DMK government’s another attack on a saivaite tradition has triggered a row in the state. Madurai Adheenam, BJP chief Annamalai and others said they would defy the DMK government’s ban on Dharampura Adheenam’s several centuries old annual ritual of Pattinapravasam (entering the city) by carrying a palanquin.
More than 32 mutts had been set up to spread the teachings of Azwalrs, Nayanmars in Tamil Nadu. Dharmapuram Aadheenam, a Saivite monastic institution based in Mayiladuthurai, Tamil Nadu, is one among them. There are 27 Shiva temples, including Vaidheeswaran temple, under its control and several thousand crores worth of properties. The adheenam was founded in the 16th century, along with the Thiruvaduthurai Adheenam and the Thiruppanandal Adheenam, to spread the ideology of Saiva Siddhantham. It has been engaged in publishing Saivite literature, specifically the Thevaram and Tiruvasakam and its translations and runs schools and colleges. Sri Masillamani Desika Gnanasambanda Paramacharya Swamigal is the 27th Guru Maha Sannidhanam of the adheenam.
The traditional ritual of carrying the mutt head in a silver palanquin is slated to be held 22nd of this month. DMK’s allies, Dravidar Kazhagam, an atheist outfit that only attacks Hindu culture and spiritual faiths, opposed the event, saying the customary practice violates human rights and the event would trigger a law and order issue. Following complaints from DK and other self-proclaimed rationalist outfits, the RDO, citing article 23 of the constitution, has banned the event.
Reacting to the ban, several seers, including Vaishavaite and Saivaite, BJP, AIADMK, PMK, VHP, Hindu Munnani and Indu Makkal Katchi, have condemned the government move and want the centuries-old tradition to be continued.
Going one step ahead, the Madurai Adheenam Sri Sri Harihara Sri Gnanasambanda Desika Swamigal rose to his defence and announced that he would carry his guru’s palanquin. He said he would give his life to ensure the ritual was performed. The pontiff said, “For the past 500 years this (Pattina Pravesam) was going on. But this year, it’s not happening, I’m pained. Even the British had permitted it. Some fringe elements are objecting to it.”
Others said it is a vindictive action of the DMK government as TN Governor R. N. Ravi was invited to the function.
BJP TN head K Annamalai described the ban on the event as an insult to TN’s civilizational culture. In a tweet, he said he would personally carry the Mutt’s chief pontiff in a palanquin as done during the ritual. He appealed to the seer to allow TN BJP to conduct the event by overturning the illegal ban. Annamalai said serving the guru through the institution of patina pravasam is different from servitude. He pointed out that DMK is built on sheer sycophancy and does not understand this nuance. “Is Mr. Stalin calling his father, M. Karunanidhi a fool as he had allowed the event to be held during his five-time term as Chief Minister?” asked Annamalai.
Responding to a call attention motion moved by the leader of the opposition, HR and CE minister Sekar Babu replied that CM would take a good decision on the issue and accused the opposition of politicizing the same.
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