Elavoor Thookkam 2004

 

by Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha

6.	RIGHTEOUS AND FIRM ACTIONS MET WITH ARRESTS   q Stop transgressions, Restore Purity q    Exhaustion and Ecstasy q    Government held solely Responsible q    Words Cease, Action Begins q    Temple Closed, Anarchy at its worst q    Government Confused or indecisive q    Wrongful arrest, safer path

 

q     Stop transgressions, Restore Purity

          “We have come here to rid the Temple in Elavoor of all these transgressional and calamitous strokes, restore its purity and sublimity, making it famous for the Satvic practices, procedures and brilliance.  This will be accomplished with the help of Elavoorians no doubt.

            “Now, is there any Committee left with authority to administer the Temple affairs?  With the Advisory Committee having ceased to exist on 2nd February this year, no interim power having been vested on it, what prevails here is a full administrative anarchy. The defunct Temple Advisory Committee has now reincarnated itself as the Temple Welfare Committee with no standing with the Uranma Devasvam Board. It has no right to wield authority over the Temple. 

            “Who is or are here now, then, to whom we can talk, looking for proper governance? That is why all impropriety from A to Z has been reigning.  Every act before and after making Ramakrishnan Nair take the vow for Thookkam has been violative, transgressional, unscriptural, undemocratic, improper and adharmic.

            “For us, the proponents of Dharma and Justice, the only authority is our Government.  Uranma Devasvam Board, who holds supreme authority over the Temple, is with us to bring administrative propriety and order in the Temple.  The State Government, with its District Administration and Police force has to deal with us, with the others, and arrive at what is emergently needed and effect it.  Every act from now on will take place at Government’s behest, prudence and choice. We repose all our confidence with fidelity on the Government.  We will accomplish the Dharmic objective with the help of the Government.

          “The Advisory Committee is nothing before us, nor the Welfare Samity.  We shall deal only with the Government authorities, none else, for the Temple governance is under a Minister of the government.

           “Government already knows how in front of their own Police force the Temple Sanctity Wall was razed to the ground and many trees felled.  The Circle Inspector of Police, Ankamaly, was witness to the aggression.  Is this protection of Temples and Temples properties?

          “Hind Navotthana Pratishtan has 7 Temples under them, entrusted by Cochin Devasvam Board and Chennamangalam Paliyam, all very ancient and legendary institutions.  I have myself rebuilt two Temples. Even the Sanctum Sanctorum was rebuilt.  Before that the old structure had to be pulled down.  None had anything to say, instead all cooperated in the grand mission.

            “Here was it something similar that happened on 15^th April?

          “The Temple began its trek to calculable improvement and divine brilliance after 1987, when the Thookkam was stopped.  Ashtamangalya Prashna Chinta was organized when VK Kumaran was the President of the Advisory Committee and  MN Ramakrishnan Nair was the Manager of the Uranma Devasvam Board. A Sanctity Wall within the main compound wall was pronounced as an imperative necessity within which Temple Discipline, Sublimity and Sanctity procedures would be strictly implemented. The Temple land being huge, a closer area had thus to be religiously cordoned off with a Sanctity Wall. This was built more than 12 years back. Hindu Customs and Ways alone should be in vogue within  this. Accordingly the Wall was made, daily morning and evening Poojas also were started.  Everything was going on well for the past twelve years.”

            During this period Kerala Uranma Devasvam Board has given to the Temple more than Rs.1.4 lakhs for the upkeep of the Temples.

            “It is this Sanctity Wall, a very special requirement for preserving the Sanctity and Divine Upkeep of the Devi, that was demolished in wrath, spite, revenge and avenge, reversing the very purpose for which it was so ceremonially advised and erected.  If an auspicious decision can and will be sabotaged to make way for absolutely alien and uncalled for reasons and grounds like this, why have age-old Temples and their unassailable Traditions at all? India is a country where heritage has been given a paramount place and worth in the Constitution. Can the sacred Temple property and precincts be treated like this? Even by an enemy? This is almost the Aurangazeb style and approach!

            “If  transgressions like this are allowed to go unchecked, what fate will befall not just the Elavoor Putthankavu but the entire lot of Kerala temples?  I see very dark days ahead!”

Bit by bit the story was unveiled before the village and Panchayat.  From the Temple some women were seen to run towards us shouting, but nobody came outside. There was no disturbance.

 

q     Exhaustion and Ecstasy

It was an exhausting episode for my body, but an ecstatic spell for the rest of my being. In conclusion, I said: 

“Now you have come to know what all are the atrocities our Elavoor Putthankavu Bhagavati Temple has been subjected to.  How gravely irreligious, unethical, unlawful and derogatory are the events enacted here one after another, with a vengeance to revive Thookkam after 16 years.

“We shall not be deterred by these, nay even by anything more.  Let come what may, Dharma, will be victorious.”

 

q     Government held solely Responsible

My last words about our step for the next day were:

“If in their view the Thookkam vratam is to be upheld, OK.  We yield, but then we have no alternative but to give effect to our austerity, vow, of lying before the Scaffold.  Thookkam victim is a Ramakrishnan Nair, who is on special vow, austerity, from 14^th March last.  All concerned must know that we Sanyasins are throughout in austerity. Some of us are Naishthika Brahmacharees even.  I am one of that order.

“Ever since Elavoorians told me about the situation and the 14^th March possibility, We had resolved upon the Shayana Vratam. To inaugurate this vow we need not come here.  The Sabarimala vow is taken in different places and homes. Our vow started on the 10^th March dusk, sandhya.  Following that we wrote to the District Authorities the next day, and on 12^th we held the Press Conference in Trichur.

“The Shayana Vratam in front of the same Putthankavu Bhagavati must be honoured, permitted and facilitated.  Let the Thookkam Scaffold and Carriers trample over our lying bodies.  We would not raise our little finger. If piercing one individual’s back skin will please the Lord and Thookkam proponents, trampling over bodies and causing blood to ooze from more persons would please the Goddess and Thookkam votaries even more.  Will you not help us, facilitate our Shayana Vratam on the 23^rd by making the atmosphere conducive for the purpose?

“This is the demand of Temple propriety, of Dharma and Justice, of Equity.”

My voice was meek, sublime, appealing, persuasive.  Possibly the audience was stunned. 

“Adharma should be met by Dharma.  Both have Dharma in common.  One is dharma gone astray and the other sacrosanct dharma.  Shayana Vratam and Thookkam Vratam, together or neither is the sole option before the Government.”

The Dharmic dissemination part of Vivekodaya Yatra was over by now.  It was about 6 p.m. Satish abruptly gave Aravindan the printed couplets I had composed for chorus chanting.  I recited them and the others followed.  It said what atrocities were perpetrated in the Temple, what sublimating measures should follow, especially our Shayana Vratam alongside the Thookkam Vratam.

Young Poornananda Tirthapada Swami also spoke briefly.  The stage was set for us to proceed further.  I said:

“Here now we move to the Temple for worshipping the Elavoor Putthankavu Bhagavati for the first time, as in 1987 we were prevented 3 times.”

 

q     Words Cease, Action Begins

Sanyasins in front, followed by children men and women moved forward on the right through the main road.  Police force on our left suddenly paced to the front and back. The chant of “Amme Narayani, Devi Narayani, Bhadre Narayani, Lakshmee Narayani” went up along with the sound of cymbals in chorus – so sublime, pious and soothing!

We reached the Temple Gate on our left. But, alas, it was not open! A hundred and odd people were shouting the same prayer with frenzied dancing, with one difference,  “Narayana” in place of our “Narayani”. 

 

q     Temple Closed, Anarchy at its worst

The insiders shouted with their back turned to us and continued shouts of ‘amme narayana, devi narayana…’.  I told our people to play cymbals to their tune, stopping the oral part.  It was quite enchanting. Insiders initially raised their pitch, but how long can human system sustain!  Their voice declined and declined.  I went on looking at them with a smile. Some of them were glancing at us stealthily.  Some could not withhold their laughter.

It was half hour and more.  Dy. SP said that we should return, as, to get darshan was impossible.  Was that our plan, intention? 

“Why do you not ask them?”

They felt miserable and confessed:  “Swamiji, they are hooligans, with no sense and nobody to lead them.  Whom shall we talk to?  We can talk to you but not with them.  Please bear with us.  Be kind.  You are great souls.  Have compassion.” 

Civil Authorities also had their turn. Gopalakrishnan from our group made it clear that “Swamiji’s would not relent and the Authorities had to decide their own course of action.”

 

q     Government confused or indecisive

How come such anarchy?  In the name of worship, could such a gruesome challenge to law, devotional propriety and civic justice be evinced and witnessed helplessly in Temple premises?

Questions, more of them. But no answer, not even expectation for it!

Every five minutes meant lesser visibility, more darkness. Some more time would have led matters irretrievably worse from many angles.  Dy. SP came and told me he would declare our arrest and then leave us on bail on the spot. I said:  “Why should we not be taken into custody.” Disappointed Varkey turned back.  Many messages must have gone up and down to State and District Head Quarters! 

 

q     Wrongful arrest, safer path

I told them “that would be wrong. Police vans should escort us.” They were in a fix.  I said “I shall speak to Trivandrum to help you with whatever you want.”   Satish called Chief Minister’s PA at Trivandrum and gave the phone to me.  I told the PA about the miserable plight in front of the Temple.  “How and why the Temple Gate is shut?  Police are pleading that they do not have any vehicle.   Please help them with facilities to take us into custody if that is to be.”  He said he would speak to the Authorities.

They pleaded again and again not to force them to take us into the Police Station and  insist upon Police vehicles to transport us. We did not relent at first, but subsequently agreed to get into our vehicles.

Dy. SP wanted me to tell the people through the megaphone to get into their respective vehicles and follow us.  “Police is pleading again and again, our hearts could no more refuse. Let us get into our vehicles and go”, I announced.

In half hour we were in Ankamaly Circle Inspector’s Reception Hall, some sitting on benches and others on the floor, with “Amme Narayani....” on our lips in chorus.

It took a while for them to take our names and details.  They said they had released us on bail, but did not tell us of any charge for the arrest!

This was the last effort we made. Vivekodaya Yatra was held, completed, but the worship of Devi was disallowed by hooligans. As in the demolition and destruction move The Temple Committee gloated over how well and strongly they obstructed our entry into their Temple.

            Alas, that was the one dangerous step, open daylight defiance of devotional justice and legal propriety, that made their stance self-destructive, all the more criminal and unconstitutional. To close the Temple Gate before devotees is the severest devotional, democratic, civil and religious crime by any token.  It clearly underscores the anarchy prevailing in the Temple – administrative as well as religious.

 

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