Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Aug 5: K Dinesh Bhat of Puttur Consumers Welfare Forum, distressed at the harassment being faced by the common people waiting to have the darshan of their favourite deity, because of dignitaries who get preferential treatments and make others wait for hours on end, had sought information from the famous pilgrimage centres of the twin-districts, Kollur Goddess Mookambika Temple and Lord Kukke Subrahmanya temple, under the Right to Information Act.

In a recent incident, a man claiming himself to be MP Sanna Fakirappa from Raichur, had got preferential treatment at Kukke Sri Subrahmanya temple till the temple authorities found him to be an impersonator.  Bhat, who had questioned the two temples about the guidelines on providing the dignitaries direct access to the services at the temples including the darshan, has got replies from the two temples. He says, Kollur temple has said that under the instructions of the government, religious endowments commissioner or the deputy commissioner, dignitaries and those who offer special services to the Goddess are being provided an opportunity to have the darshan separately. Lord Subrahmanya temple authorities said that senior citizens and handicapped persons are given a chance to have the darshan of the Lord on preference, under an order of the government. Some dignitaries like those who offer special services, donors, ministers, senior officials and other devotees from other states may be considered as dignitaries and provided an opportunity to have the darshan at the temple by jumping the queue, it added.

On the question as to whether allowing the dignitaries to overtake waiting devotees is justified and whether it has religious sanction, Kollur temple said, the darshan provision in the temple is being made for dignitaries and the devotees together. Subrahmanya temple informed, that when the number of devotees is huge, depending on the situation, dignitaries are allowed easy access, a practice prevalent in most of the temples.

Bhat also expresses resentment about the discrimination being made among the devotees on the lines of caste and position, both for having the darshan and serving food, at many of the temples.

After a hue and cry was raised over stopping the milling crowd of devotees for hours together to allow bollywood actor Amitabh Bacchan and his family at Tirumala temple some time back, the temple there has taken a decision to totally ban VIP darshans on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The devotees too would like this system to be followed by other temples.