But the horrible memories of those days still linger in the minds of every devotee who fought to ensure that the Sabarimala traditions were not broken by a bunch of atheists.
Horrible, because this was a very rare occasion, when a ruling atheistic state government decided to use its entire might to break the traditions of a popular temple. Millions of devotees were disturbed and hurt.
Many of us stayed up late into the night, almost as if we were following a cricket match ball by ball, and then woke up early in the morning, hoping and praying that the state government had not been successful in implementing its agenda.
Now, according to Janam TV and others, former DGP A. Hemachandran has made some startling revelations in his book, 'Neethi Evide' (Where is justice?), released a couple of days ago. Hemachandran was a member of the high-level monitoring committee appointed by the Kerala HC.
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According to the reports, the former DGP accuses the Kerala government of supporting moves to break the age-old traditions at the temple in his book. He mentions that the government portrayed Ayyappa devotees as religious fundamentalists in a report submitted to the HC.
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He says that the government provided VIP treatment to those women who wanted to go to the temple and break the traditions. (Remember that all these women were left-leaning activists or liberals.)
He says in his book that while the devotees were stopped at Nilackal, the police made arrangements for activists to go all the way till Pamba. Just to provide some context, Nilackal is 18 kilometers away from Pamba. Pamba is a holy place where 'Triveni sangamam' occurs.
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“Triveni Sangamam” refers to the convergence of three rivers, namely Pampa, Kakki, and Njunungar. Pamba is the base station and nearest road point to Sabarimala Temple. The final trek to Sabarimala temple starts at Pamba.
There was a team of women activists, Manithi Sangam, from Tamil Nadu who were also accorded special treatment by the government. He says in his book that he was not in favor of providing special treatment to Manithi Sangam and even conveyed this to the government.
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The government rejected this, stating that not giving protection would be contempt of court. There were devotees ready to prevent this team from moving to the temple. He mentions that the preparations made, were similar to what is normally done to face guerrilla fighters.
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Apparently, he also mentions in his book that the unnecessary restrictions imposed during the struggle were distressing to devotees, adding that several police officers were also uncomfortable with all of this.
He says that he had also expressed his dissatisfaction with how the police were handling the situation directly to the Chief Minister. However, his views were rejected by the CM based on a report submitted by the police force.
We can soon expect comments from the state government stating that Hemachandran's book is driven by political motives, and that it is the BJP and the Sangha Parivar behind all this.
Thank you, sir for speaking about this in your book.
Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa 🙏
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Kerala Devaswom Board Violates Centuries-Old Tradition at Guruvayur Sri Krishna Temple
A couple of days ago, the Kerala state government-managed Devaswom Board violated a long-standing tradition at Guruvayur Sri Krishna Temple.
Udayasthamana Pooja is considered the most important and dearest of all poojas at the Guruvayur temple. For centuries, the Udayasthamana Pooja has been observed on the auspicious day of Ekadashi, also known as Guruvayur Ekadashi during the Malayalam month of Vrishchikam. This year’s Guruvayur Ekadashi falls on December 11th, 2024.
However, this year, the Devaswom Board deviated from tradition by scheduling the Udayasthamana Pooja on November 12th, citing concerns about managing increased crowds during the upcoming Sabarimala festival season in December.
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Why the deviation?
The board's bizarre justification is that the festival would make crowd control difficult. They specifically mentioned that the 'nada' (sacred door of the deity) needs to be opened five times during the pooja, posing logistical challenges during the peak festival period.
The Guruvayur Tanthri (chief priest) vehemently opposed the change and approached the court against the Devaswom Board's decision.
While the court sought the board's response, the latter proceeded with the Udayasthamana Pooja on November 12th, bypassing the centuries-old tradition of conducting it on December 11th
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Significance of Ekadashi in Vrishchikam
Ekadashi in the month of Vrishchikam holds immense spiritual significance, as it marks the day of the deity's consecration centuries ago.
Notably, it was Adi Shankara Acharya who structured the Udayastamana Pooja at the temple for this auspicious day.
Udayastamana literally translates to sunrise to sunset or dawn to dusk. The ritual consists of 15 continuous special poojas in addition to the daily rituals (poojas).
However, the state temple board has now broken this centuries-old tradition, disrupting a most sacred ritual.
We have all heard about the #WaqfAmendmentBill_2024 introduced by the central government.
Many of us are also familiar with the frequent disputes that arise between Waqf boards in various states and ordinary citizens.
Recently, the Waqf board even laid claim to an entire village in Tamil Nadu, including a 1,500-year-old temple, which is older than the religion itself. But do we all know exactly what Waqf is?
For ease of understanding, let’s consider the story of a salaried man in four phases. Let’s say this is your story!
Read on!
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Phase 1: Land for Your Dream Home
Let’s assume that you bought 10 cents of land from a Muslim seller for INR 50 lakhs. This is the money you saved over two decades with the dream of building a home on your land. You have paid the seller, prepared the title deed, registered the land, received the possession certificate, and completed all other related formalities.
The land now appears in your name on the Encumbrance Certificate, which is accessible online through the government portal. Once this certificate is issued, you can have peace of mind, as the land is officially yours. You now have all the documents needed to apply for a bank loan to build your home.
Keep in mind that banks have strict checks, and they thoroughly scrutinize all documents related to the land before approving the loan.
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Phase 2: Your Dream Home Takes Shape
Now you move forward with building your dream home. Let's assume it costs another INR 50 lakhs to construct the house. You have INR 25 lakhs left in savings, so you decide to apply for a bank loan for the remaining INR 25 lakhs.
The home you have dreamed about for the past 25 years is finally a reality. On an auspicious day, you hold a housewarming ceremony and begin living in your new home.
Until now, you have used all your savings of INR 75 lakhs and taken a bank loan for another INR 25 lakhs.
Kerala Poet Mocks Sanatana, Gets Paid Back in 3 Days
Kureeppuzha Sreekumar is a prominent leftist poet from Kerala, known for ridiculing Sanatana Dharma.
5 days ago, he visited the iconic Indian Coffee House near the revered Guruvayur Sri Krishna Temple.
He then shared the attached image on his social media page.
Here is the translation of his post:
"A restaurant without a photo of Ganapati. I love Indian Coffee House!"
(On the wall, a photo of a Communist leader is also visible)
The post immediately went viral, with many criticizing him for such a post. Many mockingly commended him for going all the way to Guruvayur and for having food from a restaurant located in front of the famous temple!
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2 days later, the health authorities raided the restaurant and ordered its immediate closure
The reason: A customer discovered a dead centipede (locally known as 'Pazhuthara') in their Masala Dosa order (see image).
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Although the customer initially complained to the hotel authorities, they did not take him seriously. This forced him to talk about this online.
Please see the video where he narrates the incident and shows the photo of the centipede on his mobile.
Supreme Court Dismisses Case Against Isha Foundation
Supreme Court today closed the Habeas Corpus petition filed against Isha Foundation by a father of two monks who had alleged that his daughters were being held “captive” at the yoga center.
Today, the Supreme Court clearly stated that, based on their interaction with the two monks, they were convinced that the monks were staying at the Isha Yoga Center of their own free will.
Key points from the interaction include:
Voluntary Residency: The monks are voluntarily residing in the ashram.
Freedom to Leave: They're free to move out of the ashram at any time.
Participation in External Events: One of the monks recently participated in a 10 km marathon.
Family Contact: The monks are in regular touch with their parents.
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What the Court Said!
The Supreme Court made it clear that the two individuals in question had reached adulthood when they joined the yoga center, and having expressed their desire to stay at Isha Foundation voluntarily, no further action is required in the habeas corpus case.
Essentially, the top court said that since these individuals are adults and have chosen to stay at the foundation of their own free will, there's no need for the court to intervene.
Additionally, the Supreme Court criticized the High Court's comments on unrelated matters, stating that they should have refrained from making such remarks.
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Dramatic Scenes Unfold
Dramatic scenes unfolded towards the end of the hearing as the father of the monks began arguing.
Chief Justice of India (CJI) emphatically stated that parents cannot file complaints to control the lives of children who have attained majority. Furthermore, the CJI asserted that the court cannot compel the monks to meet with their parents even though they are allowed to visit the ashram once a month
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The Story of How Nehru Threw Away Kashmir….well most of it!
A couple of days ago, there was a heated discussion in one of my WhatsApp groups. The group comprises mainly of old friends, but most of us follow different political ideologies. The discussion was about Nehru and Sardar Patel. I commented that had Sardar Patel been our first PM, the whole of J&K would have been part of India.
This was met with a lot of resistance and protest. But what amused me the most was a remark that the Pakistani raiders attacked Kashmir in October 1947 and that the instrument of accession was not signed until then. The person also said that once it was signed, the Indian army was swiftly deployed in the valley.
Seventy-seven years have passed since our independence. Do we really know how we lost a part of Kashmir?
Read on!
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The Background
How many of us know that it was Mountbatten who delayed the Indian army deployment in Kashmir? At this point, you might ask a pertinent question: Who was Mountbatten and what was he doing in independent India?
Mountbatten was a British representative, and he was appointed as the first Governor General of independent India by Nehru and senior Congress leaders. Mountbatten and his wife were known to be close to Nehru and were said to have used this relationship to influence him on various matters. It is also said that Lady Mountbatten’s influence on Nehru may have led to some of his wrong decisions. Maulana Azad even mentions this in his autobiography.
Notably, Pakistan, which also became independent at the same time, had a Pakistani as its Governor General.
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Strategic Importance of Kashmir
Kashmir was always a strategic territory, and Britain wanted the region to be under its influence. This was possible only if Kashmir remained independent or joined Pakistan, which was leaning towards the West at the time.
Mountbatten’s loyalty was always to the British crown, and all his moves were aimed at ensuring his country’s interests were well served in any decision he made.
Yesterday, I thought I was making a harmless comment here when I said sarcastically that Nehru was the pioneer of ‘EVM Hacking’. I was only drawing everyone's attention to the fact that Nehru was chosen to be the first Prime Minister of independent India, despite the presence of other leaders who were more qualified than Nehru.
This comment was followed by remarks such as “WhatsApp Graduate” and “Show some respect,” etc. I was astonished that even in today’s digital era, there are so many who blindly believe that Nehru and his family are God’s gift to India.
It's unbelievable that so many of them still do not have a clue, about our real history. I therefore felt compelled to make this post about how Nehru became the first Prime Minister of our nation.
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Sardar Patel Vs Jawaharlal Nehru
By 1945, it was clear that no one was better qualified than Sardar Patel to be the first Prime Minister of the nation. He had proved his mettle over two decades, spanning the 1920s and 1930s. He had successfully handled various agitations such as the Nagpur Agitation (1923), Borsad Satyagraha (1923), Bardoli Satyagraha (1928), and the Dandi March and Salt Satyagraha (1930), to name a few. He also played a leadership role in the preparation of the Quit India Movement in 1942.
In terms of academics, like Nehru, Patel also studied in England. The difference between the two was that while Nehru’s father financed his education abroad, Patel financed his education through his earnings. Additionally, while Nehru managed to complete his education, passing with a lower second division, Patel graduated at the top of his class in the first division.
Professionally, while Nehru struggled and was dependent on his father for his survival, Sardar Patel was a successful lawyer. By 1946, it was clear that Sardar Patel was the obvious choice to be the first Prime Minister of independent India.
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The Election
The Congress was gearing up to elect its president in 1946. According to the norm, whoever became Congress president would automatically lead the country. Following the procedure established over decades, the Pradesh Congress Committees (PCCs) had to elect the president.
There were 15 PCCs across the country at the time, and they had to send their nominations to the Congress Working Committee (CWC). Whoever received the most nominations would be elected as president.