Burglary in vaishnavite temples
From the Bhakti List Archives
• January 23, 1997
Dear Bhagavathas, Ever since I read about the incident in Mylapore Vedanta Desikar's temple I was thinking of this. Sri sudarshan's anguish further encourages me to write this. Apparently, all the main cases of burglary of temple jewellery have taken place in vaishavaite temples. In all the cases, the modus operandi seems to be similar. The task of catching the culprits and bringing them to book is the responsibility of the police and regulatory system. But is there something we as vaishnavites and bhaktas can do to sublimate our anguish into some permanent action? I raise a few points for discussion : (a) Are there written records and photographic documents of all the various jewels in all important temples? (b) Is there a public audit system of these jewellery? The concept of displaying the jewellery to public during Brahmotsavam, looks to me like a form of public audit. But with increased rush in many kshetrams during Brahmotsavam, one hardly gets a glimpse of the lord leave alone getting time to 'audit' the jewellery. Without a public audit system, we would not know if over a period of time some jewels are written off the records as broken etc. and siphoned off in a systematic manner. (c) Is it necessary that the valuable jewellery be adored on all 365 days (increasing the risk of their being damaged due to continuous wear and tear, besides the rsik of getting stolen) ? (d) The lord, by his kalyana gunams, is a gem by himself. Why is the need for additional decorations. (May be only to divert people's wicked eyes away from the lord to more earthly riches-- a la Periyalwar's pallandu). (e) Even small takeaway shops in the west have small and tiny video cameras hidden in wall clocks and tooth paste cartons. IS it not possible to install security video cameras in some of the important temples. (f) A person like bhattachar who is working everyday in the sanctum sanctorum may hardly notice if the ornaments are absent or not when the temple is reopened in the after noon. (All the cases reported have a modus operandi of the person hiding in the sanctum sanctorum during afternoon break, steal the things and then when the temple is reopened, mingle with the crowd and get away). Is it possible to introduce a check at that stage before the curtain is removed for public. (By this process, if it is noticed that some thing is missing, the thief would still be around along with of course a few more innocent persons). (g) Lastly, is it possible to develop a model code of conduct to prevent such incidents from happening? I have only framed these issues so that erudite members of this group could please contribute their ideas and hopefully we may come out with some suggestions to protect our invaluable heritage. Adiyen P.B.Anand
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