Mata Amritanandamayi said different temples had different traditions, which even Shankaracharya and Sree Narayana Guru allowed. She said about Sabarimala that the Ayyappa deity's tradition must be decided by none other than the thantri, head priest and devotees
Thiruvananthapuram: Mata Amritanandamayi Amma, in her speech at the Ayyappa Bhakta Sangamam programme in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala on Sunday, said that the Sabarimala incident was unfortunate.
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The spiritual leader in reference to the two women entering the Sabarimala shrine which caused a series of protests said that whatever happened was due to the lack of knowledge of customs and traditions of Sabarimala.
Amritanandamayi addressed lakhs of people who took part in the Ayyappa Bhakta Sangamam and the ‘Nama Japa Yatra’ after lighting the lamp.
She said that temples are the pillars to preserve traditions and customs and they must be adhered with supported her statement with an example of an observation;
“There are different rules that are adhered to when one swims in a swimming pool, while there are no rules when you swim in a lake.”
Airing her thoughts, she remarked that if there is no tradition, temples would be like kites with snapped strings and those who create trouble are people who don’t know anything about tradition and culture.
The mass gathering saw the spiritual leader speak about maintaining the customs and traditions of the temple in the event that was presided over by Swami Chidananda Puri, head of Advaithashramam, Kolathur
"There is no gender difference for gods, but it is different in the case of temple installations. Different temples have different traditions, which even Shankaracharya and Sree Narayana Guru have allowed. As per temple's culture, the Ayyappa deity here is minor and it has caretakers like thantri, head priest and devotees. It is they who decide whether change in tradition is needed,” Amritanandamayi said.
Swami Chidananda Puri also spoke to the gathering and said that chief minister Vijayan wanted to bulldoze the traditions of the Sabarimala temple.
With respect to the Supreme Court order, Puri said that though it was true that the Supreme Court came out with its judgment, a sensible leader could have called for a discussion on this. "But Vijayan was adamant. He abused the thantri first and then millions of Ayyappa devotees," he added.
Hindu Aikya Vedi president KP Sasikala delivered the keynote address. Sabarimala Karma Samiti vice president TP Senkumar addressed the gathering too.
As the event came to an end, a pledge was read out, which asked every devotee of Lord Ayyappa to stand together to protect the customs of the Sabarimala temple.
As per reports, devotees from Kottayam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram participated in the event.
Ayyappa Bhakta Sangamam was organised by the BJP, Sabarimala Karma Samithi and other Sangh Parivar outfits.
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