By P.T. Bopanna
Is Talacauvery temple, the birthplace of river Cauvery, the holiest place for the people of Coorg, being run by a bunch of people with Taliban mindset?
The committee which manages the Talacauvery temple has recommend barring of women from climbing the Brahmagiri hill, the towering peak that rises from the temple. There are steps from the temple leading to the Brahmagiri peak.
The decision to bar women from climbing the Brahmagiri was taken at the ongoing ‘Ashtamangala Prashne’ ritual held at Talacauvery.
The suggestion to bar women in the age group of 10 to 50 years was taken on the suggestion of astrologer Narayana Puduval and approved by temple tantri Neeleshwara Padmanabha. The temple committee is headed by politician B.S. Thammaiah.
The temple astrologer was quoted as saying: “Women dressed in shorts and inappropriate clothes are ruining the sanctity of the place.”
A source said the main reason for barring women from climbing the Brahmagiri peak was to prevent women with ‘periods’ from polluting the sanctity of the place.
Another suggestion made by the committee was to forbid devotees from taking a holy dip at Talacuavery.
Speaking to this reporter, Dr Sannuvanda Kaverappa, who is one of the temple committee members, wanted the state government to declare the temple as a pilgrimage centre to retain the sanctity of the place.
Since the Talacauvery temple comes under the muzrai department of the state government, the government should reject the suggestion to bar women from climbing the Brahmagiri peak in the interest of gender justice.
How could the temple committee even listen to such absurd suggestions? Let alone endorse it! What exactly are they hoping to achieve by sacrificing an entire gender at the altar of those astrologer/priests’ ignorance? And before banning devotees from taking a dip, they themselves should refrain from throwing all their leftover garbage from their rituals into the water!
What a comparison!!
Yes. One must dress appropriately when one visits holy places. If dress precedes over respecting the sanctity of the place, let people go by their precedence.
I am a lady…who respects the sanctity of each ethnicity, culture, etc.,
Let’s spare Holy places from the onslaught by comfort, will and wish …Be a Roman in Rome.
The decision taken by the committee is sensible, meaningful and need of the hour. Talacauvery, birth place of river Cauvery must and should be protected as a holy place and not a place for picnicking. There are many more places for picnicking.