‘Rituals outside Kukke Temple will not reach God’

To create awareness on unauthorised poojas/rituals being conducted outside Kukke Subrahmanya Temple, Kukke Subrahmanya Bhaktara Hindu Hitharakshana Vedike distributed pamphlets among the devotees, on Sunday.

The Vedike members said that poojas/rituals conducted outside the temple will not reach God.

The temple is known to perform rituals like Sarpa Samskara, Ashlesha Bali and Nagaprathishta.

However, devotees are taken for a ride by the middlemen who perform the rituals outside the premises.

Vedike legal advisor Shivaram Rai said that the information board on details of poojas/rituals taking place in the temple will be kept at private lodges and guest houses in the vicinity.

A letter would be written to the Muzrai Department commissioner and minister to conduct a detailed inquiry of the unauthorised poojas/rituals conducted outside the temple.

Kukke Subrahmanya Temple Administrative Board chairman Nityananda Mundodi and executive officer M H Ravindra recently clarified that Kukke Subrahmanya Temple does not have any mutt, mandiras or units outside the temple.

The poojas/rituals conducted outside the temple especially at mutts, mandiras, banks of a river or kalyana mantapa are purely private in nature.

The devotees can book poojas/rituals via temple official website www.kukke.org. Only 135 sevas are booked per day. The fee for Sarpa Samskara is Rs 3,200.

The duration of the pooja is two days and are conducted by three priests. It is conducted at Sarpa Samskara Yagashale at Adi Subrahmanya. The priest who conducts the rituals is paid Rs 650 by the temple. The devotees who conduct the poojas are offered meals at Sarpa Samskara Bhojana shale.

The second day of Naga Prathishte as a part of Sarpa Samskara is held at Naga Prathishta Mantapa in the temple.

Many devotees book the rituals unknowingly via www.snsmutt.com and www.kukketemple.com.

Further, the name board, invitation and advertisement of Sampurta Narasimha Swamy Mutt, Subrahmanya, mention it as “Subrahmanya Mutt.” As a result, many devotees consider mutt and temple as one.

The temple authorities have made it clear that sevas or donations offered anywhere other than temple office or through its official website are not authentic.