The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Demolition of Mandapam at Tirumala defended

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 01, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Demolition of Mandapam at Tirumala defended

By Our Special Correspondent

TIRUPATI, AUG. 31. The Vaikhanasa Deekshitha Samakhya owing allegiance to the Tirumala-Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) today defended the demolition of the 1,000-pillar Mandapam at Tirumala and maintained that it did not see anything objectionable behind the demolition, as the Mandapam was not being used for the performance of any ritual or festival.

The Samakhya's reaction comes in the wake of certain latest queries raised by a Tamil Nadu-based Srivaishnavaite organisation questioning the propriety of demolishing the ancient structure merely on the plea that it was in a dilapidated condition besides, causing obstruction to the free movement of pilgrims. Though hypothetical, the organisation also raised a very sensitive question-- whether Hyderabad's `Charminar' could be disturbed from its present location and re-located in some other place on the ground that it was also in a dilapidated condition and impeding the movement of traffic.

No comparison

The Samakhya shot down the query saying that it was not proper to equate the Charminar with the 1,000-Pillar Mandapam as Charminar was a commemorative structure not built for any public use whereas the 1,000-pillar Mandapam was erected in the sixth century to serve as a choultry or resthouse for the visiting pilgrims. The Samakhya also did not like the critics dragging the name of the Charminar into a needless controversy.

Continuing its argument in support of the removal of the Mandapam, the Samakhya wondered why there should be such a furore on the issue as though the structure was being razed to ground leaving no trace of even its relics when the TTD on the other hand categorically announced that it would be re-erected behind the temple restoring to it all its lost grandeur in a manner that it is used by the pilgrims. It is at present neither used by the temple for the performance of any ritual nor by the pilgrims to take shelter in it, the purpose for which it was built by ancient rulers.

Many alterations

It is not a sacrilege either because the history of the Tirumala temple was replete with instances wherein such `alterations' were made inside the temple several times in the past, the Samakhya pointed out.

The Samakhya also said that it found nothing amiss in the TTD taking up the construction of another prakaram-- as "Mahaprakaram' around the existing second prakaram as the Agama Sastras clearly permitted temples having up to seven prakarams also.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh