Tirupati is a small town in Andhra Pradesh in the South Eastern part of Great India. Here resides Lord Venkateshwara, an incarnation of Vishnu. According to the Hindu Mythology, Lord Venkateshwara was angry with his beloved wife Padmavathi and took seven giant steps back which became 7 hills. It is well known as Tirumala. There is a beautiful temple for the Lord which is decorated with with Golden Dome (Gopura). People throng to see this temple and have a darshan (view) of the lord. For ages, people have been coming in millions to visit this temple. He is considered as Kaliyuga Daiva (God of this new age). It is said that this temple is second richest in this world in terms of revenue.
People come here with utmost devotion (bhakti) and worship the lord. It is believed that he grants all the wishes that one may have. Of course this will continue for a long time to come. The scenario has changed nowadays. Couple of years ago, there was an assassination attempt on former chief minister of AP, Chandrababu Naidu. The temple authorities have enforced strict security in and around the temple premises since then. It all starts at the bottom of the hill. All vehicles heading towards Tirumala have to undergo rigorous security check. You feel that you are visiting the Prime Minister of India and not to see the idol of the lord. Security officers come with metal detectors and check on individual basis. This is the first step. At the main entrance of the temple (Mahadwaram), you will notice security guards armed with guns. There are sand bags laid out here and there and officers keep a vigilant eye on the proceedings. It gives a feel that the devotees are walking through a battlefield. Finally, there are X-Ray scanners to check the contents of the hand bag inside the temple.
Due to the exponential increase in the devotees visiting the temple year after year, the temple authorities have come up with a scheme of issuing tokens mentioning the date and time for darshan. It reminds me of taking an appointment with a VIP. An image of the finger print and a photo of the individual is taken while issuing the tokens. Don't be surprised if a retina scan is made in the near future. This is done to prevent sale of tickets unofficially.
With all this commotion and chaos, does bhakti (devotion) still sustain in people? Only time will tell.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
With all this commotion and chaos, does bhakti (devotion) still sustain in people? Only time will tell.
Yes it surely does and it will. Faith has nothing to do with scientific advancements or progress that we are making. India is a classic example where secularism, faith, and technology co-exist. No matter how far we reach and strict the security systems are made, our value system and beliefs would still remain deep rooted.
Good post buddy!
Post a Comment