In the wake of a shocking attack on CS Rangarajan, the revered main archaka of the historic Chilkur Balaji Temple, attention has turned to his lifelong dedication to temple protection and social harmony. The incident, which occurred on February 7, 2025, when a group known as members of ‘Ramarajyam,’ consisting of 20 individuals, assaulted Rangarajan at his residence near the temple, has drawn widespread condemnation from political leaders, RSS, VHP and several Hindu organizations, and the public.
The sacred heritage of Chilkur Balaji Temple, located 30 km from Hyderabad, is one of Telangana’s oldest temples, attracting lakhs of devotees every week. Established in the 16th century during the time of Akkanna and Madanna, uncles of Bhakta Ramdas, the temple holds significant historical and spiritual value.
A unique feature of the temple is its tradition of operating without a hundi (donation box), VIP privileges, or special paid services, emphasizing equality among devotees.
Legend has it that Bhagwan Venkateshwara appeared in a devotee’s dream, guiding him to the temple’s site, where a self-manifested idol of Lord Balaji, accompanied by Sridevi and Bhoodevi, was discovered. This divine revelation solidified Chilkur’s importance as a sacred site, visited by great acharyas and spiritual leaders, including the Jeer of Sri Ahobila Mutt and Jagadguru Sri Sankaracharya of Sringeri Mutt.
In 1995, the Endowments Department attempted to take over the Chilkur Balaji Temple. However, Soundararajan Garu successfully defended the temple’s autonomy by citing Supreme Court guidelines, ensuring it remained a hereditary temple. Later, during late Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy’s tenure, the Congress government made another attempt to bring the temple under the Endowments Department. This move faced strong opposition, both vocally and legally, from the temple authorities.
VAK Oct 2023 Editorial "Sanathana Dharma Temples System to be protected for Universal good "
Appreciating the devotional act of Tiruppan Alwar Ammal community in taking steps to protect Sanatana Dharma in Bharat pic.twitter.com/L8MLBGCHca— Rangarajan chilkur (@csranga) October 7, 2023
CS Rangarajan, along with his father Dr. Soundarrajan, has been instrumental in safeguarding Chilkur’s unique traditions. In 2008, their relentless efforts led to a landmark government order granting the temple full autonomy, exempting it from certain sections of the Endowments Act, thus preventing commercialization and state control.
Rangarajan’s commitment extends beyond temple administration to promoting social harmony through initiatives like the Muni Vahana Seva. This ceremony, inspired by a thousand years old Tamil Nadu tradition, symbolizes caste equality. In 2018, Rangarajan made headlines by carrying a Dalit devotee, Aditya Parasri, into the Ranganatha Swamy temple in Hyderabad, challenging caste-based temple entry barriers.
चतुर्विधा भजन्ते मां जनाः सुकृतिनोऽर्जुन।
आर्तो जिज्ञासुरर्थार्थी ज्ञानी च भरतर्षभ॥
Lord Sri Krishna splits devotees into four categories based on scale of devotion unrelated to varna.
Muni Vahana utsavam demonstrates a Dalit is higher than an Archaka so like this photo better pic.twitter.com/qq1FQyc4qW— Rangarajan chilkur (@csranga) August 24, 2020
Continuing this legacy, in 2020, he supervised a similar event at Sri Lakshmi Ranganatha Swamy temple in Khammam, where an archaka carried a Scheduled Caste priest on his shoulders. Rangarajan emphasized, “Acharya Ramanuja preached that everyone is equal in God’s eyes. It is our duty to remove the disparities that have crept into society.”
C. S. Rangarajan earned his B.E. in Biomedical Engineering from Osmania University in June 1988. Alongside his formal education, he pursued studies in Agama Sastras and successfully cleared the Archaka Pravesha Exam in 1995. After a fulfilling career with several medical device companies, he left the engineering profession at the age of 35 to dedicate himself to the service of the Almighty at Chilkur. He viewed this transition as a divine calling, driven by his desire to enhance the devotional experience of worshippers at the temple through his service.
Most important is the fact that he has been assisting his father Dr M V Soundara Rajan in running the Temples Protection Movement from Chilkur Balaji temple which has set a unique trend against Commercialisation and Politicisation of Temple worship. He assists his father in running the trilingual monthly journal VAK which is the voice of Temples. He has always been striving for revival of ancient temples and has played a key role in sensitizing the devotees on the need to revive the ancient temples in their ancestral villages.
Dr MVS my father has run Temples Protection Movement from Chilkur Balaji Temple and Hindu Temple Freedom from State Govt control has been focus for better part of his life and even today at his advanced age exercises his thoughts most. His appeal to Hon'ble PM @narendramodi ji pic.twitter.com/PjyL4HJNBL
— Rangarajan chilkur (@csranga) November 24, 2019
He has also played a major role in the movement to reform the temple system and also highlighting the pitiable state of the Archaka community leading eventually to the amendment of the draconian 30/87 Andra Pradesh Endowments Act.
Telangana: Chilkur Balaji temple archaka Rangarajan assaulted by extremists, police launch investigation
Reports: Kunti Surender#Telangana #ChilkurBalajiTemple https://t.co/x3JDNFHKyD
— Organiser Weekly (@eOrganiser) February 9, 2025
On February 7, 2025, Chilkur Balaji Temple’s Archaka, Rangarajan, was assaulted at his residence by individuals claiming Ikshwaku lineage, aiming to establish a distorted “Rama Rajya” through private militias. Following the complaint, Moinabad police arrested Veera Raghav Reddy and have launched a detailed investigation into the incident..
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