The consecration of a 1000-year-old Thanjavur temple has been marred by a dispute between Sanskrit and Tamil.
"Both Tamil and Sanskrit will be used in the consecration. On behalf of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department, a committee has been constituted to find a peaceful solution "According to AIADMK's Minister for Tamil Culture.
A controversy has erupted two weeks before the consecration of the 1000-year-old Peruvudaiyar Koil aka Brihadeshwara Temple in Tamil Nadu's Thanjavur district, over the custom that would be followed during the February 5 ceremony.
Thanjai Periya Koil Urimai Meetpu Kuzhu (Thanjavur Big Temple Rights Retrieval Committee), an organization dedicated to restoring Tamil tradition in the Thanjavur temple, has decided to hold a rally on Wednesday, demanding that temple authorities conduct consecrations in Tamil rather than the popular Sanskrit.
Political leaders such as MK Stalin, Vaiko, Seeman, and others have lent their support to the gathering. MK Stalin, the DMK's leader, has encouraged the AIADMK administration to conduct the consecration of the Big Temple according to Tamil tradition and customs.
“The Dravidian style of architecture of Thanjai Peruvudaiyar Koyil has been praised all over the world. On the 1000-year-old Thanjavur temple, one can see how Tamil customs and traditions were destroyed and other norms introduced throughout history. The Thanjai Periya Koil Urimai Meetpu Kuzhu demands that the Kudamuzhuku (consecration) be performed in accordance with Tamil tradition and traditions in order to change this and restore Tamil customs. Establishing Tamil worship and social justice in temples is a cultural struggle.The rallies to restore Tami identities have taken various forms; I wish the rally great success and hope that the AIADMK government accepts the organization's demand,” Stalin stated.
Mafoi K Pandiarajan, the Minister for Tamil Culture, said the DMK leader was trying to gain political mileage in every issue. “Both Tamil and Sanskrit will be used in the consecration. “A committee has been constituted on behalf of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department after we received the request from Tamil organisations, and they will find an agreeable solution,” the minister added.
The rehabilitation work on the temple, which was built in the 11th century by the famous Chola ruler Raja Raja Cholan, began a month ago. Prior to the huge event, District Collector M Govinda Rao and other senior Archeological Survey of India officials paid a visit to the temple.
A renowned historian who worked extensively on the Thanjavur Big Temple said indianexpress.com that Tamil customs and tradition should not be confused with Agamas.
“Throughout Tamil history, all Shaiva temples, including those established by Kings, have followed all of the 28 Agamas' rites. Everything is mentioned in Agamas, and it is only available in Sanskrit. From selecting the property for the temple to installing Idols, maintaining the sanctum, and administering the temple, everything is mentioned in Agamas. The Makutam Agama is used in the Thanjavur temple rituals. In Tamil, there is a song called Tevaram, which is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is sung with tremendous devotion. Tevaram, on the other hand, does not stipulate how the ceremonies should be carried out. Kiriyai is the classification for Agamas; this is not to be confused with Tevaram.Kudamuzhuku or any other temple function has never been done in Tamil, according to history. As a result, disregarding tradition by performing in Tamil for political benefit or any other hidden motive is not acceptable,” he stated.
The ritual techniques, according to the historian, change from one zone to the next. “If you look at Kerala temples, you'll notice that they don't follow Agamas; instead, they use the ‘Tantrik' technique, yet even there, the poojas are exclusively performed in Sanskrit. People should recognize that Sanskrit is a language of devotion, not a mother tongue. “All of these temple tasks are performed utilizing the ‘Beejakshara Mantra,' which is only available in Sanskrit and cannot be translated into Tamil,” he explained.
Raja Raja Cholan was a Tamil leader, according to Suba Veerapandian, President of Dravida Iyakka Tamizhar Peravai. “Since Thanjavur is in Tamil Nadu, why can't a Tamil temple be consecrated in Tamil? Why is AIADMK playing it safe by claiming that the ceremonies can be performed in both Tamil and Sanskrit? He stated, "They are a government for Tamil people, not for any other Sanskrit language."
Brahmins modified the way temple rites were performed and put Sanskrit ahead of Tamil, according to Pe. Maniyarasan, the leader of Tamil Desiya Periyakkam and co-coordinator of Thanjai Periya Koil Urimai Meetpu Kuzhu.
“Earlier in Tamil history, Sanskrit was not existent. Tevaram was restored by Chola King Raja Raja Cholan, who appointed 48 Odhuvars (devotional singers) to perform temple ceremonies in Tamil. Tolkaapiyam (an old Tamil literary work) is an excellent example of how Tamil temple ceremonies were carried out. The Agamas apply to Tamils who build temples, but not to Aryans who follow the Smiriti method.All of these methods were declared out by the Supreme Court in 2015, which stated that members of all castes can become Archakars (temple priests) under the Agamas. “The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department has enacted an order allowing rites to be performed in Tamil inside the Garbhagriha,” he explained.
Maniyarasan went on to say that the Tamil Nadu government had released books with Tamil Mantras for Shaiva and Vaishnava procedures. “The government has also conducted training classes for Archakars and provided certificates, and one non-brahmin has even been appointed as a priest, so using the Tamil language in rituals is not against the law or tradition; this is simply a conspiracy by people who want to impose Sanskrit in everything,” he added.
“Both Tamil and Sanskrit will be used in the consecration. According to the TN Minister for Tamil Culture, a committee constituted on behalf of the HRCDE would find an agreeable settlement. (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)
Several issues have surrounded the old temple in the past. When the temple turned 1,000 years old in September 2010, then-Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi allocated well than Rs 400 crore, a move that drew condemnation from even some of his closest allies. The ASI came under fire in December 2018 for allowing a two-day event of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's Art of Living to take place on temple grounds. The Madras High Court stopped the proceedings based on a petition filed by one Venkatesan of Kumbakonam.
In April 2019, a video went viral on social media stating that Tamil language inscriptions in the ancient temple were being replaced with Hindi. The charges were dismissed by temple officials, who said that the inscription in the video was written in Devanagari style Marathi script and has been present in the temple for decades.
