Sri Ranganatha temple - Part 4 - Please give a fair chance ..

From the Bhakti List Archives

• September 21, 1999


Dear SrivaishnavAs,

In the past there may have been some unpleasant happenings on
the  way  of  handling of  certain protocols in Sri Rangantha
temple. As of now things are very different. No one  need  to
fear that they may be treated impolitely or  of  that   sort.
Whatever may have happened in the past, on behalf of all such
happenings Sri Venkat did a pAdhAbishEkam to  each and  every
Srivaishnava who  came to the recently attended conference on
Swami dEsikan thiru nakshathiram. If you are a thenkalai or a
vadakalai Srivaishnava following Srivaishnavam  and have come
with proper attire (pancha kacham  for  married  purushAL and
thattAdai  for  bachelor)  and have visited the temple in the
past week end to attend the Swami dEsikan thiru nakshatthiram
Sri Venkat would have done the same to  you  as well. That is
the  kind  of  respect  he  is giving  to  all  Srivaishnavas
including  thenkalai SrivaishnavAs. He further prostrated  to
those  Srivaishnavas  after  doing  Sri pAdha abishEkam   and
pleaded for any  apachArams done in the entire past.  He  did
it once again when  we all left after the end of  the  second
day events as well. He did all these to many of  us including
adiyEn,  Sri  Anbil and so on. I felt very small in  front of
him  especially  when  a bagawathA of his stature is touching
adiyEn's feet and doing pAdhAbishEkam.

      It is not the intention by anyone to declare that other
temples  in US are undesirable to be worshipped by US any Sri
vaishnavas. As far as i understood from Sri Dileepan the word
"only  authentic" was only to emphasis the point that being a
true  Sriviahsnva  temple that donot have any devadhAthram in
it, Sri Ranganatha temple need not be isolated or avoided  by
any Srivaishnava in particular thenkalai SrivaishanavaLs.  It
was an emotional statement  and  adiyEn  forwarded  it  after
clarifying this with Sri PD.  It  is unfortunate that all the
misunderstanding  have  propped  up  over  the  week end when
adiyEN  was  busy in  Newyork  and could not read the mails &
was neither informed by any about  this.  So please note that
the statement "only authentic" was  never  meant to undermine
other Srivaishnava temples in US.

Regarding the sARRU muRai protocol, even when two sARRumuRais
are chanted each one must only follow their  own.  Only  when
one's  AchAryA  have given permission to do  all,   one   may
deviate (please read what Sri putthur swami told adiyEn) from
their  traditional  worshipping protocols. Sameway Sri Venkat
has been ordained to conduct the temple  rituals  in  a  very
specific manner by HH 44 th Jeer of Sri Ahobila muth.  As  of
now he is not  rejecting  thenkalai sARRumuRai  out of hatred
for any thenkalai bAgawathAL. He has to follow his AchAryAn's
command.  That  is all. In  fact Sri Venkat faced with a some
what  very  difficult situation when he was suggested that he
do thaniyans of AchAryAs  of  other instituitions as well, he
asked adiyEn's opinion. adiyEn suggested to him that he can't
change anything now suddenly and he must  talk  to HH Srimadh
Azhagiya Singar about all these next time in specific and has
to act according to what HH may say.  While adiyEn is not any
qualified  to  tell him, he received adiyEn's suggestion very
well.  I  understand  and  read with interest each one's view
point. While I love each and every bAgawathA who participated
in these  discussions,  my  understanding  on  protocols  are
different than some others'. This  should  not divide  us  in
future in any way. Let us help Sri Ranganatha temple in which
ever way we can. Please give  Sri Ranganatha temple a chance,
please give DrVenkat and others a fair and open understanding...

Srimadh Azhagiya Singar thiruvadikaLE saraNam
Sri RanganAyikA samEtha Sri Ranganathan thiruvadikaLE saraNam
Sampath Rengarajan




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