National Highways on wrong path again ?

Gangai Konda Cholapuram 

The National Highways Authority of India(NHAI) does the mistake again!  Yes. After facing strong resistance from the public on its attempt to grab a portion of historic temples at Panayapuram ( near Vikravandi) and Manampadi (near Cholapuram) few years ago, the widening of the highway by demolishing a portion of the 1000 year old temples at the above places, NHAI had given up the move. But similar attempt is initiated to lay the road about 100 meters close to the World Heritage site at Gangai konda Cholapuram. 

Times of India in its Chennai edition dated 8^th July 2019, has reported that Gangaikonda Cholapuram Development Trust, which works for the development of the place has approached the Madras High Court with the concern that the move would cause damage to the UNESCO Heritage site as it would violate the provisions of Ancient Monuments and Archaeological sites and Remains Act ( “No one should encroach or construct any buildings within 100 metres from the boundaries of such protected monuments.”)

The district collector of Ariyalur was also approached by the trust and the representation has been forwarded to the project director of NHAI. It is strange that the NHAI has failed to maintain compliance to the above Act . It has also disregarded the sentiments of the people although it has faced similar situations before.  The Archaeological Survey of India which maintains the Heritage site should have objected to the road work. The non coordination between these departments is thus exposed. Now it is left to the people to seek justice from the court.

However, we must be glad that at least few enthusiasts have taken the issue to the court. 

It is unexplained why the Indians are so lethargic in sustaining the Heritage sites. Is it because they are not groomed from schooldays about the importance of preserving the past glory? A Face book post shared by my friend yesterday is worth sharing here.

Courtesy: Liesbeth Pankaja

While the very purpose of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment (HR&CE)board is to protect, preserve and maintain the tradition  of the temples, it is not known why they keep a blind eye on ancient temples for nearly a century. The dilapidated temple shown here may not survive if negligence continues. 

Source: Not known

This is just an example to show how the Government department works. The judiciary should intervene into the matter and an early verdict of the court may solve the crisis before it is too late.

Source: Unknown 

The Heritage enthusiasts will be surprised to know how lethargic the authorities of the temples maintained by HR &CE. It is shocking to find Sculptures tied with scaffolding as the one shown in the picture below. Are they not aware that the sculptures are likely to be damaged by this act? Are they meant for this purpose? It is nothing but shame on temple authorities. This is why people from various quarters want the exit of HR&CE from the temples to give way for an independent body to look after the temples. This will also prevent the encroachment of temple property, misuse of temple income etc.  We hope that the lethargic attitude of Indians vanish soon and a new chapter is opened to proudly say that the monument protection in India is the best in the world. Let us wait for the dawn.

IRCTC'S Nava Jyothir Linga Tour

I have always been apprehensive about the conducted tours on some accounts--- The accommodation, food, long hours of journey by bus etc. This time I wanted to make a try as it will be too difficult and tiresome  to cover all the 9 Jyitir linga kshetrams in ten days. IRCTC had planned the trip to coincide with  Mahashivarathri .  We thought that first week of March would neither be too hot nor too cold.  We were proved wrong.  The biting cold winds sweep  the region in the wee hours and the Sun becomes blistering right from 10 a.m. 

The train had a delayed start of about three hours at  Madurai, the place where it  originated. The delay kept on mounting and it reached Chennai Egmore at 14.15 p.m on 28th February.  More registered passengers joined us at various stations. After reaching Kurnool, we were taken in buses to a Marriage hall for bath and breakfast. However big or good it would be, how can it accommodate nearly 700 passengers at the same time ? Somehow we boarded the bus at 8 a.m and went to Sri Sailam. We  were taken to a Choultry where free food was being served. As there was huge rush over there, the trip guide could not suggest us the alternate place. The passengers divided themselves in small groups and went to nearby hotels.  Thus the IRCTC had failed to provide lunch for the passengers due to poor planning. We appeal to IRCTC to recover the Lunch expenses from Travel times (India) P.Ltd for not providing the service as  promised . 

After lunch, we went to the temple to have dharshan. In the absence of the guide, the passengers bought the special Dharshan ticket for Rs 200 ! We had to return to the bus in order to undertake the return journey by bus for another 5 hours. 

Waste Disposal appears to take the least priority on board the train. It is a common sight to see passengers of ordinary express trains dropping  all sorts of waste around their seats. It is also an eyesore to find  empty bottles  dropped inside toilets and wash basins. The toilet with an unbearable  filthy smell makes the journey a curse. On the contrary, this particular trip did not have these problems at all. Toilets were neat,dry and tidy. They were promptly refilled with water en route. But the credit goes to the passengers as well. 

When the passengers sensibly put all food waste into a black cover kept for the purpose, is it not the duty of the house keeping staff to tie it properly during nights and dispose them the following day ?The  house keeping boy did not even look at our face to reply. The contents of the bag were enough to attract rats . It did not stop there. The rats even invaded the compartments when the passengers were fast asleep. Bags / Luggage brought by fellow passengers were cut open .  Reporting the problem was in vain. 

The house keeping boy was seen collecting empty water bottles and throwing them out from the running train one by one. Any amount of advice did not work. Just imagine 5000 empty containers thrown on both sides of the truck during this trip !! All we could do was to make our points in the feed back form given to us. God knows who will read it and what action will be taken. 

Of course, we have travelled quite a lot of distance during this tour. It is not to be forgotten that most of the travellers are aged. By calling the facilities enough for a budget tour, does IRCTC shows blind eyes to the Senior citizens ? All we request the Railways is to provide atleast minimum standards of stay. Please do not insult them by showing places fit for tying cattle ! The one provided at Nasik road was just horrible. The dirty rooms with pungent smelling linens supports the above view. Will the authorities look into this? 

IRCTC can still make the trip more convenient by tightening the grip over Travel India , its service provider. If IRCTC still argues that this is all they can provide for a budget tour, well, it will reveal their unwillingness to improve customer service and in the future land  up in putting an end to many programs due to poor occupancy .  

Heritage Week and the UNESCO

Mahabalipuram

Heritage is best described as the “ Legacy of the Past “. UNESCO has declared the Heritage week to be conducted Worldwide between November 19^th and 25^th. The purpose is not only to create awareness but to sustain it for the future generations. The logic seems to be great but a thorough analysis of the status of the Heritage sites gives a dismal picture. What we want at the moment is not just declaration or celebration but something beyond it. Are we good enough to shield them from natural disasters ,thefts etc ? Do we show any inclination to protect them? We are really good at talking tall on topics like Archeology, inscriptions, History and so on. Should n’t we feel ashamed of our great Heritage sites getting disfigured,damaged and always under the threat of thefts?  

We come across many people in the name of Enthusiasts everywhere. There job is to visit historical sites, take as many photographs as possible, create albums and share them openly. It may be a hobby for them to write blogs and publish the photos of rare sculptures, bronzes and other icons. Surely it is worthful to watch . But then we forget the real threat staring at these monuments and sculptures. Many countries have lost several Historical sculptures and icons for many decades. Have we ever learnt lessons to prevent further thefts from happening ? Have we tightened the Law accordingly which can prescribe severe punishment for the wrong doers?

Unfortunately the so called enthusiasts defend themselves by saying that their work has helped to identify the stolen objects and put the culprits behind the bars. Nobody denies it but the fact remains that the number of the stolen items are much more than the few antics that were recovered. Perhaps they don’t believe in the proverb,  "Prevention is the best medicine” .What they do now is a post mortem job. Well. It may help the police to trace the criminals. But we want a permanent solution to prevent the thefts and damages at our Historical sites.

It is not that easy to bring back the stolen antics if they are smuggled out of the country. The legal battle runs for several years and everything depends on how soon the verdict is delivered. Assuming the stolen antics are brought back to the originating country, how many of them are restored in their original places? For lack of protection, the recovered items are housed inside huge cells or Museums and the very purpose of their presence in the original places is lost.

It is not known why the courts do not insist on the respective Governments to make arrangements at the place of origin and ensure  their safety. In the absence of the Court’s directive, the concerned Government can undertake the responsibility of protecting the monuments and antics. Shifting the icons from one place to other in the name of safety is a sign of washing the hands.

Have the UNESCO realised that the media is more concerned about the disclosure of the value of the stolen item in international market ? Is the media wish to remain as middlemen to encourage smuggling? Why do they want the value of each item in the market to be known to the readers? Is it not sufficient if it is circulated among the investigating agency ? Don’t they know that this revelation can lead some anti social men becoming agents in this trade? Do they know that the Heritage sites have not been provided necessary security at many places, as a result of which many sculptures are stolen even now? Does the UNESCO conduct safety audits at all Heritage centers to ensure safety and security? Unless these issues are addressed, the World Heritage week as declared by UNESCO is not going to achieve big and the World will have to watch helplessly the occurrence of many more irreparable damages at Heritage sites. 

Standardised Procedure for implementation ,the urgent need

Can the Temple be saved?

A controversy is brewing on who is responsible for the mindless destruction of historic temples in the name of renovation. After hearing the plea , the Supreme Court is reported to make it mandatory to obtain permission before commencing the renovation work. The blame game starts instantly. HR &CE dept says the temples located in interior places do not follow the prescribed practices and the villagers take decision on their own by demolishing the old structure. On the other hand the villagers strike back saying the concerned officers never turn up to supervise the work.

By and large the work is taken up after getting consent from the executive officer of the temple. The problem starts only when the officer fails to ensure that the norms are followed. For example, there is a circular from HR & CE , banning the use of mosaic tiles inside the sanctum. It further insisted to remove the tiles even if they are already fixed. The question now arises as to whether the HR & CE has ensured the implementation of the circular fully! Have they conducted audits of the renovated temples?

 Nobody would prefer demolition of old structures as they know very well that it involves huge money and the new one can never reproduce the old glory. They are driven to such a stage by the negligence of the authorities for several decades. The penniless villagers remain  silent spectators even if the structure is embedded with vegetation and the long roots penetrate from top to bottom.

A learned scholar who has served the Archaeology dept is reported to have told that the presence of vegetation should not pose a problem that leads to destruction. We never expect such a statement from him who has widely travelled and possess good knowledge of our Heritage.

Penetrated roots breaking the wall

 Some photographs published here clearly show the roots uprooting the neglected vimanams and walls of the temples. Having remained silent for several decades, one can no longer watch the roof falling on the Main deity inside the sanctum.  In such cases, the demolition work is already done by the plants and the failure to notice the growth on time  can not be passed on to the villagers. When they seek permission from the concerned dept., the action plan should be drafted by the officer and given to the renovation committee members. Moreover it is highly important that he should closely watch the work at every stage. Violations, if any, should be stopped at that stage itself.

Numbered stones dismantled and restored in a Temple

There is a debate on dismantling and demolishing. Dismantling a structure is supposed to be carried out consciously by taking photographs of the original structure, numbering every stone and reassembling them in their original places. Careful pointing work is done to prevent the emergence of wild growth of plants in the gaps. This arrangement also prevents the inscriptions getting shuffled. Photos taken before and after undertaking such a work are given here for better understanding.
The above procedure can not be adopted if the entire structure, aged several centuries are built entirely with bricks where lime is used to bind them. It makes the deep rooted plants to pull it down easily. The bricks get crumbled if any attempt is made to rebuild the damaged portion. It is more dangerous to leave the vimanam which stands on the supporting wall which is already plagued by the extensive damage caused by the trees.

Unless the root is fully removed, there is no point in cutting a part of the tree whose root is hidden deep  as the half - hearted work will not solve the problem completely and the plant will start growing from the gap vigorously after the next rain . Villagers have made many attempts to kill the trees by spraying tree- killing chemicals but could not succeed. Hence , demolition is forced on them as they are not guided properly.

Chemically treated plant after a week 

 Recently an attempt was made to inject a chemical into the deep rooted trees that emerge from vimanams and walls. This exercise was found successful as the chemical simply killed the plant entirely within a week. Then it became easy to remove the plant from the root level without affecting the structure. However, it becomes imperative to close the gaps so that there is absolutely no possibility of the plant to grow again from the same place.The cost saved in this manner is really tremendous. At the same time it gives great satisfaction of restoring the old beauty without any alteration.

Plants fully removed after the process

HR & CE and ASI should look for development work done in this field and rewrite the standard procedure. More importantly, they should bear the moral responsibility to see the system in place which can give scope for easy implementation.  

The Plight of Elephants

There can not be a second opinion that the elephant is more associated with Hindu religion. Elephant headed Ganesa is one of the principal deities of worship. Manuscripts on elephant behaviour and treatment  are there. Thiruvanaikkaval , Anai malai,Thiruvadanai and Hasthigiri(Kanchipuram) are some of the places named after the elephant. Ever since the conflict began between Man and elephant, the wild animal is poached/captured and tamed to obey the orders.  The emperors formed squadrons of elephants to fight their enemies. A Chola King who fought the enemy by sitting on the back of his elephant and died ultimately is called "Yanai mel thunjia Devar".

Artisans have been fond of sculpting the figures of elephant in wood,metal and stone. The ten day temple festivals in Tamil Nadu include " Yanai Vahanam" , the deity seated on top of an elephant made of wood and taken in procession.

When Man found that the tamed elephant can do lot of work for him, he started to captivate them. They were used to drag long and heavy woods. Later, the temples were used to carry granite from far away places for the purpose of building temples. The wonderful Temple at Thanjavur is constructed fully with granite stones that had to come from quite a long distance. It is said that an inclined plane had to be built from a place called Vallam,some 3 km away from the temple to supply stones on elephant's back!

With the advent of modern transportation, elephants were spared from doing this job. In some major temples they were used to carry river water everyday to the temple and participate in festivals. Otherwise they are simply tied and left in a room with restricted movement. Not all Temples conduct gajapuja every day. On the other hand, the mahouts make them beg and receive money from the devotees. Strictly speaking, there is no need for an elephant to be present in the temple except at those places where,according to  the legend  the animal is said to have worshipped the deity.  

Both front and hind legs chained

It is estimated that as many as 28000 elephants are there in India of which some 3000 are captivated. Kerala alone possess 500 of them. Because of the maltreatment, 218 people are reported to have been killed in Kerala between 1998 and 2010, most of them were mahouts. Elephants gifted to the Temples have to be housed without restricting the animals too much. About 60 elephants that belong to Guruvayur Temple are there in an eleven acre land , 3 km away from the temple. Though Mahouts are deputed to take care of them, it is felt that the available area is inadequate to house 60 elephants.
In Kerala, the temple elephants are used to carry the idols in a procession after  the pujas. The Mahouts take advantage of the situation and receive money from the devotees. The poor animal has to undergo loud noises of Chenda and fireworks, long parades, flames held nearby, transportation in vehicles , walk on tarred roads under the scorching sun ,cruelty and work load. The mahouts carry a stick with a hook to beat the animal to obey his orders. Any resistance will result into chaining both front and hind legs  for a very long time. Lack of proper food,water and sleep make life miserable for the elephants. Pre matured deaths of captivated elephants  in the age group of say 40- 50 are reported.

Gone into the truck

The studies reveal that the elephant population has reduced by 50% in the last three decades. It is because of greedy poachers who hunt them for ivory. The Asian Elephant is listed by IUCN as "endangered" At the same time one should appreciate the efforts of Tamilnadu Govt to send the Temple elephants for rejuvenation camps. But the way the animals are loaded into the trucks appears to be cruel. Moreover the jumbos have to undergo a very long journey inside the vehicle which will certainly make them tired.

Encroachment of jungle areas by greedy farmers is also another reason why many elephant deaths are reported. They are killed mercilessly in electrical traps. Recently an elephant from the nearby forest was tranquillised and loaded into a truck with the help of a trained elephant as it "encroached"  into agricultural fields. While doing so it died because of injuries. Railway tracks that pass through jungle areas and ghat sections become the death traps for elephants.

Elephant lovers of many countries try to rescue the elephants from captivity by bringing them to their care centres , treat them with the help of veterinary doctors, nourish them and provide them enough space for movement.  Such an initiative has been made by Tree Foundation, an organisation who have set up their Elephant Care facility near Marakkanam on Chennai- Pondichery road. At the moment it houses three elephants brought from Sri Kamakshi Temple,Kanchipuram for better treatment . The chained legs were attended by doctors and they are reported to recover fast. Upon strengthening the base, the organisation plans to bring some more elephants from the temples for better care. But the question before us is: " Can the treated / healthy animals be released in wild sometime later to provide space for new arrivals?"  

Art is no more for Art's sake?

MET Museum,New York City

"Art is for Art's sake"goes a saying. When Art is dedicated to God, it becomes "Art for God's Sake".  There is a marked distinction between these two. The former is purely imaginary and in the later,  the imagination is within the boundary. The basic material used may be stone/metal/paper /canvas /wood or anything. Once it receives "Godly touch" we are permitted to admire, worship the art embedded in it. The rotten idea of stealing and selling to  a museum and dealers was cultivated by the rich countries in the last  five or six decades. There was a time when the idols/panels were not under threat from anybody. There was absolutely no necessity to safeguard these treasures day and night like a fortress as people showed lot of respect to them. The mean minded rich have corrupted the minds of innocent people by buying them for money. As a result the innocence has vanished at the cost of greedy behaviour.

Lord Nataraja ,MET Museum,New York

The Museums across the World indirectly encourage this illegal trade by buying the antiques and display them as their rich possession. Visitors to MET Museum New York can find many priceless art pieces of India  and one really do not know why the Governments of India and U.S.A do not object to this and arrange to send them back to their original places. It clearly shows that the Museums are allowed to exhibit them and make money through entry fee.

The Media is also to be blamed for keeping a blind eye on this issue and publish articles which in no way can prevent the thefts. On the contrary their presentation seems to be anchored on sensational news for  describing the theft in detail. When we raise a point to the editor of the newspaper, we seldom get any reply. It is same in the case of New York times also when the paper reported the theft of Indian idols. We give below the copy of the letter sent to the editor:
                                                              *****************
The Editor,
The New York Times,
New York City.
Sub: Investigative Journalism

Journalism in true sense is all about presenting News as it should be. It includes aggregating, writing, editing and presenting facts or events with an attempt to minimize analysis or interpretation. We have no doubt that you work on this principle with a mission of printing " All the News That's fit to print". For a Newspaper, holding such a noble mission to inform the facts to the readers, it so happens sometimes that some correspondents act over smart , forgetting the mission for which their Newspaper stands for. The attempt to present in a sensational way maligns the credibility of the paper whatever its intentions may be. Its social responsibility is thus eroded by this act and leaves a poor shadow on the editor.

My observation as NYT's failure to edit the correspondent's 'sensational' report that appeared in your paper dated 23rd July,2015 explains the above point. While reporting on the smuggling racket that involved numerous antiques from India, he has given a caption that appears to invite/educate more people towards the crime. Thinking that he has put on efforts to investigate the crime fully, he has given step wise process of how the crime was carried out by giving a ' flow diagram'. Moreover, the heading, '  How to smuggle a Saint out of India ' itself is irking. ( " How the Saint was stolen out of India" could have been the caption for his article.) For what purpose the common man is informed about the modalities adopted to smuggle out the icon from the temple?  What is the need for the reader to know about the price for which it is sold? Assuming that the fraud was exposed, it has taken more than nine years to come to limelight. Who is responsible for the failure to identify the culprits and punish them according to the law of the land?  Giving such a long rope merely encourages more criminals in this field. The ideal investigative journalism should look for answers instead of just pointing fingers based on Police report. When the journalism takes such a diversion, the entire story need not be narrated in order to make it sensational. The Press can simply report about the theft and leave the rest for investigation under the guidance of Law to avoid new entrants in the illegal Trade.
Sekar Venkataraman
24th July,2015
                                                                        *****************
With the advent of Social sites on the Net, people have started sharing the photos of ancient temples. While doing so, some of them upload as many as 200 photos of each temple which includes the pictures of the Murthis. Our appeal against this practice has fallen into deaf ears! They still defend their action by saying that they enjoy the art involved and want others also to enjoy. The problem arises only when it reaches the wrong/ anti social hands. The anti social elements even damage the idols and carvings .

The latest capture of many stolen idols in Chennai should be a pointer to them. As long as there is no fool proof security to the sites, sharing the pictures will only help  to accelerate the process. While the Police is doing a good job in capturing the culprits, it should be noted that such captures are negligible  when compared to the number of stolen items 

Temples as Guardians of Environment

'' Seven billion dreams; One Planet; Consume with care'' is the slogan selected for World Environment Day, 2015. WED is celebrated annually across the world on 5th June. The celebrations at Milan Expo(Italy) will have the theme of' resource efficiency and sustainable consumption and production'.The theme, '"Feeding the planet,-Energy for life'" gives special focus on ideas,solutions and Technology to help ensure healthy safe and sufficient food for all while respecting the planet and its capacity.

New Delhi,Patna,Gwalior are some of the cities in India that are coming under the top ten polluted cities of the world. The alarming situation is due to vehicular and industrial emissions. Hence the air we breathe and the water we drink are posing health hazards.The sudden rise in temperature has caused more than 2000 deaths in Andhra Pradesh alone.

It is a pity that people talk about environment care only on June 5th. It has become more or less a ritual. Even industries do it to bring the activity into their records. Who is there for the sustainable activity that can happen throughout the year? Why can't they call it as environment year instead of Environment Day?

The Government initiates by calling for people's involvement. It wants to promote the activity by bringing famous personalities from different fields. For cleanliness drive it brought cine actors and for WED it brings sports persons. More than the people who assemble at the function (only) to see their favourites, Media are crazy to take videos and show them on the screen. The personalities thus become infamous as they seldom show their involvement on their own. They can adopt a village and plant saplings and maintain them. It appears that they do n't do it as the silent, unselfish activity will not be noticed and bring publicity for them.

We request the Government not to depend too much on the famous persons as the net result is zero on the next day. There will not be anybody to water the plants. Instead, the village panchayats may be asked to involve school children and the local people and plant the saplings at places where watering will be done without fail. Recently we read about a lady  who cleared a choked canal and made water to flow into the agricultural lands in Tamil Nadu.There are gems who gift saplings to their relatives and friends on their birth days. The Government can encourage such people and award them liberally which will inspire others.

Village Temples were engaged in sustaining the ground water table from ancient times. Tanks were dug close to the Temples which harvested rain water during monsoon. Many trees and flowering plants were grown inside the Temple premises. The Government can come forward to announce a rolling cup/ awards for the best maintained Temple tanks and Temple gardens. Will they hear the suggestion?  

Breathing for India ??

The Sunday supplement dated 31st May,2015 of The New York Times  carried a shocking report on the threat faced by children in New Delhi. The NYT reporter who has spent three years in Delhi, himself faced the agony caused by air pollution in the National Capital of India.  The guys who simply jump from earth to heaven on seeing BBC's presentation of poverty in India and doing nothing should read this first.

Mr Gardiner Harris ,the Washington correspondent of the newspaper has narrated his personal suffering during his stay in Delhi. He describes the traffic in Delhi as " the World's most chaotic" and the journey at night as " the most frightening " when road signs remain    " largely ornamental"  According to him, " nearly half of Delhi's children have permanent lung damage." Without knowing the danger ahead of them,people burn some toxic material and an astringent cloud  spreads in the neighbourhood. It affects not only children but adults as well. They suffer " near constant headaches, sore throats,coughs and fatigue. It results into full- blown asthma in many children.

Mr Harris says further: " In some places in Delhi, the levels of fine particles that cause the most lung damage ,called PM 2.5 , routinely exceed 1000 in winter in part because some trash and other small fires are so common , according to scientists. In Beijing, P.M.2.5 levels that exceed 500 make international headlines. Here, levels twice that high are largely ignored."  He adds: " For much of the year , the Yamuna water would have almost no flow though Delhi, if not for raw sewage. Add in the packs of stray dogs, monkeys and cattle even in urban areas, and fresh excretions are nearly ubiquitous. Insects alight on these excretions and then on people or their food,sickening them. Most piped water here is contaminated. Poor sanitation may be a crucial reason nearly half of India's children are stunted." There is no wonder why the author's 8 year old child was a victim of asthma.

Many people assume that their job is over when they talk length and breadth on different types of Pollution on Environment Day. While it is generally felt that the discipline should come from top, the long wait for such an initiative has proved to be a gimmick which does nothing for the people. On the other hand no concrete steps have been provided to stop/slow the migration of people to Urban areas . The move to keep the surroundings clean was launched by the Government with the Prime Minister himself leading from the front. The brand ambassadors from film industry stood in front of the cameras for publicity and vanished later.  Therefore it is better to  revise the path of discipline as the one that can flow from the bottom to top. To be more precise, it can be demonstrated from village level where the pollution is not much. Once we achieve pollution free air,water and good sanitation in villages, others will follow suit. Let there be no famous personalities or politicians and the entire movement must be left to the people. In such a situation, people will realise the importance of a pollution free life, discuss among themselves and then find a workable solution.

While writing about the attitude of abandoning villages and rural temples, we have expressed our desire to call the retired persons to go back to their native villages. When every facility is made available now,there can not be any hesitation in going back to villages and lead a peaceful life. By remaining in Metros, it gives more pain to the swelling population which already faces poor accommodation,transport,polluted air and water.

The Role of Museums as Guardians of Heritage & Culture

International Museum Day 2015 is celebrated today the 18^th day of May.  The Museum Day was established by International Council of Museums ( ICOM) in 1977 with the purpose of enhancing interest among Public about the role of Museums in the development of society.  Over 35000 Museums of about 145 countries participated in this event in 2014. The theme of this year is              ” Museums for a sustainable society." The President of ICOM,Prof.Dr Hanz-Matin Hinz  says :           “ Museums must be able to guarantee their role in safeguarding the cultural heritage, given the increasing precariousness of ecosystems, situations of political instability, and the associated natural and man- made challenges  that may arise. “

A dictionary defines the meaning of the word museum as ‘ a  building or institution dedicated to the acquisition, conservation, study,  exhibition and educational interpretation of objects having scientific, historical, cultural or artistic value.’  The Geneva convention of ICOM held at Austria, Vienna in 2007 defines a museum as ‘ a non-profit permanent institution in the service of society and its development open to the public , which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits the tangible and intangible heritage of humanity and its environment for the purpose of education , study and enjoyment.’

ICOM offers training in Museum management, disaster preparedness and response.  Its international training centre is at Palace Museum, Beijing, China.  It has got network with many museums of the world and organises a symposium every year. It is planned as Tasmania this year. It publishes red list of endangered objects of Heritage value and has helped to get back the stolen objects from many countries and restored to their original places.

Having said that, we have few points to ask at this juncture in connection with World Museum Day. While appreciating the efforts of the International Council in raising awareness among the public, it should also be admitted that many more preventive steps are to be taken to stop the illegal trade of cultural and religious goods.  It may require strengthening of International Law and   start addressing the issue at the root level. How safe and secured are our ancient places of worship is the first question. What action has been taken by the   respective Governments and the International body to stop the illicit trade by anti- social elements?  Have anybody advised the media to stop giving the international value of the stolen items? Did they tell them not to give details such as how the theft was made and the modes operandi  of the Police. 

The annual symposium may even call for the participation of representatives of the Ministry of Art & Culture from different countries and Police force   inclusive of   Interpol. Thirdly, the art lovers should stop circulating the pictures of antique items in social networks which may give clues to the wrong doers. The arrested culprits must face more severe punishment than now.

While the definition of a Museum reserves the right to acquire and exhibit, many stolen items take asylum in Museums in the name of donation.  Is it ethical to smuggle an antique item and sell it to a Museum which in turn describes it as a gift!! Therefore it is suggested that the Museum must immediately alert the Interpol on receiving an offer from the seller. This will stop the illicit trade to some extent.  Hence the use of the definition helps the Museum to continue showing its antique items without realising the affinity of people towards them. The objects stolen from places of worship should not come under this definition. It will be great if Museums, the custodians of Heritage take relevant steps to give back those stolen antiques to the respective countries.  

Calling the NRIs

A House 15 km outside the Town

Happiness is derived from the comfort of life. Living standards determine the way of life besides the earning potential and other expectations. In a recent study, Switzerland is termed as the happiest nation in the world. Swiss have shown the world how to be the leader and keep its people happy. It is now left to other nations to learn the best practices from them and move ahead.

Among various issues faced by India, the huge population and its impact on urban life is the matter of concern. People slowly start deserting their villages in search of green pastures. The sudden spurt in Urban population has caused many challenges including housing, sanitation and Transport. It is highly difficult to expand a city which has already reached the saturation point. Yet the Government is trying all possible ways to meet the challenges posed for the next decade. Smart Cities are planned adjourning major cities to accommodate more entrants to cities. Now it is time to think more about smart villages.

The thought of converting the villages into ‘”smart’” ones should have occurred and implemented long back to prevent the exodus of people. The existing people are like ‘” cat on the wall ‘” who seriously think of leaving the villages and migrate to metros where their children live. Since the agriculture is monsoon specific, more failures frustrate the agriculturists to look for lucrative ways. Agricultural sites are being converted into housing colonies. This dangerous trend has to be checked immediately and alternate solutions are to be implemented to create confidence in the minds of the villagers.

It is a known fact that most of the villages have improved in the last few decades due to the availability of infrastructure, technology and transport. The only missing thing is the absence of earning ways that match the standard of urban population. If the location is wholly dependent on agriculture, more agro based industries may provide employment to them. It is nice to see good educational institutions coming close to the villages and provide transport to pick the children right in front of their houses. If the gap between urban and rural lives is narrowed, people will love to live in their villages.

Good housing was the concern of the past. Gated communities are coming up some 15 km away from the towns and independent houses are built to meet the requirement of the customers. Good access to the nearby town is available to enable the occupants to spend their valuable time. Alternately, one may prefer going back to the native place and live a comfortable life. Lot of community services can be extended by owning a property there. A good backyard can be converted into a good garden with flowering plants and a part can also become a grove of many trees. To possess a cow adds value to the life as it is a step towards self-sufficiency. Going for a Gobar gas plant provides cooking gas round the clock. Thus the village life provides ample ways to think innovatively.

We come across friends who work abroad remembering the roots and bringing their families to their native places. It is a proud moment for them to show the family members the place where they lived and the school where they studied. They create a passion in the minds of their wards to visit the native place and stay for a week or ten days. Unfortunately, they do not have the ancestral home now as the same had been sold early when the previous generation migrated to Urban areas. It is therefore necessary for the NRIs to look for a house of their taste and buy them. By doing so, they provide a breather to the village which is on the verge of becoming a no man’s land.

The return of the NRIs can turn the events of the village magnificently. The village Temples will regain the glory of the past and the cultural festivals can be restarted. Sustainable growth of the village can be planned with the help of like minded people and these steps will bear fruits in the long run.

Praying for Rain

A Temple Tank remaining dry

Famine may happen at any country. History tells us the serious consequences of several draughts that happened in many parts of the world. Agriculture gets the first beating from a draught. Then it affects the citizens who are already down with negligible farm output.

The great Tamil work, "Periya Puranam " outlines the effects of a draught situation that prevailed in those days. Places  like Thiruveezhimizhalai, Arisil Karai Puthur and Thirupungur faced the gruesome famine. Eyarkon Kalikkama Nayanar prayed Sivalokanatha of Thirupungur for rain and offered agricultural land ( "aaru veli " ). God answered his prayers and to the jubilation of the entire village,abundant rain  followed. When it rained more than the requirement, floods started surrounding the village and posed problem to the crops and people as well. The Nayanar prayed The Lord again and offered the same amount of land to the Temple if the rain stopped.  Thus the Temple was gifted with 12 veli of land for saving the village.

God exists everywhere, be a desert or a delta. Sri Rudram, the central part of the Vedas stated thus: "Varshyaa ya cha avarshyaaya cha. " People think more of God when they are in trouble. Only great souls treat all situations alike. They come as a solace to help the common man and free him from distress. When the people of Thiruveezhimizhalai welcomed Thirugnanasanbandar and Thirunavukkarasar, the great Saiva acharyas to the village and reported them about the draught situation over there. The Saints prayed the Almighty for the sake of the devotees and received coins from The Lord to be used until the draught was over.

Los Angeles Times has reported the scarcity of water in California and described that the water storage might last for one year only. It is a result of monsoon failure over the last decade. In the absence of water supply to the fields, agriculturists have almost exhausted the underground water by using pump sets. A situation has thus arrived when people can be served with drinking water alone. It has finally left the people to pray for rain.

The Paramacharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt used to advice people to perform "Athi Rudram " and pray Lord Shankara for rain. In a place like California, where Indian community lives in good numbers, organising the event should not be a problem. What is more important is the participation combined with devotion. Since it is a result oriented event, sincerity counts more than anything. There may be many Vedic Pundits in this region,serving in Temples. As eleven days of chanting  will have to be made, married men in traditional attire can participate and chant the Mahamantra. Others who are not well versed with "Sri Rudram "can take a book/i pod and follow others. Only few professionals may be invited from India  when it is absolutely essential. By doing so, it will not give room for the professionals in India from crossing the barrier as prescribed by Dharma Sastras. Simultaneously, it gives an opportunity for Hindus living in U.S. to learn Sri Rudram and chant them regularly. They may even think of sending their children to Veda class. Of course, it is a matter to be decided by Californians. The gravity of the situation is to be considered as the top priority as Athi Rudra Maha Yagyam is normally aimed to wipe off the agony faced and please Lord Rudra.      

Temple Rebuilding

Dilapidated Sanctum

Restoration of Historic Temples generally  involve  renovating the damaged part without affecting the original structure. The damage is largely due to the wild growth of trees over the ancient structure , left unattended for decades.In this process, the original stones are to be numbered before dismantling. After removing the trees fully, the stones are restored in their original places. By doing so, gaps are created between the stones. The gaps thus formed are normally filled by pointing work  At the same time, the inscriptions,if any,are to be preserved with great care. Painting should be avoided over the granite stones.Removal of original stones and replacement with tiles should also be avoided.  But it is a challenging job to rebuild the entire structure on the same lines of the ruined Temple.

Remains of Nandi Mandapam

It is not uncommon to see the sites suffering from extensive damage. One such Temple was located 7 km south east of Aduthurai . Sri Garbapureeswara Swami Temple at Karupur was left only with Swami Sannadhi and that too in a very bad shape. The highly dilapidated shrine had a tall tree rooted deep into the vimanam of the sanctum. The whole structure was made of bricks. The shrines of Ganapathi and Subramanya were beyond repair. Ambal Shrine had already disappeared. All other Murthis were missing. The compound wall was absent which might have invited anti socials taking advantage of the situation.

All attempts were sincerely made to save the old structure but in vain. The bricks were too old and unable to withstand the load . As the roots had penetrated deep into the sanctum, almost the entire structure had to be disturbed to remove the trees fully. Even if other methods were applied, the structure,made of bricks would not have last long. The brick foundation , about 3 1/2 feet deep was also in a bad shape. The stones started crumbling  and it was realised that any attempt to build the new shine over the old foundation was unsafe.

It has thus become necessary to go for a new structure altogether by not skipping the guidelines given in Agama and Silpa Sastras. Photographs were taken and the measurement of the original shrine was strictly followed when the new structure was raised. Granite stones were procured from Pudukottai and the foundation work was started. Bhoomi Puja was performed with lot of enthusiasm from the local villagers.

South facing Garbaprathambika Sannadhi was also raised on a new foundation by following the original measurements.

Shrines of Ganapathi and Subramanya were reconstructed in their original places. The next job was to place orders for new idols for the respective shrines. After screening many sculptors, it was given to a Sthapathi whose workmanship was better than others.

                               

Stone selection was made at Sthapathi's premises on an auspicious day. It was a good sign to see showers on a sunny day unexpectedly. The stone on which rain water had stagnated in a cavity was brought to the workshop and the Sthapathi offered Pujas to mark the beginning of the work. The progress was monitored at regular intervals and suggestions were given to craft the idol even better. The other idols were also made in this way and sent to the Temple within three months.

After completing the foundation work of both Swami and Ambal shrines, the Vimanams were raised with the support of Philanthropists. Arrangements were made to conduct the consecration on Sunday,1st Feb,2015. It was God's Grace that the star of the day  happened to be " Ardhra " the auspicious one for Lord Shiva. We, at Ardhra Foundation considered it as His blessing which inspired us to serve the Lord more.

As the cost was very high to build a compound wall around the  complex, a wired fence that may last for 5- 10 years was laid as a temporary measure. Another pending job was laying a pathway around the Temple. We hope that these two unfinished jobs will get completed through some blessed souls in the near future.

The locals are now proud and happy to see the ancient Temple of their village restored. It is after all they, who have to visit the Temple daily, conduct worship, monitor the daily Pujas and maintain it  in a good condition. As everyone now realise the very high cost of the neglect , care must be taken to avoid recurrence of the past.  Agamas prescribe the conduct of consecration ceremony once in twelve years.  Apart from maintaining the sanctity of the shrine, it helps to maintain the structure well at a low cost. Rebuilding will never happen if the above guidelines of the Agamas are followed.  

Cheap Publicity - Thy name is Controversy ?

As Hinduism is regarded as the way of life, it allows people to choose any path as long as it serves to reach the ultimate goal of getting liberation from rebirth. In the long journey of finding Truth and attain salvation, it never compels anyone to do or not to do certain things as it strongly believes that all paths will finally reach The Almighty. It simply pronounces what is good for the Humanity and allows freedom to individuals , though the Sastras prescribed for Brahmins may be slightly rigid as the community is meant to pray for Peace and Prosperity of the entire World.

When it comes to worship , most of us pray for self rather than for anybody else. The next level of thinking is to pray for family members and then only for others. It takes time for ordinary citizens to raise to the highest level of  praying for the entire world by crossing all boundaries. The water tight compartments will automatically vanish once that level is achieved. Such a person will always pray for communal harmony by  sacrificing the materialistic way of life.

Sacrifices may be big or small. It simply means  whatever you are prepared to give up. It may be because of a prayer or the net result of thanking God for answering the prayer. Whether God asks for it or not is immaterial as long as the belief remains unshakable. Such acts can not be called as ignorance as it trespasses into the religious freedom enjoyed by the individuals or groups. To worship or not may be left to the individual. But it should not be misunderstood as an opportunity to criticise the belief of others.  

Atheism is not new to the World. But the Modern world should try to behave better than ever. Hurting others through libel and slander may give momentary happiness for atheists but the fact remains that the believers continue to grow in numbers regardless of such verbal attacks.
Social Media is supposed to unite people and guide people with the noble purpose of shaping their lives. Unfortunately they entertain avoidable debates that are defamatory and cause social evils. Such controversies may blow up to any proportion and divide people. The recent allegation appeared in the Social Media is about making poor remarks on Lord Shiva and the reaction of the public shown above is understandable.

The actor in the movie is said to have criticised the Hindu ritual of offering milk to the deity as waste. Thinking as if they serve for the poor, crocodile tears are shed for them. If the allegation is true, let them answer few questions. Why do they celebrate their birthdays and New Year with pomp and fare in star hotels and expensive resorts ? Can't they spare the money for the cause of poor children? How many of them have served for this cause off the screen? They are too happy when their fans pour milk on their cutouts when their films are released. Is there a single actor who described this as waste and advised the fans to divert the milk to poor children? Let them tell that the film world is doing charity work throughout the year. While they mint crores of rupees from both affordable and non affordable section of the public, how many of them have thought about sparing  even a small portion of their income towards charity? How many of them visit the slums regularly and offer help to the poor? They merely appear at  social functions ,that too to  get publicity.  Some of them appear before TV cameras at the time of launching a social programme and never bother to continue and carry it forward. If this be the case, why at all the advertising media be after the celebrities and offer them in crores?

We rarely react to controversial issues as it is a worthless attempt to change the attitude of critics whose mindless act  hurts the sentiments of millions of believers. However, we think it is necessary to answer the pointer raised here-- whether the milk offered to a deity is a waste . Let the critics remember that we live under the mercy of Nature that gifts us many things of which rain is the most important one. Failure of monsoon immediately affects the animals and birds and they try to migrate in search of water. They perish if they fail to identify the water resource in time. Man ignores even his pet animals at that stage in order to protect himself. Where from he get milk if the entire race of cows face the drought? He can not think of feeding his own baby, forget about feeding the poor children for a moment. When the God is so merciful to us and the cattle , what is wrong in thanking Him as a mark of our gratitude?

If the film makers are really interested in feeding milk to the poor, let them stop all lorry loads of cattle going towards the butcher's shops. Can't they live without eating mutton and beef when the poor struggle for a square meal a day? It is time for them to think and act before they preach through their films. The society has already been stabbed by viewing the immoral acts shown on the screen. Let them realise that the cinema is a strong media that can build lives of people. Such cheap acts can only ruin their image and at the end of the day their own fans may call it a day by boycotting such movies.     

Stupidity exposed

Manufacturing industries indulge in various ways to promote their products. They should always maintain dignity that brings fair name to the company while advertising their products through various media and exhibitions. Many such Industries try to force their products into the minds of the buyers by mostly sticking to the norms and standing by a level of decency. But there are players who exceed the limits and do it in a shabby way. They just do it by exhibiting models in an indecent manner to catch the attention of the people. Gone are those days when people went by advertisements alone. Now they are shrewd enough to analyse the product and compare it with similar players in the market. Knowing this fact, some companies of the west play a new trick by including the pictures of the Gods and Goddesses of the East,especially those of Hinduism.

As long as these advertisements do not insult the Religion, people are ready to look at it in a tolerant way. If the purpose is to make mockery of the religion , people will come out of their shells to protest the stupid attempt. This kind of sledging and bad advertising are going on for some years in many nations. A company of the west had printed the pictures of Hindu Gods and Goddesses on toilet covers some time ago. After receiving strong protests from Hindu Community, it was withdrawn and the company's apology was conveyed.

A newspaper report of this week has once again shocked the Hindu community all over the world. Pictures of Lord Shiva and other Gods were there in the gambling game introduced by a company at Espelkamp,Germany.  Are they not ashamed of doing this ? What do they know about the greatness of Lord Shiva? Do n't they know He is worshipped by millions of Hindus? What are they going to achieve by this attempt of tarnishing  Hinduism ? Do they know that Hindus never believed in criticising the other faiths of the World? Let them realise that India is one country where people live in diversity with brotherhood always in their minds and actions.

The mischievous action must be condemned by people of all faiths of the World. The company should abandon this practice and tender an unconditional apology to the Hindu community. We expect strong protests from all corners of the world so that no other company will redo it  in the same ugly way.  They may have disbelief but that does not give freedom for them to  hurt the feelings of the believers.That will indeed bring very bad reputation to the company. Let them not think they do it intelligently and differently. They only cross their limits and the stupidity is thus exposed.   

Adopting Temples ???

The Villagers are concerned. ARE WE ???

The World is constantly under changes. All species are subjected to go along with the transformation. All species except the Mankind are complacent with food and shelter. They just eat,grow, multiply and vanish. The Nature balances the existence of species until they face extinction by means of natural calamities, diseases,poaching etc. In a nutshell, they all fall under the pinciple of "survival of the fittest".  Man alone uses his brain not just to combat the dangers around but moves forward to invent many things to suit his needs. During this process of Modern living, he becomes selfish and greedy. Religious scriptures were written in order to correct him and show the good path. Even the corporates want their employees to sign off the procedure on ethical standards.

Life style gets modern look and force the people to look for more and more. With no strict guideline on  education,profession and business, people are allowed to choose anything of their choice and trespass into other's profession if that is lucrative. Family tradition is thus floated in air and a day will come when we face acute shortage of men in the field of agriculture, fine arts etc. which by no means inferior to any other profession.

Migration of people from villages to cities in the past decades was the starting point of destruction to our Heritage. Then came a situation when the natives never looked back at their ancestral places. The left over population in the villagers are those who struggle for daily bread. They live under the mercy of rich farmers. Politicians too used the farmers to their advantage and allowed the non payment of dues to the Temples unofficially as they were affiliated to some political party. It made the HR &CE ,the Govt. department ineffective.

The gruesome atmosphere has already caused extensive damage to our Culture as the rural Temples which stood for centuries as testimony for our high tradition have started to crumble at many places due to neglect. Hence it is left to the present generation to take up the repair work and stop further damage. Some amount of work is being done in this direction but inadequate. Tamilnadu itself is said to possess some 20000 plus Shiva Temples. When the administrative body has miserably failed to take care of these temples, a well thought out plan to preserve them is urgently needed. While small group activities can not serve in a big way, a time bound action plan has to be launched quickly.
The action plan may look for Philanthropists who can donate liberally. But then they must be allowed to act freely based on some guidelines. Let them procure materials, pay directly to the artisans and  complete the job to the satisfaction of everybody. There should not be any interference from HR &CE in this regard. Nagarathar community that stood all the way to renovate the ancient Temples in the last century should come forward again and set examples for others. On seeing a revolution in this field, Charities, business community , industrialists and others will join the good cause.
Good practices can be followed from any field. The Central Government has asked the elected representatives to adopt a village each and develop them. In the same way, we may appeal to Philanthropists to adopt rural Temples of their choice.

Another modest way is to form a circle that contain 100 well wishers who can contribute Rs 1000 P.A. each. The interest generated from this pool of fund can help perform Puja for an adopted rural temple. More the number of circles, more will be the beneficiaries. This is a very small expectation from salaried and retired segments of the society. But it depends on someone who can take the initiative to make the dream come true. The whole process must be fair,transparent and selfless to earn laurels from the society.  

"Model Temple"Audit

Ardhra Foundation's dream project of transforming all Temples into "Model Temples" was launched on 17th September 2014 by conducting audits, based on the guidelines set by us . These guidelines were made available in our website, ardhra.org and the implementation part has just begun. It is true that most of the Temples do not comply fully as per the guidelines to call them as "Model Temples". But it is desirable to find the gaps and try to resolve them to the extent possible. It will be a proud moment when a Temple conforms to the standards and look for continuous improvement. It may also be noted that the guidelines are subject to updation based on the field studies which can set a platform for good Temple Management in the future.

Viewers may find that this form of Audit is based on the compliance to the desired values framed by Ardhra Foundation. Unlike the ISO audits,wherein the auditee is allowed to spell his policy and procedures, AF's audit tries to bring all Temples under a common audit to bring down the deviations to a minimum. There can be a common Policy for all the Temples which can focus the Ultimate goal of transforming the Temples and developing them.

To start with, the Audit was conducted at Vadakarai, a hamlet,west of Mangudi on Thiruvarur-Thiruthuraipoondi road. Meenakshi Sundareswara Temple of Vadakarai is also called as Nambipadi. Nambi refers to Nambi Aaroorar (Sundara moorthi Nayanar) who is believed to have visited this place on his way to Thiru Naattiyaththankudi. The Temple is coming under the management of HR&CE dept. The priest resides close to the Temple where his ancestors had lived. Probably his only asset is his possession of few cows. He is so sincere and humble that he takes personal care of the Temple though he derives a negligible income from it. Hence he has to look for  other avenues of income such as Kumbabishekam and other auspicious occasions.He is very much interested in maintaining a good "Nandhavanam"in the prakaram.  The audit has helped to identify the gaps to suggest ways to close the non compliances.

Visalakshi sametha Viswanatha Swami Temple at Mangudi is located east of Mangudi on Thiruvarur- Thiruthuraipoondi road and the priest visits here once in a day . Though the sannadhis are small, the Temple complex is big enough to accomodate a good "Nandhavanam" The Temple is maintained neatly and presents a fresh look. The Deities are well dressed that shows the dedication of the priest. The Temple may be some 300-400 years old and it does not have any inscriptions. When the Audit was conducted here, some suggestions were made for further improvement.

The Temple at Pushpavanam was audited recently and it was noted that it could meet most of the clauses desired by us. There is always scope for improvement and the same was conveyed for early implementation. The Priest's house is close to the entrance of the Temple. As the name of the Main Deity(Sugantha Vaneswarar) implies the existence of a forest having flowering plants of rich fragrance, it was suggested to develop a good Nandhavanam with many species of flowering plants. As the story goes, the Temple at Pushpavanam used to contribute garlands to Vedaranyeswarar Temple at Vedaranyam, it is planned to develop an ideal "Nandhavanam" to offer garlands to Vedaranyam Temple atleast during the Brahmothsavam in the month of Masi.