WRITTEN BY LONDON SWAMINATHAN

Post No. 11,852

Date uploaded in London – –  29 MARCH 2023                  

Contact – swami_48@yahoo.com

Pictures are taken from various sources for spreading knowledge.

this is a non- commercial blog. Thanks for your great pictures.

tamilandvedas.com, swamiindology.blogspot.com

https://www.pustaka.co.in/home/author/london-swaminathan

Xxx

I have posted over 100 paintings out of 220 paintings on the walls of Ramaswami temple at Kumbakonam. There are hundreds of beautiful sculptures on pillars throughout the temple. Thy need full protection.

There is a bad habit among Hindus. They act like goat herds. If someone puts some garland around a statue another person comes and lights a lamp. Third person applies butter or oil on it. The sculpture is completely spoiled.

When there are numerous gods and goddesses in many shrines in the same temple, I don’t know why some do this to many statues.

When I was standing in the Qs in temples like Tiruvannamalai, Kanchipuram and other places, one stupid person suddenly jumps up to touch the gold plated gods in the gate. Then all the people following ‘that goat’ and did the same thing.

We already know the story where a hat/cap vendor lost all his hats or caps because all the monkeys saw him wearing the cap. Each one took one cap. Then when he threw his cap all the monkeys did the same. He collected his caps and cycled away.

We know another story where a Guru tied the cat to the pole before every morning Puja. He did it because it was jumping on his lap. After his death his disciples thought that it was an important ritual part of Puja. They all bought one cat each and tied it in their Puja rooms.

I myself have seen how the Durga shrine in Madurai Meenakshi temple was soiled and spoiled. Somebody said that if a lemon lamp is lighted in Her shrine, girls will get married quickly. Though we can appreciate their faith in God, we should not encourage damaging statues and shrines . I have been visiting the temple for many decades. It started very late and not an old custom.

When we give them 100s of opportunities in the same temple to do rituals in the proper shrines they find short cuts.

When I went to Sri Mushnam temple, 10 to 15 school girls surrounded a small shrine and did some funny things, placing the notebooks, pens, text books on the head , feet, shoulder of the Goddess. When we approached them, they stopped it. After we lef,t they started it again.  In course of time the statue may be disfigured.

When I went to Uttarakosamangai Shiva temple to see the famous Nataraja, renovation work was going on. The priest took us around to show he important places. In a dark corridor, a teenage girl was taking a selfie with a particular goddess. Probably she thought it was a short cut for success in exam or love affair etc.

Swami Kripananda Varaiar, Swamil Chitbhavananda and other famous speakers have shown the right path to youngsters. We need more such good speakers.

Temples must display boards not to spoil any statue with oil or flowers etc.

Let us encourage faith in God but should not encourage stupid, unknown, NEW superstitious customs or rituals.

Look at the beautiful sculptures from Kumbakonam Ramaswami Temple. I took these pictures on 19^th February 2023.

–subham—

Tags–Kumbakonam, Sculptures, Ramaswami Temple, Stupid rituals, customs