Garbage pile an eyesore to devotees

Chikkathirupati, as the names goes, is popular for its historically famous Venkataramana Swamy temple. This village in Malur taluk, is a centre of tourist attraction.

On an average, thousands of devotees flock to the temple in a day. As many as 25 marriages are conducted here every day.

Despite being a place of religious attraction, there are other things which distract the visitors here. A huge heap of garbage piled up beside the main entrance of the temple is an eyesore to the devotees.

A temple is considered to necessarily be a place of cleanliness and hygiene. It should be well-maintained and efficiently run. The premises of the temple should be as clean as the sanctum sanctorum.

The purpose of visiting temples for the common man is said to lie in the fact that he comes there in search of peace and tranquility, devotion and serenity. Unclean premises, stench and dirt, chaotic arrangements, lack of basic facilities are enough to turn off the moods of the devotees.

Moreover, places with high density of population and unhygienic environs often lead to a spurt in the spread of diseases.

Sanctity at stake

The sanctity of the temple is at stake if devotees come out grumpy and unsatisfied. Civic awareness, stringent rules and regulations, installation of numerous dustbins, water taps, drinking water facility, resting points, help desk, an effective law and order system can ensure pilgrims of a hassle-free smooth darshan of the diety.

On the other hand, devotees should also ensure that they do not dirty the premises and spoil the property of the temple.

Additional precaution should be taken during monsoons and during jathras and mahotsavas. The temple should not only be a place of worship, but also behold the rich culture and tradition of our State. The hospitability and warmth of the local people should also appeal to the visitors flocking from other states.

Manikyam, from Hosur, Tamil Nadu visits the temple every week. “The situation has not improved at all for the last several years,” he tells.

First ‘non-plastic’ village

If this is the condition of the famous temple, then the other parts in the village are no better. Chikkathirupathi Gram Panchayat might have won laurels for having been declared as the first ‘non-plastic’ village in Malur taluk.

But the irony is, one can find heaps of garbage piled up in every nook and corner of the village.

It can be recalled that last month, the district administration had, for the first time, introduced a voluntary cleanliness drive in the village. All officers from the district administration posed for pictures, sporting brooms. The gram panchayat president even got dustbins installed at various places in the village.

No solution

However, despite all such fanfare, nothing materialised for the benefit of the residents. They feel it is not enough if programmes are inaugurated and equipment are distributed. The cleanliness drive should effectively be implemented for the results to show, they add.

The important question regarding the famed temple currently is: will there be any efforts in converting the temple premises as well as the village into clean environs and green surroundings and live up to the tag it has achieved?