Thread by @SadhguruJV

11,999 temples dying without a single pooja taking place. 34,000 temples struggling with less than Rs 10,000 a year. 37,000 temples have just one person for pooja, maintenance,security etc! Leave temples to devotees. Time to #FreeTNTemples -Sg @mkstalin @CMOTamilnadu @rajinikanth

East India Company not just stole the wealth of our Nation but also enslaved and suffocated our spirituality by taking over Temples. -Sg #FreeTNTemples @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @rajinikanth

If governments must manage Temples, they must declare that they are Theocratic, not Democratic. -Sg #FreeTNTemples @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @rajinikanth

Temples are the soul of Tamil community in Tamil Nadu. Towns were built with Temple as the main feature. Today, we have Sarkari souls, systematic suffocation. #FreeTNTemples. –Sg @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @rajinikanth

Did you know? In Democratic secular India a whole community is not free to manage their own places of worship – enslaved to successive governments inspired by East India Company of the Yore. –Sg #FreeTNTemples @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @rajinikanth

Temples in TN were created as the basis of the Towns and the center of Consciousness. The community must have absolute freedom in managing and developing Temples. –Sg #FreeTNTemples @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @rajinikanth

Thousands of Temples in TN are moving towards dilapidation depicting neglect & apathy, not Devotion & Sacrifice. UNESCO report says “historic Tamil Nadu temples falling into decay”. Shameful.
–Sg #FreeTNTemples @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @rajinikanth
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/h…

The core of Tamil culture is Temple. The symbol of TN State is Temple. Temple is the very Heart of Tamil people. Liberating Temples a must. –Sg #FreeTNTemples @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @rajinikanth

If I mention Temples, many are talking of land, gold and wealth. Have we turned this land of Devotion and wisdom into abject avarice? –Sg #FreeTNTemples @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @rajinikanth

A HR&CE audit report states “1200 ancient idols stolen from Tamil Nadu temples in 25 years”. Temples must be unshackled from greed. Only those with Hearts full of Devotion should manage them. –Sg #FreeTNTemples @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @rajinikanth timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/1…

Madras HC on temple land: "Nearly 50,000 acres are in hands of encroachers". A strong indictment. #FreeTNTemples. Only way to save them. –Sg @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @rajinikanth m.timesofindia.com/city/chennai/r…

Tamil is a Culture steeped in Devotion. Temples are an outpouring of Devotion- as are Literature, Art, Music & Dance. If we allow Temples to fall apart, we will allow the basis of Tamil culture to decay. –Sg #FreeTNTemples @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @rajinikanth

Temples are Powerful Centers that Enable, Empower & Enlighten. Should be available to all irrespective of caste, creed & class. #FreeTNTemples. –Sg @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @rajinikanth

Temple Priests are paid such lowly salary, they are compelled to augment their income through other sources. Penury is not a qualification for Piety. This mindset needs to go. –Sg #FreeTNTemples @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @rajinikanth

Painful & Shameful. Thieves seem to understand the value of these Idols better than self-appointed guardians. State should not hold on to something that means so little to them. #FreeTNTemples. –Sg @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @rajinikanth timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/coimbator…

Temple construction & restoration is not just an art, it’s an exacting Science. In the hands of lowest bidding contractors, ancient Temple architecture, murals & inscriptions are being irretrievably destroyed. –Sg #FreeTNTemples @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @rajinikanth

The Alvars established a sense of passionate Worshipfulness in this land, unique to Tamil culture. State interference is trampling on & suffocating this Uniqueness. Sg #FreeTNTemples @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @rajinikanth.

Are we going to wait for another Era of Temple looting before we Act? Devotees will protect Temples with their Lives, not with principles, theories & philosophies. #FreeTNTemples. –Sg @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @rajinikanth timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/coimbator…

I have requested the TN CM & Opposition Leader to declare their intent with regard to freeing Temples in state control. We cannot preside over decades of neglect & apathy. Amounts to spiritual suicide for Community. –Sg #FreeTNTemples @CMOTamilnadu @EPSTamilNadu @mkstalin

It is unfathomable that a Civilization that produced & worshipped such Mystics & Poet-Saints as the Nayanmars, is today held to ransom by administrators with no appreciation for the richness of this Civilization. -Sg #FreeTNTemples @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @rajinikanth

Nayanmars were among the key people to establish Bhakti as a tool to access Divine Grace. Temples were Centers to access Grace. Today, they are Centers of Disgrace. - Sg.
#FreeTNTemples @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @rajinikanth

Ancient Temples of millennial antiquity are being vandalized & cannibalized for stones that are broken, used for other building or sold as artifacts. Heartlessness of way Temples are being managed is Heartrending. Time to #FreeTNTemples. -Sg @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @rajinikanth

The world over, Tamil Nadu is referred to as the Land of Temples. Unless we #FreeTNTemples, we will soon be known as the Land of Dead Temples. -Sg @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @rajinikanth

When East India Company seized control of temples, they administered them through the Board of Revenue. "Revenue" says it all! Time to end the Colonial hangover and #FreeTNTemples. –Sg @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @rajinikanth

Madras HC calls out "callous attitude" of HR&CE Dept which "has not taken any steps to protect the interest of the temples." #FreeTNTemples. Only Devotees can nurture them back to Life. –Sg @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @rajinikanth thehindu.com/news/national/…

A CJI wondering “why government officials should manage temples" and commenting on the “theft of idols” in Tamil Nadu is an admonition that cannot be ignored. #FreeTNTemples. This is not the State’s business. –Sg @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @rajinikanth business-standard.com/article/pti-st…

Slow suffocation will sound the death knell of our Temples. When Temples were demolished in the past, people committed their lives to building them back. #FreeTNTemples. Community cannot be bystanders to Life ebbing away from its own Soul. -Sg @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @rajinikanth

If one were to read the fundamental rights given to every Indian citizen in the Constitution and juxtapose it with HR&CE laws, it just amounts to apartheid. #FreeTNTemples. They belong to the Community, not the govt. -Sg @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @rajinikanth

It is downright insulting to imply that in the Majority Community- 87% of the population- we cannot find a handful to people with the integrity & competence to manage our Spaces of Worship. -Sg #FreeTNTemples @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @rajinikanth

As if stealing a Temple deity is not audacious enough, they have been replaced with fake deities in some Temples. Right under the govt.’s nose. #FreeTNTemples. Govt. has no Reason, Right or Resources to manage them. -Sg @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @rajinikanth

Temples are not monuments to be preserved by the ASI as is being done in many places. Community will keep them alive & vibrant and restore their Pride of Place in our Civilization. -Sg #FreeTNTemples @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @rajinikanth

Gurudwaras are a good example of how well the Community can manage its Spaces of Worship- from the daily langars feeding thousands to their community outreach during any kind of disaster. Temples can do much more. -Sg #FreeTNTemples @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @rajinikanth

Before the 75th Independence Day, political parties in every state must commit to handing over Temples to the Community. Need not happen in one move. At least show intent & evolve process of transition. -Sg #FreeTNTemples @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @rajinikanth

The Hindu community does not need pittance as charity for pilgrimage. Daily visit to the glorious temples is our pilgrimage. Not money, restoring the glory of the temples is what we need. -Sg #FreeTNTemples @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @rajinikanth

If after 75 years of Independence, the Freedom to practice one’s religion the way we want is not guaranteed, what kind of Freedom is that? #FreeTNTemples -Sg @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @rajinikanth

It is imperative that we enact legislation to hand #Temples back to the Community. This is not an issue to be settled in the Courts. By law, the Community must get ownership of what rightfully belongs to them. #FreeTNTemples -Sg @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @rajinikanth

The fear that Devotees may mismanage Temples is baseless and contrary to evidence. All Spaces of Worship managed by Devotees of all Faiths are thriving centers of growth & abundance. Why would Temples be an exception? #FreeTNTemples -Sg @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @rajinikanth

Nearly 12,000 Temples are in immediate danger of extinction. If we continue status quo, they will become Museums & Monuments. #FreeTNTemples. Progress- not Preservation- the hallmark of Temples. -Sg @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @rajinikanth

Srirangam- a 14th century Temple; protected from invaders by a zealous Devotee who sacrificed her life to keep the Deity from being stolen. Shamefully ironic that HR&CE officials booked for idol theft from same Temple. #FreeTNTemples -Sg @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @rajinikanth

By the HR&CE’s own admission, 180,000 acres of leased land in 2018-19 fetched annual revenue of 126 crores. Abysmally low & a testament to gross negligence, mismanagement & sheer callousness. #FreeTNTemples -Sg @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @rajinikanth

Sri Ardhanareeswara Temple in Kallakurichi- the Madras HC had to restrain TN govt. from constructing on Temple land; makes us hang our heads in shame. #FreeTNTemples. Devotion- the only Currency in Temples. -Sg @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @rajinikanth

Congratulations Shri. G.K. Vasan for committing in your manifesto to hand over temples to Tamil people, among the most Devout Civilizations; we will restore Glory of this Temple State. Blessings. -Sg @TMCforTN #FreeTNTemples

This is killing of the Hindu civilisation but this is not about the Hindus but about a fundamental human rights issue. A systemic running down of places of worship of a community. -Sg #FreeTNTemples
@DeepakChopra @JayShettyIW @Amritanandamayi

Of 100k known inscriptions in Bharath, 60k are in Tamil Nadu; being systematically destroyed by senseless & unskilled renovation. We stand to lose millennia-old records about the oldest Civilization on the planet. #FreeTNTemples -Sg @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @rajinikanth

“If the Temple is prosperous, the Community will be prosperous” – ancient Tamil wisdom. #FreeTNTemples. This is not about economic prosperity but about nurturing a Culture of Abundance of which economic prosperity is a byproduct. -Sg @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @rajinikanth

UNESCO had to only visit 10 temples to submit a damning indictment of HR&CE: gross violation of rules, faulty conservation work & “massacre” of ancient Temples. #FreeTNTemples- a Blessing not a Burden for Community.–Sg @narendramodi @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin

It defies logic that the govt. is willing to pass an order- as it did in 2019- to hand over encroached Temple land to encroachers but is not willing to hand over Temples to Devotees. #FreeTNTemples. –Sg @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @svembu

The Madras HC directed HR&CE to set up a Special Court & appoint external auditors after finding the Department woefully wanting in its role. #FreeTNTemples. A shame for the community that Court has to intervene in these matters. –Sg @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin
@bkshivani

Even if a Temple is destroyed, its properties will continue to remain with HR&CE. This in itself is a clear statement that it is not the Temple that the HR&CE is interested in. #FreeTNTemples. –Sg @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @drsangitareddy

UNESCO fact-finding group deplored state of Tamil Nadu temples, termed their decline & decay a “massacre”. Four years on, Community still waits for govt. to Act. #FreeTNTemples. Entrust, Enable & Empower community. –Sg @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @PMOIndia

Everything that is #Tamil is rooted in Devotion. The Land, Culture, Language, Art- all enriched & nurtured by Devotion, the fulcrum of which is the Temple. Without its Temples, this will be a rudderless Civilization. #FreeTNTemples. –Sg @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin

Ranganathaswamy- 12,000 Tamil people sacrificed their lives to defend this 11th century Temple from invasions. Violated in the worst possible manner- idol theft in collusion with HR&CE official. Shame. #FreeTNTemples. –Sg
@TempleSrirangam
@CMOTamilnadu @KN_NEHRU @Anbil_Mahesh

Nellaiyappar- apart from its Glorious Legend, this Temple is celebrated for its unique musical pillars, an unparalleled feat of art & engineering. #FreeTNTemples. Must not kill the Music of Devotion in Devotees’ Hearts. –Sg @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @blsanthosh

Meenakshi Amman- a Temple that finds mention in Sangam literature dating back 2000 years; a Temple of 33,000 sculptures that Overwhelms us with the Outpouring of Devotion. #FreeTNTemples. Tamil people must revive & re-live such Passion.–Sg @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @Actor_Vivek

Sangameswara- a Temple revered by the Naynamars for its powerful consecration that accelerated spiritual growth. Its pathetic condition today an absolute shame. #FreeTNTemples. Only Devotees can understand & appreciate their value. –Sg @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @MKumaramangalam

Marudhamalai- legend has it that Kamadhenu, the Celestial Cow, grazed in the pastures of this hillock. No trace of its pristine beauty today. #FreeTNTemples. Must not preside over Sacrilege of the Sacred. –Sg @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin   @ikamalhaasan

Sri Brahadeeswarar- one of the "Great Living Chola Temples" designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site; if a Temple built with 130,000 tons of granite in the 11th century doesn’t stir Devotion within us, nothing will. #FreeTNTemples.–Sg @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @ThiruArasarINC

Karaneeswarar- Lord Shiva as the Redeemer of Kamadhenu; a Center for the Community to access the same Divinity within themselves. Its condition today is a reflection of how little we value the power of self-transformation. #FreeTNTemples. –Sg @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @ImRaina

Varadaraja Perumal- that a Temple visited by the Poet-Saints, Alvars, can be reduced to its present state is nothing short of a crime. This is work in progress towards annihilating everything this Culture holds Sacred. –Sg #FreeTNTemples @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @VigneshShivN

44000 Tamil Temples are in a state of decay. If you share my anguish, take a few moments, shoot a video of yourself standing silently and post on social media. May your silent support ring in the ears of law makers and compel them to #FreeTNTemples - Sg @rjraunac @vp_offl

Hereby, I convey the heartfelt wishes of over 3 cr Tamils. As responsible political leaders, I beseech that you liberate #Temples, the core of Dravidian Pride; to be always remembered as the restorers of the soul of Tamil Nadu to its full Glory. -Sg
@CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin

#FreeTNTemples- a Movement born of deep Anguish. That the Community has to ask for what is a right guaranteed by law means that we hold neither the Constitution nor this Civilization, sacred. Time to change this. –Sg @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin @SriSamavedam @ShankaraPeetha

#FreeTNTemples not only about Hindu community but about liberating Spaces of Worship from clutches of those who know little & care even less about the impact of these Spaces on Community wellbeing. Anguished Cry of the Community must be heard. –Sg @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin

3 crore #PeopleHaveSpoken unambiguously demanding what rightfully belongs to them. Let us salvage & build back Tamil Temples. My vote is for those who will reinstate my constitutional right and #FreeTNTemples. –Sg @CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin

#FreeTNTemples
@AIADMKOfficial @BJP4TamilNadu @ThePMKOfficial @INCTamilNadu @NaamTamilarOrg @maiamofficial @iVijayakant @ammkofficial @TMCforTN @MDMKVaiko @tncpim @CpiTamilnadu