Andhra Pradesh - Others   

Devotees await courteous treatment

B.V.S. Bhaskar

Temple staff to chant Lord's name to get queue moving

IMPROVING GREENERY: P. Sundara Kumar, Commissioner, Endowments, performing `Vriksha Pooja' at the TTD Rest House in Rajahmundry. — Photo: S. Rambabu

Rajahmundry: If you go to any of the 42 major temples in the State, you can't stand for more than 10 to 20 seconds before the presiding deity. The temple staff will shout at you by saying "pondi... pondi (go away, go away)." Either because of faith, belief, self-control or keeping the sanctity of the temple in view, most of the devotees do not indulge in any sort of verbal exchange with the temple staff, including archakas.

However, there will be a sea change from next month. The Endowments Department is going to bring about behavioural and structural changes in its staff, from archakas down the line. They will not neck the devotees out even if there is heavy rush. "Instructions will be issued to all temples to ensure that no pilgrim is touched by the temple staff or volunteers. Devotees will be treated courteously. We are going to bring devotee-centred administration," says Padamati Sundara Kumar, senior IAS officer and Commissioner for Endowments.

Better treatment

Instead of pushing and shouting, the staff will approach devotees with `namasmarana' to get the queue moving. Instead of `jaragandi (move)' and `pondi', the staff will say "Govinda, Govinda" in Vishnu temples, "Om Namah Sivaya" in Siva and "Jai Bhavani" in goddess temples. "Faith is not honoured in our temples. When people come for darshan, we have to treat them in a better way. We have to safeguard the faith," Mr. Sundara Kumar says.

Conceptual change

As part of conceptual change in temples, the department has taken up protection of `Pavitratha' (sanctity), `Parisubhratha' (sanitation) and `Pachchadanam' (greenery) as the new slogan. Under this, it has taken up `Vriksha Pooja' in a massive way. Internet connectivity to all endowments offices, creation of website are among the reforms to be brought about soon.

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