Thulabhara ritual organised for Vedavardhana Teertha swamiji

Mangaluru: In order to mark the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram, the singing of the national song at Manjuprasada on Kadri Kambla road, set the mood for `Guruvandana' in the form of `Thulabhara' ritual organised on Monday for Vedavardhana Teertha swamiji of Shiroor matha who will be ascending Paryaya Sarvajna peeta at Udupi Krishna temple on January 17.

Former president of Karnataka Sahitya Parishat Harikrishna Punaroor, Laxminarayana Asranna of Kateel Durgaparameshwari temple, former president of Karnataka Tulu Sahitya Academy A C Bhandary, Udupi Shiroor Paryaya Reception Committee Honorary President Pradeep Kumar Kalkura, Committee honorary president M B Puranik among others took part in Thulabhara ritual by offering coins at Manjuprasada on Monday.

Later Vedavardhana Teertha swamiji told mediapersons that the next paryaya is not merely Shiroor Paryaya but `bhaktara' (devotees) paryaya. "It is our and your paryaya," he emphasised.

"During holidays, few include a visit to temple in their itinerary. Even during the brief visit, devotees have a lot to complain about. We will encourage devotees to devote some time, from one week to 10 days, to offer services ranging from sweeping floors to stringing flowers for the presiding deity, Lord Krishna, he said.

"Such services by devotees will lead to spiritual awakening and total conscious of god. The devotee also will begin to appreciate efforts gone into providing facilities for all.

"Thus the onus is on us to protect our culture and dharma," Vedavardhana Teertha swamiji stressed and added that devotees keen on serving at the temple need to inform the temple staff. Vedavardhana Teertha swamiji responding to a query said Shiroor matha intends to support pundits who had studied vedas for more than 12 years.

"Those who have studied vedas cannot focus on doing any other jobs. Thus we intend to appoint five pandits for each veda.

The reading of Vedas in unison by 20 pundits will create the right environment inside the temple," the pontiff said. Vedavardhana Teertha swamiji is also keen that all sevas at the temple made available online. When his attention was drawn to ongoing controversy between Sanathana Paryaya versus Secular paryaya, pat came the reply;"Let all offer."

Shiroor Matha's Diwan Udaykumar Saralatthaya intervened and clarified that offerings to Paryaya by members of muslim community had not been opposed. However any offerings to Paryaya needs to be communicated beforehand to the police and temple management committee.

The muslims had gone public with their offerings without informing the committee members. The confusions had been cleared through discussions with leaders from muslim community, he added.

Earlier Pradeep Kumar Kalkura said Thulabhara, being organised since 2000, brings with it elements of dharma (religion), samanathe (equality) and sampradaya (tradition).

The `samuha prasada bhojana' (mass lunch in the form of prasad) and the religious message that the swamji delivers after the thulabhara gives more than food for thought for all, he added.