cost factor. Initial estimates suggest as much as 30 Crores per month have to be spent  on security of the temple and premises.

The temple being in the heart of Trivandrum's business district doesn't make things any easier. The whole Fort area is a notified heritage zone. Although strict building regulations are in place, a further 500m radius secure zone is planned around the temple. This may create unnecessary hassles for the dynamic city center which includes hotels, shopping centers and bus-stands a stone-throw away from the temple.

East Fort will probably never be the same again. Unless...

Unless...The Govt sits down and decides to move this to a museum of International Standards which will solve a few issues.The ownership could well lie with the temple or the Royals or whoever the Apex Court decides, but the $22 billion is the issue, whichever way we look at it.

A Travancore History Museum?


Encouraging to see some section of media proposing the idea of a 'Louvre' is Trivandrum. This is a discovery of unimaginable proportions as it is historically important. This has generated huge headline news the world over, that has created challenges but also opened up new possibilities for the Govt.

This is perhaps a God-given opportunity to globalize the name and fame of Padmanabha Swami's dear old Trivandrum. Kerala Tourism has done an exemplary job in marketing the Kerala brand, but except for Kovalam and Kochi, other destinations haven't yet cut a chord with outside world. Even many tourists visiting Kovalam and Varkala tend to appear puzzled when you say 'Trivandrum' or 'Thiruvananthapuram', but this is a chance to clear the haze.

Kerala, now has enchanting beauty, culture and and an astounding new legacy to show-off!

My argument is not for 'commercialisation of temple wealth'. It is NOT. As our left-wingers say,  "Use it for the betterment of the lower sections of society", but how? How much money will reach the needy once it filters through our bureaucratic labyrinths? Especially in India 'maharajyam', where an A. Raja has already exhibited with proof that even 1.76 lakh crore isn't much when distributed and shared among a handful of corporates, cronies and well-wishers.

Let's look at Egypt. The desert nation has stamped itself as the heritage capital of the world by preserving their artifacts and opening them to the world to embrace its history and tradition. The fables of the treasures of Tutankhamen and the Pharoes have driven curious visitors in millions every year to unlock the mysteries and richness Egyptian Civilization has left us. Those pyramids & sculptures and the numerous museums in and around Cairo has helped Egypt reap benefits from their past through present and onto the future.

Same story with the other major treasures of the world. Most of them aren't in First World countries as we call 'em, but no-one is talking about auctioning them to build schools and hospitals, are they? They're all exhibited for the believers, the scholars and visitors to study and admire.

World's Largest Treasures: 

Sree PadmanabhaSwamy Temple	Trivandrum, India	In situ
Tutankhamen’s Tomb	Valley of Kings, Egypt	Egyptian Museum Cairo
Dead Sea Scrolls	Dead Sea Caves, Israel	Israel Museum Jerusalem
Bactrian Gold	Sheberghan, Afghanistan	National Museum Kabul
Domus Aurea	Rome, Italy	-         Lost -
Treasure of Nimrud	Iraq	Iraq Museum, Baghdad

Credits: Wall Street Journal

Source

Isn't it a coincidence that this discovery has come as a shot-in-the-arm for Kerala Tourism, who took a bold step towards this culture-and-heritage bracket by the critically acclaimed showreel "Your moment is Waiting" last year in London? What better opportunity does Kerala Tourism need?



Look at the World over... They all exhibit their history, their antiquity, exhibiting their rich tradition. Paris, Cairo, Vatican, Istanbul... Now Sree Padmanabhan's Trivandrum has frog-leaped into that class. It's our glittery past, our wealth, our pride. It's not just showcasing stuff and pinching dollars.


Tailpiece:  Ironic as it may seem, I've been part of discussions on what should be the brand-image of 'new' Trivandrum as the iconic frames of Sree Padmanabha Temple, Napier Museum, Kowdiar Palace, Secretariat et al were deemed to be outdated. The new Assembly Complex, Technopark, Infosys 'ships', new Airport Terminal were the leading contenders. How poetical, Trivandrum will henceforth, and befittingly be identified world-over by this one iconic image of Lord Ananthapadmanabhan's Gopuram, which has given this oriental city its name, fame, and now everything.


Images Courtesy: Hindustan Times, PTI

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Purblindness of the elysian eyes

Why do I feel that the Gods residing in our palatial courts of worship appear to exhibit an element of sanctimony? 

KJ Yesudas, India's most versatile singer and Aasthana Gayakan (official singer) of Kerala state, is permitted to visit the Mookambika Temple in Kollur,  Thirupathi in Andhra, Attukal in Trivandrum but he is not allowed to bow before the divine figure he reverends most: The Lord Krishna idol at Guruvayoor.

Why? Because apparently its not the Gods who decide whom they will bless in their abodes each day, but a faction of His clergymen who determine who gets to see the Gods. So, who is the boss?

One thing which always perplexes me. Yesudas, though born in Christianity and still practicing the faith, has openly expressed his belief in Lord Krishna, and a desire to revere the idol at Guruvayoor (though recently he opined that he didn't want to enter somewhere he wasn't welcome). The experience he had at Guruvayoor, along with his Guru and mentor Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar still remains a melancholic episode in the history of the divine shrine. Here is what happened years back, something which Yesudas still reminisces with a heavy heart.

The Hindu, April 17, 2007

"During Ekadesi, my guru used to visit Guruvayur, offer pujas and render a concert as an offering. Since I was forced to keep off the confines of the temple, he too decided to stay out and we sang together before the Parthasarathy temple. The Divine Grace of Guruvayurappan can be felt in no small measure here, too, he had said. Though I had said that my guru himself was the embodiment of the Lord, I was really pained, and that sorrow haunts me even now. But for me, my guru could have sung at the temple."

Ironic of all, a savage chunk of the popular devotional Krishna songs are sung by Yesudas, and his voice has no prohibition whatsoever anywhere. Even in sacred temple of Sabarimala, Lord Ayyappa  is put to sleep every single night by this song sung by Yesudas.

 

The issue got a political whip when it was taken up by the commie ministers of Kerala. When Minister G. Sudhakaran opened his holy mouth for Yesudas it immediately became clear that the temple doors would remain closed for the prolific singer. The Minister was taken to the cleaners by the NSS (Nair Services Society) who represent the high-voice in the temple governance. What pissed off the NSS and the likes is the apparent Govt attitude of treating the temples like inexhaustible milking cows. The Govt makes a fortune out of Guruvayoor, Sabarimala et al but has scant regard for the infrastructure and facilities of the shrines. On top of it, the Govt controls the temples via the Devaswam Board, a corrupt seedy misrepresented politico-religious organization, and the NSS accuse the Govt of trying to dictate terms, for political mileage.

The Congress-led governments never wanted to burn their fingers playing with this 'sensitive' issue and when it comes to the commie Govt, who are certified atheists, sparks fly. Nobody wants to get caught in between, Yesudas the last man!

I do think debates in the right way are going to solve this issue. India has given constitutional rights to practice any religion, and so has it promised discrimination in any Govt controlled organizations. So I believe the temples come under that law as well, as they're under a state managed organization.

There is another side to the argument that places like Guruvayoor should be protected from becoming mere places of tourist importance where anyone and everyone can step in and have a stroll around. Maintaining the sancta sanctorum I suppose, but how in the world do they differentiate them now? I mean, a true believer from a lost tourist?

These controversies surrounding the places of worship are nothing new. The Vayalar Ravi punyaaham saga hasn't deserted our memories yet, all because the Congress politician had married a Christian. Long before that Indira Gandhi wasn't allowed into another solace Jagannath Temple in Puri because she was married to a Parsi.

lol, considering the spike in the inter-religious marriages in our society it may be necessary for the temple authorities to make sure all the visitors come with their birth & marriage certificates and a family tree if applicable. Also its only a complete fool that would believe that currently non-Hindus and non-believers doesn't gain entrance to the temple premises in Guruvayoor. I believe as per the current laws there is nothing to prevent our previous Devaswam Minister from visiting the temple. He has locked antlers with many holy folks and pretty much treats all the religious bodies and institutions with thorough contempt. But still someone like Yesudas is banned.  Apocalyptic..

Is it God, or is it just the man interpreting the verses?

Some people say its time for a second Guruvayoor Satyagraham, on the lines of the original one 75 years back which opened the doors for backward castes and dalits. Change is a universal law. Mankind, societies and even religions are not insular. Religion doesn't exist in vacuum, it is most closely knit with the social fabric, and exhibiting rigidity to change with the changing society doesn't augur well at all. It will only push people away from the shrines, and arguably away from God. Check history, all faiths have run through turbulent times, reformed themselves over and over and diluted their fundamentalist approaches... Want examples?

Galileo and his heliocentrism brought in severe wrath of the 17th Century Christian priests but now the Church stands corrected and has apologized to the treatment meted out to the great Astrologer.

Islam, by staying on its foundations, have started giving the fairer sex the fair deal. Kuwait has given voting rights to women, and they're even getting behind the steering wheels even in more conservative societies.

Catholic church is at crossroads again on the issue of Homosexuality, depending on how one man, the Pope, thinks what is the better thing based on the changing social circumstances.

Hinduism has come through many a changes. Guruvayoor itself has seen a massive change in practices when it opened doors to the backward classes after that historical Satyagraha in 1935.

Still, Gods appear a good few steps away from man, courtesy our religious bodies. No wonder the no: of people who're convinced that its the homo sapiens that invented God and religion are on the rise; there are far too many imperfections in the way our temples, churches and mosques deal with and propagate the concept of the Creator.

Thankfully enough, there are sparks of brain-storm sessions around. Old liners apart, a section of high priests are already talking about changing the rigid laws to suit both the believers and the customs. Like the war of the religions, the fight between fundamentalists vs liberals appear to carry on...And historically, it has been the latter avant-garde class that've come out victorious, most often than not.

There are two ways to look at it, be you a conservative or a reformist. Please answer this if you're severely aligned to the right of center. Consider myself to be a blue-blood atheist like our minister Sudhakaran. Your rules don't prohibit our entry to the premises, do they? In that case you're holding on to a practice which mocks itself by keeping someone like Yesudas away. In simple, you are pushing an honest and devoted believer away from God. Why act as the only genre of malayalees in the world who can't recognize the godly voice of Yesudas?

For the forward-thinking reformist ostriches who have fully buried their head in the sand, consider this. Yesudas, at 70, is reaching the twilight of an exemplary blessed life. If he exits the world-stage without fulfilling his long-standing wish to visualize the Lord then you're as well responsible for it... 

Either way, will you escape His wrath?

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