While some news are surprising to read, some are shocking to accept and some are both shocking as well as surprising.. Here’s one such news that belongs to this third category and it says,
Lord Venkateswara,the sole savior of this world,has an unusual problem which is also an embarrassing one..PEACE
Let me reassure,it may not be a major problem for all of us to break our heads today but it certainly is a problem that should be termed nondisciplinary just because it has broken the age old tradition of the sacred Tirumala Temple and is now kicking up quite a lot of unwanted dust in the media..
However,before knowing that problem
It is important for each one of you to first know about this age old tradition that is in practice in the Tirumala Temple,for many centuries now..
In order to receive money,offered by the devotees to their favorite God Sri Venkateswara, the Tirumala temple authorities have long ago installed,what is called a ‘Koppera hundi’ in the native Telugu language, among the four rock pillars that are there to the northern side of the Tiruma Mani mandapam (Ghantaa mandapam) inside the main Temple premises..
Koppera means a large Copper Gangalam (vessel) and it is into this vessel that our money finally reaches after we drop it through the thick large cotton cloth that is draped around it..For many centuries,the money generated from this Hundi was the only source of income for the Temple administration to run it’s day to day activities..
Although it is not exactly known when this Koppera Hundi was installed inside the Tirumala Temple,but according to the Department of Archeology in Chennai,this practice is there since the period before the seventeenth century..
However,according to the clause twelve of the Bruce Code – that defines the functions of the designated Tirumala temple staff – the present Koppera Hundi,currently in use in the sacred Tirumala Temple,was installed by the East India Company on the 25th of July,1821..
This Hundi is always draped around with a thick cotton cloth that is nine feet in height and three feet in width and according to the literary terminology of TTD,it is known as ‘galeebu’ (Telugu)..
To help the devotees drop the money easily into the Hundi,four V shaped holes are strategically stitched inside this cloth..In the upper portion of the Hundi,this cloth is again tied up with a thick rope,in a fully locked position,promptly sealed with seven TTD seals and six Jeeyangar seals..
When the money dropped by the devotees into the Hundi reaches it’s stipulated capacity level of two feet mark,and above the three feet Copper Hundi height,the designated treasury officers of TTD remove the seals of the Hundi and then move it to the Parakamani for counting..
Later,in place of that old Copper Hundi,a new one will be brought into service to collect money from the devotees.. It is here that the actual tradition – reverentially followed by the Temple authorities ever since this Hundi system was introduced in the Tirumala Temple – comes into place..
According to this tradition,the thick cotton cloth that is once draped around the Koppera Hundi is never used again by the Temple authorities and it is always replaced by a new one…To meet this demand,the TTD staff keeps a large quantity of clothing in it’s possession just to make sure it never falls short of the need..
Right from the days of the East India company,a well experienced tailor is always there on the payroll of the Temple to stitch the cloth exactly according to the markings given by the TTD treasury department authorities..
Since none of us stitch that cloth,we do not know how easy or difficult a job it is for the tailor to stitch it in accordance with the specifications given by the temple..
However,we all know and agree on one point that a large nation like India can never fall short of talented tailors and it would never be difficult for any of them and on any day to understand the science behind the stitching of that cloth in accordance with the specifications given by TTD..Agree..???
Then,here’s the problem
According to the latest media reports,the TTD board,much against it’s own set tradition,is using the once used cloth several times in the Hundi room,for the last so many days..
It is certainly shocking for the devotees to read such news because it is done much against a century old tradition and also at a sacred place,wherein the presiding deity of Lord Sri Venkateswara is known for implementing strict order and discipline..
Then why is that so..??..
It is so because there’s no tailor available to TTD today to stitch that cloth the exact way they want it to be stitched..
One expert tailor,who was on the payroll of the TTD for several years,had retired about six years ago and ever since TTD is quite surprisingly using the services of a worker belonging to their health department, for this purpose..
Tragically,this worker too retired two months ago and TTD,much to the shock of millions of devotees all over the world,could not find a proper tailor in this large country like India,to do such a crucial stitching job for them..
Therefore,they have conveniently broken all the rules and all the traditions and discipline – laid down by the priests of the Temple – and are now silently using more or less the same cloth often,after washing it again and again,to drape around the Hundi..
How funny rather how sad..??..
As a result bundles of cloth,that was purchased by TTD,is lying unused in it’s store room,eagerly waiting for that one great tailor who would give it an opportunity to be draped around the sacred Koppera Hundi in the Tirumala Temple..
According to the final reports,the TTD executive officer Sambasiva Rao,who earlier denied all such news as ‘rubbish’,now says”we have given clear instructions to our treasury staff to utilize the services of the same expert tailor who had retired six years ago and reinstate him into our treasury department again as a special case..”..
That means,TTD,in a way,is now saying,
“As we are unable to find a suitable tailor to work according to our specifications we are going to use the services of the same old retired tailor to serve our esteemed organization to help us in accomplishing this all important task of stitching the cloth that we need to cover the Koppera Hundi”..
What else is there for me to write further except,”..May my beloved holy Lord Venkateswara bless the TTD; bless the Tirumala Temple; bless the Koppera Hundi; bless that poor old retired tailor and his family; and finally bless us too and also this human world we are all living in today..”
“..Sri bhoomi naayaka dayaadi gunamrutapte…Devadideva jagadeka saranya moorthe…Sriman anantha garudadhi bhirarchitangre… Sri Venkataachala pathe tava suprabhatam…”
Love
Narrenaditya Komaragiri
narrenaditya@tirumalesa.com
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