From Deccan Herald:
The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday adjourned a matter pertaining to anointing the deity at Melkote’s Yoganarasimhaswamy temple with a nama.
The Court was hearing a petition by Anandalwan, a member of the Tengalai sect of Sri Vaishnavas, who had moved the High Court challenging the action to anoint the deity with Vadalai nama. His contention was that the deity should be anointed with Tengalai nama belonging to the rival Vaishnava sect.
He submitted that the local court in Srirangapatna, in February 2000, had directed the temple authorities to follow tengalai tradition of worship and hence the use of nama of other sect is illegal. The muzrai department on January 2008 had passed an order to use Vadagalai nama after the temple ornaments were stolen.
However, the petitioner said that the order was illegal as the department did not hear the Tengalai devotees. Justice N.K. Patil adjourned the matter after the State government sought time.
This post reminds me of an old dispute from the famous Varadharaja Perumal temple of Kanchipuram.
If I remember correctly, the question before the court was whether at the annual temple festival the chief elephant should wear the Vadagalai naamam (shaped as a “U”) or the Tengalai naamam (an extended, sometimes split, “Y”).
The Vadagalais lost in the Madras High Court (in 1976) but I think the Supreme Court of India later ruled the elephant should sport the “U” and “Y” naamams on alternate years (or was it alternate days! I am not sure — elephant-scrubber urgently wanted!!)
Historically, the Vadagalai and Tengalai communities — both are known for high accomplishments in the sciences, arts, and in philosophy — have a somewhat silly history of competing for supremacy in temple rituals. :)
By Raising Petty issues like this,it is very easy f
By Raising Petty issues like this,it is very easy for ppl like Anandalwan to come to lime light. I think Nama will be in U Shape for Tengalai & V Shape Naama on top of a peeta is for Vadagalai Iyengar..But how does it matter to god ?
Indian religions allow infinite freedom- two brothers can have different Istadevata- and still live under one roof. As long as one group does not call ‘infidel’, and runs to kill them as a religious duty- its OK.
Why not ask Him? My post:
http://hinduatheist.blogspot.com/2008/11/can-there-be-illegal-way-to-anoint-god.html
Well the dispute between Y and U has been going for hundreds of years in Melkote and in other temples in Tamilnadu … gives a chance for others to make fun of this petty fight. I guess all brahmin sects which are sufficiently big and spread out are bound to have some kind of petty fight for relative supremacy (Ex: Udupi temple).
But the bigger problem is the constitution that allows such cases to be entertained by the courts.
I remember like Kanchipuram, the Melkote priests had also taken this issue to the court some 3-4 decades back and if I remember correctly the court had ruled then that the Thengalai and Vadagalai Namams should be put on the deity alternate six months.
It doesn’t matter to the God, but it matters to the learned aagamiks. A true devotee never bothers about all these petty things. The most important thing in any temple/place of worship is to do poojas as prescribed in the shaastras and aagamas. Before looking at the naamam people look at the feet (pada) seeking refuge in it. Please the God by yuor devotion and duty in the right spirit. All other things follow naturally.
ಅಲ್ಲಾ ರೀ, ನಾವು ದೇವರಿಗೆ ಯಾಕೆ, ಮನುಷ್ಯರಿಗೂ ಸಖತ್ತಾಗಿ ನಾಮ ಹಾಕ್ತೀವಿ…. ಅದರಲ್ಲಿ ಎತ್ತಿದ ಕೈ ನಮ್ಮದು. ಅಂಥಾ ಎತ್ತಿದ ಕೈನಲ್ಲಿ ದೇವರಿಗೆ ಯಾವ ಥರ ನಾಮ ಹಾಕಿದ್ರೆ ಏನ್ರೀ ವ್ಯತ್ಯಾಸ? ನಾಮ ಹಾಕೋದು ತಾನೆ ಮುಖ್ಯ?
ಪಾಪ, ಆ ಕಲ್ಲು ಮೂರ್ತಿ ನಾವು ತಿದ್ದಿ ತಿದ್ದಿ ಹಾಕಿದ ನಾಮ ಹಾಕಿಸಿಕೊಂಡು ಸುಮ್ಮನೆ ಮಾತನಾಡದೇ ನಿಂತಿದ್ದಾನೆ, ಹಾಕೊವ್ರು ಹಾಕ್ತಾನೆ ಇದ್ದಾರೆ, ಇಲ್ಲ್ಯಾರೋ ನಂದೆಲ್ಲಿ ಇಡ್ಲಿ ಅಂತ ಎಂಥಾ ನಾಮ ಇಡಬೇಕು ಅಂತ ಹೇಳಕ್ಕೆ ನ್ಯಾಯಾಲಕ್ಕೆ ಹೋಗಿದ್ದಾರೆ…. ಪಾಪ ಪುಣ್ಯಾತ್ಮ ಮೇಲುಕೋಟೆ ಯೋಗಾನರಸಿಂಹ – ಯಾವ ಯುಗದಲ್ಲಿ ಯಾವ ಪಾಪ ಮಾಡಿದನೋ, ಈ ಕಲಿಯುಗದಲ್ಲಿ ಕಂಡ ಕಂಡವರ ಹತ್ತಿರ ನಾಮ ಹಾಕಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳಬೇಕು…….!!! ಹಾಕಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವುದಕ್ಕೂ ಸಹಾ ನ್ಯಾಯಾಲಯದ ಕಟಕಟೆ ಹತ್ತಬೇಕು!! ಎಲ್ಲಿಯ ಕರ್ಮ?? ಕಿಲ ಕಿಲಾ!!
ಅವರಿಗೆ U ಮತ್ತು Y ಒಟ್ಟಿಗೇ ಇರೋ LED Blinker ಹಾಕಿಬಿಡಿ.
One reason why Hindus need an all encompassing body of their own. Courts should not worry themselves over such issues.
Adding to what Mysore Peshva says – The Apex Court ruled that the temple elephant should be naamed U and Y every alternate week. Now, you know how much naamada unde and kunkuma are required for naaming an elephant (at 12 places!). So they wise men painted the elephant. Now, the paint cannot be easily removed. So, again the wise men started scrubbing and scrubbing the elephant’s body with a bundle of coconut husk week after week. Within months, the elephant got sores all over the body and eventually died. Brahmins/Pundits are supposed to be an intelligent community. This is the example of their wisdom and intelligence. Most of the Vadagalais and Thengalais do not even know why are they called so and how did they become two groups of the same caste. God save such wise people and our beautiful country from such idiots.
Nama hege hakbeku anta, gowdrigo, kumarannango kelidre agtirlilve? Kortu – Geertu bekitta?
Supposedly this was was a issue even in Tirupati, I don’t know when, and it was resolved by using that bucket-shaped-white-nama…
itta gandha boodi naama sattamele niranaama….
– ‘e’rabaahu !!
Dragging God’s issue to the court! Why dont’ they simply leave God alone? Is this because man created God for himself? Better to leave God’s forehead empty than putting any nama.
Devarige Tengalai naama aadroo haakli, vadagalai naama adroo haakli aadre bhaktadigalige maatra naama haakodu beda swami.