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Resources » Travel & Tourism » Pilgrim Places »
Tirupati revisited
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A fresh visit to Tirupati leaves one only with a deeper disappointment. The town has acquired unmistakable commercial credentials and characteristics, even as it is developing into a major industrial and publication centre.
First of all, even as the crass materialism of the temple is striking, the govindaraja Swamy Temple tower at Tirupati town exhibits panels of erotic sculpture.
Atop the hill, things have deteriorated. Government has restricted free and instant darshan of the lord to VIP’S, putting genuinely poor people who come with the hope of deriving some solace for their souls, to tremendous inconvenience.
We might as well begin with the beginning. Every pilgrim who goes to tirumala gives his or her hair to the lord. The tonsure of hair is done in a huge kalyanakatta. The tonsuring is done free- though the barbers would expect you to do some favour by pushing a tenner into their hands.
Someone has clearly introduced the fear of AIDS in tirumala township, and today the temple has asked the Indian bank to open a booth and sell blades at the rate of rs 2 each to the pilgrims, so that they use fresh blades everytime and are saved from contracting AIDS from an infected blade.
In the precincts of the Govindaraja Swamy temple at Tirupati downhill, a handful of artisans keep working on copper plates turning the raw copper plates into finely chiseled artifacts while in the jewelry section of the temple we see gold biscuits being beaten into thin sheets called gold leaves. At another end very close to the main entrance of the temple, a huge wooden chariot is in preparation.
Poompuhar, the Tamil nadu handicrafts corporation, has bagged this prestigious award to prepare a golden chariot for the lord. Over 28kgs of gold and 780 kgs of copper are being used for the project. The gold leaves are chemically treated and pasted on the copper panels. This process is common to all gold work in tirumala. Once it is chemically fixed, gold leaves cannot be peeled out. Gold can be extracted only by melting an entire copper panel.
On the hills, there are 2 tirumalas: one for the haves and the other for have-nots. The guest houses, air condition rooms, geyser equipped cottages, flats—are all there for people who pay money. The poor have to satisfy themselves with the annadanam that is pre- prepared.
Divinity is sold, in the form of cassettes which have bhakti lyrics.
However the visit to Tirupati might bring you blessing of the lord of seven hills.
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Responses to the resource: "Tirupati revisited"
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| Author: venkat 14 Aug 2009 | Member Level: Bronze Points : 0 |
MBA-MCA09.pdf |
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