The Fate of South Indian Temples

Periodic visit to temples is not new when it comes to south Indian hindu families. Hailing from one such family, it has always been hard to escape from such trips. The pendulum was near the 'Start temple visit' three days back. We started. I started with a feeling of 'wanting to go'. Trip was nice:-) But the shift that the temples have undergone caught my eyes. Are we losing the tradition of Indian temples? Its culture?

The manner in which temples are managed has been completely remodeled. The ever growing 'Temple Sector' is now fully 'commercialized'. Not many people are willing to donate. Temple management needs money. Hence, they strategically formed the following 'business tactics'. These tactics gained support from the ever-increasing devotees. You want to get a good close darshan, pay thousand bucks. You want a quick darshan pay three hundred bucks. You don't have money, wait in the queue for hours together and get a distant darshan of the lord. Worse still. You want a harathi, pay ten bucks. If you want prasadam, you have separate stall for it in all the temples:-) You need to spend for each and everything starting from leaving your slippers in safe place to collecting the deposited mobiles, cause temple authorities have banned use of mobile phones inside temple(A good step:-) ). You can't blame the temple management for these because that's the only way they earn. After all, they are human beings too and they need money to survive.

Now, fifteen more years down the line, the temple management could take another twist. Possibly, you will earn a significant amount in United States when tirumala tirupathi is crowded. Yeah. All big temples could enter into stock market:-) PGDM-TM(Post graduate program in management-Temple management), could be a leading course in IIMs. Temples could have all these CEOs, CFOs and many more. 'Temple Donation credit card' could be introduced which gives credit amounts for donating in temples. Now, you are used to the fact one can watch a movie in theatre only if he has a movie ticket. Likewise, your children might get used to the fact that one can see the lord only if he has a darshan ticket. Even god doesn't know whats in store for him. That's the fate of south Indian temples right now and there is every chance for my predictions to come true.!

Once closed door..

Here i go. Named Karthik Narayanan. It took me twenty years to make my first blogpost. Yeah. I can hear your 'Welcome'. Thank you. :-) And what a day to start blogging. I would mark today as the end of my college life at Madras Institute of Technology.

The last get together as a class happened today. Retreat. Earlier, our juniors had given us a wonderful farewell making every second of it memorable. We, final years had to treat them one day; else it wouldn't do justice for all that they had done for us. So this was the day. 15.05.2010. Well and truely a memorable day. Man. So many photos. Everyone wanted everyone else. The day when i saw lot of my class people on the verge of coming down to tears. Honestly, I have never seen my class like this in all these four years. It was indeed a happy sight. Everybody went back with their heart and stomach full. The retreat happened in a dhaba. :-) That departure meant that we are out of college, another door is waiting for our arrival.

College life is meant to have outings, relationship(s) and every other damn thing. I had them all. And this college made me know myself better. The exposure to real world. This is what i have effectively learnt. Now life has to move on. Chasing the dreams. With determination and hope. Yeah. Everyone of us are entering another phase of life. The shift will be hard to adapt when you are not too pleased with the door(s) opened. But there is always a chance to reach the 'once closed door' through the one thats open now. And finally. Blogging is nice. Yaaaay. :-)

PS : Adjust with this newbie if there are a few mistakes. Yeah. I can hear your 'Thats all right'. Thank you. :-)