Temples are our most sacred public spaces and they are also our proudest heritage as they show the beauty, grandeur and magnificence of our inheritance and establish a continuous civilizational link. The Ram temple in Ayodhya, which is among the most sacred religious places for Indians, will now take a grand, marvelous form after disruption of over 500 years. The difficulties in its resurrection were eased due to sage counsel of Swami Chandrasekarendra Sarawati, the 68th Sankaracharya of Kanchi Kamkoti Peetham, and the course suggested by the seer eventually led to a peaceful solution.
As a reflection of its deep commitment to the cause of Ram temple and its happiness over the bhoomi pujan on August 5 for a grand temple, the revered Kanchi peetham sent several auspicious items that were used during the ceremony performed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Among the items was tamra patra (copper sheet) inscribed with Sanskrit hymns that was laid at temple’s foundation.
Swami Chandrasekarendra Sarawati made efforts for the resolution of the dispute in the early nineties when various factors were causing religious polarization in society. A senior leader of the BJP who is very active in today’s politics took Syed Shahabuddin, who was leader of Babri Masjid Movement Coordination Committee, to Kanchi to meet Mahaperiyava.
Shahabuddin saw divinity in Mahaperiyava and tears rolled down his cheeks. The seer asked him to come back with some documents but before he could do so, the mosque structure was brought down by kar sevaks in 1992. Shahabuddin said this BJP leader that he will himself go and break the mosque if it is proved that it was built by demolishing a temple. However, he pulled out of negotiations after demolition of the mosque structure.
Mahaperiyava then advised to follow a legal path and not agitational path for a solution to Ayodhya dispute and this course finally prevailed. A peaceful solution, which has been accepted by all sides, came through Supreme Court verdict and again proved the sagacity and wisdom of the words of Paramacharya.
The seer had deep knowledge of India’s ancient traditions and laid emphasis on maintaining old temples, resurrecting those in ruins and making sure that worship takes place in them at least once in a day.
Immediately after India got independence Mahaperiyava advised the then Congress government and leaders that the old temples destroyed by the Muslim rulers should be restored and rebuild. However no government or leader come forward in the last 70 years and it is with his sagacity Narendra Modi has came forward to accomplish the vision of this great saint and millions of our citizens.
Like the significance of reconstruction of Somnath temple in Gujarat after Independence which saw participation of several national leaders and inauguration by country’s first President Dr Rajendra Prasad, the Ram temple too has vast importance.
PM Modi’s unique initiative to improve facilities for pilgrims at Kashi Vishwanth temple in Varanasi, his parliamentary constituency, through Kashi Vishwanath Corridor draws from efforts of Mahaperiyava.
As Mahaperiyava worked for restoration of temples, 60 ancient temples and sculptures found among the buildings acquired for the development of Kashi Vishwanath corridor being conserved and restored.
Architecture of some of these temples is amazing and there is magnificent carving on stones. Locals say about 30 of these temples are mentioned in Kashi Khand of the Skanda Puran and renovation and preservation of these temples has immense value. Several buildings have been acquired for the corridor project by paying the due market price. The corridor will provide devotees easier access to the sacred temple that has one of the pre-eminent Shiva lingas and connect it to sacred ghats. The corridor has been conceived in a manner that originality of the location is preserved.
There are incidents associated with Mahaperiyava, whom many of his devotees described as a living God, which revealed his divinity. Once conversing with the people at the Kanchi Matha, he asked them if they had heard of a Shiva-Vishnu temple near Ekambareshwarar temple in Kanchi. Nobody seemed to be aware of this temple.
After checking the notes of history about the temple, Swamigal decided to find that place next day morning itself. When he and his disciples went to that location, they were disappointed to see a house and no signs of any temple.
Swamigal then walked up to a particular house and asked a disciple to knock on the door. When the owner of the house opened the door, he was overjoyed to see Periyava and offered his salutations. Periyava straight away asked the owner if he would be willing to sell the house to the matth. The owner apologetically declined saying that was an ancestral property.
A few days after the house owner approached Periyava and told him that his son was unwell and required surgery and that he had decided to sell the house in order to raise money for his son’s treatment and had decided to go back to his village.
Swamigal told him that nothing will happen to his son and that he will lead a long, healthy life. Swamigal also told the house owner that he will find another home for him in Kanchi. The home was transferred to the Kanchi Matha within two weeks. The boy got good treatment at a local hospital and became well. A few days later after the digging of this house 6 or 7 feet, a lingam was spotted which could not be taken out.
Swamigal came to the place, sprinkled Ganga water on the lingam and did abhishekam, also in the digging found a beauitful idol of Lord Ranganatha in an ‘Anantha Sayanam’ reclining pose. Swamigal asked him to build a small temple there. “Since Hari and Haran were found in the same place, let this temple be called as Sri Anantha Padmanabeshwarar (Padmanabha + Eshwarar)”, said Mahaperiyava.
What Mahaperiyava did by buying house at market rate the same is being done under Prime Minister Modi’s initiative in Varanasi for the corridor.The historic role played by the Kanchi seer in resurrection of temples is being played by Modi now. Perhaps it was duty of rulers after independence to restore temples damaged by Muslim rulers but it was not done in almost all cases in the last 70 years. Modi is now carrying forward the vision and legacy of Mahaperiyava.
Mahaperivaya got the temple reconstruction work done through trusts. The work of construction for Ram temple is being overseen by a trust and the Kashi Vishawanath corridor is headed by the CEO of the temple trust.
In an interview, Paramacharya explained the significance of repairing gopurams, monumental entrance towers at the entrance of a Hindu temple.
He said every religion has its own form of religious building and gopurams are so tall that whenever a man happens to see them, he is reminded of God at least for the moment.
“None of the scriptures or manuscripts can remind him of God as well as these tall towers. The Sastras call these tall towers as `Sthoola Lingas’. If there is any good that always stays with man till the end, it is the moment that he thinks of God. Naturally when these Gopurams become old, they have to be repaired and preserved in good condition. According to the Sastras and Hindu theology, rules are laid to sanctify the repaired Gopurams,” he said..
All through his life, Paramacharya took steps that revitalized Hinduism and benefited society. His words left deep impact on his devotees. Mahalakshmi Subramaniam, founder of Sri Mahalakshmi Charitable Trust, started working for restoration of old and dilapidated temples with motivation from the seer and over 150 Shiva and Vishnu temples have been restored with the blessings of Kanchi Kamakoti Pitham.
While working for restoration of old temples, Paramacharya also initiated creation of new temples that not only spread the south India’s iconic temple architecture to other parts of the country but created oasis for propagation of Hindu religious values. It is for this purpose Mahaperiyava a Peetha combine of all Shakti Peetha at one place in Gujarat where in one complex the temples of all the Peetha’s perform the Puja’s following its own rituals. Interestingly Narendra Modi also visited and oversaw the constructions of this unique temple complex when he was Chief Minister of Gujarat.
| In his address after bhoomi pujan of Ram temple, Prime Minister Modi noted that it will become a modern symbol of India’s culture, a symbol of eternal hope and national feeling and of the collective strength of crores of citizens.
The Lord has his own ways to bless the devotees and one has to keep trudging the right path. The Ram temple will be a permanent source of joy filling hearts of devotees with happiness and contentment. It will lead to greater cultural integration and create new hope and energy among people to meet the challenges of the future and create a strong, prosperous, nation. (G.V.Anshuman Rao is a political analyst and former Chairman, Andhra Pradesh Electronics Development Corporation) |
