Udayor Blog

Managers of the abodes of the god, the Devaswom Board in Kerala, are caught in controversies and as the latest reports tell the judges, people of the British heritage of judiciary, are being asked to give the final word. Tantris are coming for Press Meets. What was to be the domain of the Hindu faithful, ascetics and tantriks has been drawn in to the market place, legalities. Perhaps the first to be indicted for this predicament is the tantri, who now lords over the rituals, making a camouflage of tantrums. Next are the politicians who move in here as administrators with an aye on the enormous amounts of money. Sabarimala, the abode of the hill god in the rain forests, is indeed caught up in a double bind. The forest hills that once belonged to the native communities and freely used by the ascetics and the temple, called Poonkavanam, were taken over, reserved, during the British and the hill temple is now required to pay money for the land in so called free India.

The latest ‘Deva Prasnam’, throwing out a plethora of ‘revelations’ and the later cinematic disclosure by the Kannada actress Jayamala that she had a real life scene enacted there have become head line news. Self claimed guardians of Hindutwa have come out with cries of blood. That Jayamala be punished as the woman touched the idol. What is a male Brahmin bastion. This can only be touched, by tradition, only by those born Nampoothiris, Kerala Brahmins. The Tantri is also a Kerala Brahmin who has the final word in such matters. Leave alone non-Brahmins, other Brahmins are also not permitted to be here. What applies to most of the Kerala temples where the ‘thread’ is essential to enter the sanctum sanctorum, whoever the man, so long as the ‘thread’ is there they have the green card. The definition of a ‘Brahmin’ according to sastras is different but these self seekers have their monopolies.

Sabarimala word means the ‘hill of Sabari’, who as legends tell was a low caste woman. There is also a temple for Sabari, apart from Ayyappan, here. But it is forbidden for woman to enter here, only girls and post-menopause women are permitted. The hard climb through the forests perhaps made this necessary once upon a time. Not only that, the Sabarimala pilgrims are supposed to be strictly adhering to the principle of celibacy and even a touch from a women is frowned upon by the pious. Womanhood is condemned as sin. Thus in most nuclear families it becomes a period of oppression for the woman when the Ayyappa season begins. The kind of trauma a woman undergoes due to this primitive and distorted belief is not yet being debated. It is a silent scream.

Sabarimala also has major tantrums kept alive by the tantris and the Devaswom Board. What is aimed at bringing more and more people to the hill shrine. It is in effect a distortion of the basic tenets of Hinduism, Sanatana Dharma, that happens here. The flow of money keeps the lid on. By all possibilities this is am abode of some pre-historic tapasa, called Sidhas in the South. Later brought under the caste Brahmin poojaris, priests, and their making it a means of minting money. For not many tantris in Kerala are known to be initiated to the true tantric ways. What is the domain of the unassuming Sidhas, ascetics and their paramparas. It was perhaps the Vedic Brahmins penetrating the native tantric idiom and later shutting out the others. How the caste oppression also began.

But the priesthood has cleverly entrenched itself here and made a battery of rituals that make the people dazzled. Since these are areas tabooed for the common man not many raise questions. Where the tantri and his clout is held in great mystic. That almost every decision in Sabarimala is based on ulterior motives, most of these facilitating institutionalized corruption, is known to people. But the faith in the rain forest god and goddess makes them remain silent. That these forests of the southern western ghats were once sought after locations for the ascetics is known. There are also many Samadhis of great souls within the forests. Sabarimala is not the only hill god temple in the western ghats. But perhaps the most famous. These are the guardian gods of the rich nature here and the hills, repositories of water, are important from that angle.

What Sabarimala needs is a cleansing, both of the tantris and the Devaswom Board, the Sidha tradition alone has the right to decide what is best for Sabarimala. The administration and the priests can only be assisting them. The unnatural denial of womanhood in the Sabarimala cult ought to be addressed with maturity and wisdom. Spirituality in the south is not based on denials, Sidha tradition is affirmative. Imposed celibacy is not an ideal here. Idol worship in the resent form is itself not in tune with these traditions. In Sabarimala while health and hygiene are important some of the blind traditions that are rigorously enforced needs to change. The hill shrine has to be over seen by the saints, who have the capacity and insight to do that, not every politician or the caste Brahmins. A bit of cleansing is required in Sabarimala is certain. By cleansing Sabarimala the four southern states, who keep Ayyappa dear, shall stand cleansed as well.