Bhajans in temples for students

Programme aims to spread tenets of epics and teachings of saints

The BJP government, through the Muzrai department is planning to hold “Bhajana Saptaha” (prayer programmes) in select temples across the State for students during summer holidays.

Muzrai minister Kota Srinivasa Poojary told reporters in Bangalore on Wednesday that the department will write to category ‘A’ and ‘B’ temples to take up such prayer programmes for schoolchildren. If required, grants to meet the day-to-day expenditure will be provided, he said. The category ‘A’ and ‘B’ temples are those which have higher income.

Such programmes, the minister, said will help children imbibe the tenets of Ramayana, Mahabaratha, teachings of saints, besides music.

Participation in the Bhajana Saptahas is voluntary and there will be no compulsion from the schools on the students, he said. There are 125 category ‘A’ (income above Rs 25 lakh per annum) and 189 category ‘B’ temples (income between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 25 lakh per annum) in the State. Rangoli competitions for women will also be held at temples, he said.

Crackdown

The department will soon crack down on fake godmen and those who portray Hindu God and Goddess in poor light, he said. The department had received a number of complaints in this regard, he added.

Poojary said he will lay the foundation stone on January 6 for ‘Karnataka Bhavan’ in Nilakkal, near Sabarimala, which will serve as a permanent accommodation centre for devotees from the State.

A five-acre plot will soon be handed over by the Kerala government to Karnataka. A sum of Rs 10 crore has already been earmarked for the purpose, Poojary added.

Made Snana

The State government will file an affidavit before the Supreme Court which has stayed the November 8 Karnataka High Court order allowing a modified version of the ritual in the Kukke Subramanya temple.

The new version allowed devotees to roll over food offered to the deity (prasadam) and not the leftover food of Brahmins.

The apex court’s stay has resulted in temples continuing with the old practice.Temples in Kukke, Udupi and Ramanathpura of Hassan have been continuing the old practice.

The minister said that the Muzrai department will set into motion the framework for recruiting 618 first division assistants and 678 second division assistants within a month. The department also plans to strengthen district-level dharmika parishaths in the days to come, he added.