by reciprocal arrangement with Star of Mysore
Kolar, July 10: When the whole country is debating the episodes of Jayamala and two other actresses for allegedly desecrating the Ayyappa Temple atop Sabarimala, here is a lady who has built a temple for the Lord with herself as chief priest.
In total contrast, here we have a temple for Lord Ayyappa, under full management by a lady and even the pujas in the sanctum sanctorum are performed by her everyday.
It may be more pleasing to the Lord, given the fact that the lady, Shantha Kumari, is a dalit. In this temple, built by the dint of her own efforts unlike in the Sabarimala temple, there are restrictions of whatever kind, as it were.
Devotees throng the temple in large numbers and the pujas are performed in a big way. Women too visit the temple and offer worship as per traditions including Makara Jyothi. The temple is built on a four-acre plot near Kantharaja Circle at a distance of about 7 km from Mulbagal. It is described as Shanthamalai Ayyappa Swamy Temple.
Shanthakumari, a KAS Officer, is not attending to her duties nowadays as she is faicng an enquiry following allegations of irregularity while working as Chief Accounts Officer in Bangalore Zilla Panchayat. Later, the Government had withdrawn the order of her suspension before posting her as Financial Consultant to CADA, Shimoga.
She built the temple along with her husband Ramachandrappa and had been offering worship frequently at a Shaneeshwara temple. Once, she is said to have gone to Sabarimala with her family but did not visit the temple there due to restrictions. However, her husband and two children had worshipped before returning, it is learnt.
Lord Ayyappa is reported to have appeared in her dream and ordered her to build a temple for the Lord, while on her way back after visiting Sabarimala. That triggered the project on temple, Shanthakumari is learnt to have said.
The installation of the idol has been done according to Shastras. The temple was formally inaugurated by none other than the Tantri from Sabarimala. No staff has been appointed for performing pujas at the temple. Shanthakumari attends to all the duties of the temple right from cleaning the premises tidy up to the puja rituals.
"Neither do I aim at earning money from the temple nor do I practice discrimination at my temple," says Shanthakumari.
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