Chilukuru: Munivahana Utsavam held

Chilukuru: Temples Protection Movement (TPM) along with Samajika Samarasatha Vedika, Narsimha Vahini and other organisations conducted 'Munivahana Utsavam' at the historic Sri Laxmi Ranganatha Swamy Temple (Ranganayakula Gutta) temple in Khammam on Monday.

Beginning with the garlanding of the Gandhi Statue few streets away, a huge Shobha Yatra was held with Nadaswaram, Kolattam by hundreds of women on both the sides of the street. Krishna Chaitanya an Archaka from Bhadrachalam Narsimha temple lifted Ravi the Harijan who sported Vaishnava Namam as a depiction of the revered Tiruppanalwar.

The Utsavasam involved TPM convenor and Chilkur Balaji Temple head priest CS Rangarajan who officiated the event when the Archaka carried on his shoulders a Dalit devotee from outside the temple up to the Dhwajasthambham. This is seen as a celebration of the ideals and teachings preached by Bhagawad Ramanuja, a Vaishnava Acharya who stood in his time for a non-discriminatory and egalitarian society.

"The idea is to show that Sanatana Dharma treated everyone as equal before the God and the so-called discrimination crept into the system in the recent times," Rangarajan had told the media. Narrating his experience, Rangarajan said he had considered the Dalit devotee, Aditya Parasri, as the holy Tiruppanalwar himself when he carried him into the temple.

"It is heartening that my small step had coincided with the millennial appearance celebrations of Sri Vaishnavite Savant Bhagawad Ramanuja, who had fought for a casteless and egalitarian society," he said. He added that the 'Kaisika Purana' also showed that a Brahmin surrendered before a Scheduled Tribe devotee and attained salvation.