---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: N Sekar <[email protected]>
Date: Mon, Aug 11, 2025 at 2:08 PM
Subject: Sri Kothandarama swamy Koil, Punnai Nallur, Thanjavur
To: Kerala Iyer <[email protected]>, Chittanandam V. R. <
[email protected]>, Rangarajan T.N.C. <[email protected]>,
Rama (Iyer 123 Group) <[email protected]>, Mathangi K. Kumar <
[email protected]>, Suryanarayana Ambadipudi <[email protected]>,
Narayanaswamy Sekar <[email protected]>, Mani APS <[email protected]>
Cc: Gopa4411 <[email protected]>
Dear Sri G K,
I have been reading some of your mails on the Temples. In this connection I
wish to highlight the following regarding the subject matter. The temple is
very old, just about 100 meters behind the famous Punnai Nallur Sri Mari
Amman Koil, about 4 k m from Thanjavur city.
The temple is (or should I say, was) one of the richest temples in T N with
acres and acres of land but has to depend now on others for daily Nitya
Kaingaryams.
I have been visiting both the temples whenever we go to Thanjavur, my
native city and where I studied for a few years staying with my grand
parents. I used to go there almost every week during those times.
My mother was very attached to both these temples and after she died ( she
died soon after I started earning and I come from a middle class family),
I, in her memory, renovated and refurbished the garden ( the plot was owned
by the temple but it was not a proper Nandavanam) including installing pump
sets and building a small tank so the plants can be watered. With the Koil
Bhattar (who is no more - his son looks after the temple Pujas now) we
planted plants (Tulasi, Vilvam, Parijatham, various other flower bearing
plants etc.) with a view to use them for the Koil and also some for the Sri
Amman Koil.
All this was about nearly 4 decades ago and the Kaigaryam was going on for
many years.
I took it for granted that the flowers are used for the temple and never
bothered to enquire about it, although we went to the temple almost every
year.
A few years back I casually enquired as to whether we need to do anything
more BUT was shocked to hear that the Nandavanam (plot owned by the temple
and we planted the plants and trees and the Bhattar was looking after them
with no cost to the temple) has been given on lease (Kuttakai) by the HRCE
and now the Temple has to BUY (pay the person who has taken it on lease)
the flowers for its daily pooja. The excess is sold by the lessee, I
heard. People are reluctant to come forth, out of fear.
People are afraid to tell me more details but this is the sorry state of
affairs of temples in T N. Kerala may be *slightly* better but the Hindu
Temples are looted by the state Govts with total impunity.
When based on an appeal in various social forums people started to put less
money in the Hundis and chose to give it to the priests and others, the
rowdy elements who control the temples without proper authority, started
exhorting the priests to part with their " Thattu Collection" and the
priests were too scared not to oblige. Of course this happens in big and
famous temples where the collection is also significant.
I happened to read in a w app message that Shobana Ravi, the famous TV
newsreader in DD in the good old days, had written her harrowing experience
in this regard and implored the Govt not to touch these collections. She
was actually a witness to these atrocities, it seems.
In Sri Villiputhur Andal Temple, Christians were openly selling Bible and
other materials and were seen propagating their religion. It is an open
secret that our temple admin staff consists of other religious Faiths also.
But can you imagine a Hindu being employed in the places of worship of
other Faiths?
All these atrocities are due to our collective indifference, apathy and
" Don't care" attitude. I am not an influential person but have
voiced my support for any u tube video which highlights these and similar
atrocities. I have circulated and still do so, similar uploads to my groups
- where they care and raise their voice in support of our religion with a
hope that the growing public voice will be heard.
Our Temples, Traditions and Culture are being destroyed systematically ( a
few well publicized Kumbabhishekams, to hoodwink the public that the HRCE
is not anti Hindu, notwithstanding) and we either are blissfully unaware or
are indifferent. Whenever and wherever the people care and dare to talk,
one can listen to these and other atrocities. TTD was no exception until C
Naidu and Pawan Kalyan assumed power. In T N Annamalai was giving voice to
these atrocities but alas, he was removed for short term electoral gains.
We dig our own graves and there will be people who will say all these fears
are exaggerated. That attitude resulted in our being enslaved for 800 years
and more but we never learnt our lesson and never will.
Quote - "History repeats itself because men repeat their mistakes".
N Sekar
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