Por favor, lea este artículo de The Times of India:
El brillo del Templo de Sri Padmanabhaswami en Thiruvananthapuram ha
acaparado la atención, en los canales de televisión y los periódicos desde la semana pasada, cuando la Corte Suprema comenzó a tomar conocimiento de la riqueza escondida en compartimientos secretos del templo.
¿Qué se encontró en las bóvedas interiores - monedas de oro, adornos e ídolos, diamantes,
antigüedades y otros objetos de valor -que podrían opacar a la cueva de Aladino .
100.000 crores de rupias y seguimos contando - vamos a llegar a conocer el verdadero valor de las
monedas de siglos de antigüedad y objetos sólo después que las dos cámaras secretas restantes se
sean abiertas - la decisión aún no se ha adoptado por el Grupo.
La historia del tesoro del Templo de Sri Padmanabhaswami, está estrechamente entrelazado, con
la familia real de Travancore.
El historiador Malayinkil Gopalakrishnan, dice que la época de oro del templo comenzó en
1750 AD; cuando el Maharajá de entonces, Marthanda Varma, dedico su reino a Sri Padmanabha, la deidad de la familia.
El maharajá proclamó que él y sus descendientes gobernarían el reino Padmanabhadasas,
como servidores de Padmanabha.
El Maharaja "Marthanda Varma, instituyo los festivales de Bhadradeepam, Murajapam ,
Lakshdeepam , Thulapurushadanam, Hiranyagarbham y se llevaron a cabo por Marthanda
Varma, dice Gopalakrishnan.
El primero consiste, en acuñar el peso del Maharaja en monedas de oro y regalarlas a
los brahmanes.
Para Hiranyagarbham, esencialmente una ceremonia de coronación, se hace un tambor en
forma de flor de loto, de ocho pies de ancho, y 10 pies de alto, en oro.
Dirigido por los sacerdotes, se cantan mantras y el maharajá se mete en el tambor que está
lleno de leche, agua, ghee, y otros ingredientes. El tambor está cerrado con una tapa de oro y las
se sumerge el maharajá en el líquido, cinco veces.
A medida que emerge, el sumo sacerdote se dirige a él como Kulasekhara Perumal,
y coloca una corona de oro sobre su cabeza, dice Gopalakrishnan.
El tambor de oro se corta en pedazos y se distribuye entre los brahmanes.
Gopalakrishnan dice que hay manuscritos que muestran que el maharajá obtuvo oro,
a partir de los holandeses.
Marthanda Varma expandió su reino con la anexión de los estados más pequeños ,
y su reino se extendió al reino de Kochi.
Los principados eran prósperos, en oro y riquezas adquiridas a partir de las anexiones,
y fueron ofrecidos a la deidad.
Además, cuando el Sultan Tipu atacó Malabar, algunos principados, transfirieron sus riquezas,
al templo, para evitar que sea saqueado.
La familia real custodio las riquezas del templo, y no tomó dinero del templo,
sino que sólo añadió a sus fondos .
Gopalakrishnan dijo que aun cuando estalló una revuelta en Travancore contra los británicos,
debido a la falta de pago de kappam o impuestos, los fondos del templo han sido salvaguardados.
La devoción de los miembros de la realeza a la deidad, tiene que ser visto para ser creído.
El maharajá ora en el templo todos los días y si se pierde un solo día, se paga una multa para el
templo.
Gopalakrishnan recuerda que durante la víspera de una función de Aarattu o procesión, llegaron
noticias de que Indira Gandhi fue asesinado a tiros. El maharajá llevaba un dhoti con una kara
negra y realizo un Aarattu (procesión) .
Devoto CTV Bhattathiripad dice, que los reyes de Travancore, tuvieron mucho cuidado de las
riquezas del templo.
Por lo que "cualquier decisión con respecto a los tesoros encontrados allí,
se debe tomar sólo después de consultar a la familia real yde acuerdo con sus deseos.
" Del mismo modo, se dice que cualquier decisión sobre el tesoro encontrado en el Yajur Sathya
Sai Baba Mandir en Prashanti Nilayam, debe tomarse en consulta con los devotos y el Fideicomiso
Sathya Sai, ya que el dinero les pertenece a ellos.
Bhattathiripad está haciendo eco de los sentimientos de la mayoría de los devotos, cuando dice que
esta en contra de que el gobierno se haga cargo de los lugares de culto.
Mythreyan, activista social, dice que el concepto de la riqueza, deben ser definido, para obtener un
control sobre la situación.
"La verdadera riqueza es la que enriquece nuestras vidas, mas que alguna forma de oro.
Sólo tiene valor si se trata de transacciones. Encerrados en un sótano oscuro, no tiene
absolutamente ningún valor".
Mythreyan dice que los miembros de la realeza, pudieron haber utilizado los templos para
recaudar fondos de impuestos. Él dice que los gobernantes se proyectan como descendientes
de un linaje divino.
"Incluso Rama se supone que es de Suryavamsa. Fue entonces cuando el sol y la luna fueron
venerados popularmente y los gobernantes se transforman como un dios de estado.
Más tarde, cuando se revelaron como simples mortales, los miembros de la realeza trataron de
gobernar en nombre de un Dios ....
El concepto de generar riqueza es de sólo 200 años.
Antes incluso los reyes, no sabían qué hacer con su oro y riquezas.
El oro al ser objeto de un uso para el beneficio común, entonces crea la riqueza.
De lo contrario, no tiene valor ", dice Mythreyan.
El valor real del oro, era en realidad la adoración, comenta.
"En las discusiones sobre el tesoro recientemente descubierto, nadie se acuerda de Padmanabha",
dice.
"Un templo es considerado grande cuando se genera enormes ingresos. Si mil monedas de oro se
ven todas iguales. Así que sólo una o dos monedas deben ir a un museo para su estudio y el resto
debe utilizarse para el bienestar de la gente ", dice Mythreyan.
¿Qué hacen los demás ? Bhaskar Reddy, asesor financiero de Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam
(TTD), dice que cada paisa en el templo Balaji en Tirupati, se contabiliza y se utiliza bien.
El templo de Tirupati era el más rico en la India antes de que Padmanabhaswami lo superara.
Reddy dice que TTD es una institución de caridad y religiosa, cuenta con 30 capillas y varias
organizaciones de caridad bajo su ala.Tiene 10.000 empleados en sus listas, mientras que
subcontrata trabajo para otros 8.000, todos los gastos son pagados por la TTD.
El Instituto de Ciencias Médicas de Venkateswara, provee cuidado de salud. Nueve fideicomisos
fueron formados, para el trabajo de caridad.
El 7 de Julio, el presidente Pratibha Patil, inauguró un nuevo complejo Annadanam (comida gratis)
en el santuario.
"Rs 300 crore se ha destinado para el proyecto libre de alimentos; TTD planea
agregar otro Rs 200 crore ", dice Reddy.
El presupuesto anual del TTD es como el presupuesto de un estado pequeño en escala.
El ingreso se genera a partir de los intereses, las ventas de prasadam y recibos de alojamiento.
Dalmegh Singh, secretario del SGPC, que gestiona gurudwaras incluyendo el Templo de Oro,
dice que la gente va a gurudwaras para el bienestar espiritual.
Gurudwaras utilizar el dinero a su disposición para proporcionar comida gratis, educación y
medicamentos -.
Todo por el bien común y el bienestar de Gopalakrishnan; dice que un museo debe ser construido
junto al templo de Sri Padmanabhaswami , como patrimonio de la humanidad.
"Los ídolos que se encuentran en la cámara, no se deben tomar en cuenta, mientras que los
temas de importancia arqueológicos, puede ser trasladados a un museo, a cargo del templo.
Los lingotes de oro puede ser utilizado para la construcción de infraestructura para los devotos, y
o para un centro en las instalaciones del templo ", sugiere el historiador.
"Si alguien con amor y devoción me ofrece una hoja, una flor, una fruta o agua, lo aceptaré", dijo
Krishna en el Bhagavad Gita.
También dice, en un verso más adelante, que "la libertad absoluta o la felicidad de la experiencia,
se revela a los que están libres del deseo e ira, y que
trabajan por el bienestar de todos los seres.
" Que los guardianes de los tesoros de Dios, se mantuvieron independientes, es evidente, por el
hecho de que no fue tocado para su beneficio personal.
Tal vez ha llegado el momento de usarlo para el bien público ",
por el bienestar de todos los seres...."
OMSAIRAMMM...
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Please read this article from the Times of India:
Please read this article from the Times of India:
|Sri Padmanabha|Love|god|devotionGod and glitter
The Sri Padmanabhaswami Temple in Thiruvananthapuram has found itself hogging prime space on TV channels and newspapers since last week, when a Supreme Court-appointed panel began taking stock of wealth tucked away in the temple's secret chambers.
What tumbled out of those inner vaults — gold coins, ornaments and idols, diamonds, antiques and other valuables — could put Aladdin's cave to shame. Rs 100,000 crore and still counting — we'll get to know the true worth of the centuries-old coins and artifacts only after the two remaining secret chambers are thrown open — a decision yet to be taken by the panel.
The history of the treasure at Sri Padmanabhaswami temple is closely intertwined with that of the royal family of Travancore. Historian Malayinkil Gopalakrishnan says the golden era of the temple started in 1750 CE when the then maharaja, Marthanda Varma, dedicated his kingdom to Sri Padmanabha, the family deity. The maharaja proclaimed that he and his descendants would rule the kingdom as Padmanabhadasas, as servants of Padmanabha.
Maharaja means chief servant
"Marthanda Varma instituted Bhadradeepam, Murajapam and Lakshdeepam festivals at the temple," says Gopalakrishnan. Thulapurushadanam and Hiranyagarbham were conducted by Marthanda Varma.
The first involves weighing the maharaja in gold, minting coins from that gold and giving it away to Brahmins. For Hiranyagarbham, essentially a coronation ceremony, a lotus-shaped 8-foot wide, 10-foot high golden drum is made. To the chanting of mantras and led by priests, the maharaja gets into the drum that's filled with milk, ghee, water and other ingredients. The drum is closed shut with a golden lid and the maharaja dips himself in the liquid five times. As he emerges, the chief priest addresses him as Kulasekhara Perumal and places a golden crown on his head. "Then the maharaja becomes Ponnu Thampuran or Golden King," says Gopalakrishnan. The golden drum is then cut to pieces and distributed among Brahmins. Gopalakrishnan says there are manuscripts to show that the maharaja wanted to procure gold from the Dutch for the function.
Marthanda Varma expanded his kingdom by annexing smaller states and his kingdom extended to the Kochi kingdom. The principalities were prosperous ones; gold and riches acquired from annexations were offered to the deity. Also, when Tipu Sultan attacked Malabar, some principalities transferred their riches to the temple to protect it from being plundered.
Caretaker of temple riches
The royal family took no money from the temple; it only added to its funds. Gopalakrishnan says that even when a revolt broke out in Travancore against the British due to non-payment of kappam or taxes, the temple funds were safeguarded.
The royals' devotion to the deity has to be seen to be believed. The maharaja prays at the temple every day and if he misses a single day, he pays a fine to the temple. Gopalakrishnan recalls that during the eve of an Aarattu or procession function, news came that Indira Gandhi was shot dead. The maharaja wore a dhoti with a black kara or border and went ahead with a low key Aarattu. Devotee CTV Bhattathiripad says, the Travancore kings took great care of the Temple's wealth. So "any decision regarding the treasure found there should be taken only after consulting the royal family and in accordance with their wishes." Similarly, he says any decision on the treasure found at Sathya Sai Baba's Yajur Mandir at Prashanti Nilayam should be taken in consultation with devotees and the Sathya Sai Trust, as the money belongs to them. Bhattathiripad is only echoing the sentiments of most devotees when he says he is against government takeover of places of worship.
Social activist Mythreyan says the concept of wealth should be defined to get a grip on the situation. "True wealth is that which enriches our lives in some way. Gold has value only if it is transacted. Locked away in a dark cellar, it has absolutely no value."
Mythreyan says that yesteryear royals may have used temples to collect funds just like taxes. He says the rulers projected themselves as descendants of a divine lineage. "Even Rama is supposed to be of Suryavamsa. That was when the sun and moon were popularly worshipped and rulers were accorded god-like status. Later, when they were revealed to be mere mortals, royals tried to rule on behalf of a so-called God.... The concept of wealth-generation is only about 200 years old. Before that even kings didn't know what to do with their gold and riches. If that gold can be put to use for common benefit, then it creates wealth. Otherwise, it is dead investment," says Mythreyan.
True worth of gold
Gold is actually worshipped, he comments. "In discussions about the new-found treasure, nobody even remembers Padmanabha," he says. "A temple is considered big when it generates huge income. If a thousand gold coins all look the same, then there's no rarity also. So keep just one or two in a museum to study them and utilise the rest for the welfare of the people," says Mythreyan.
What the others do
Bhaskar Reddy, financial advisor to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), says every paisa at the Balaji Temple in Tirupati is accounted for and is well utilised. The Tirupati Temple was the richest in India before Padmanabhaswami pipped Balaji for the spot. Reddy says TTD is a charitable and religious institution; it has 30 shrines and various charitable organisations under its wing. It has 10,000 employees on its rolls , while it outsources work to 8,000 others, all paid by the TTD. The Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences provides healthcare. Nine trusts were formed for charitable work.
On July7, President Pratibha Patil inaugurated a new Annadanam (free food) complex at the shrine. "A Rs 300-crore corpus has been earmarked for the free-food project; TTD plans to add another Rs 200 crore to the corpus," says Reddy. The TTD's annual budget is like a small state's budget in scale. The income is generated from the interest, hundi collections, prasadam sales and accommodation receipts.
Dalmegh Singh, secretary of SGPC, which manages gurudwaras including the Golden Temple, says people go to gurudwaras for spiritual well-being. Gurudwaras utilise the money at their disposal to provide free food, education and medicines — all for common welfare.
Heritage and welfare
Gopalakrishnan says a world heritage museum should be built next to the Sri Padmanabhaswami Temple. "The idols found in chamber four should not be taken out while items of archeological importance can be shifted to a museum, under the temple's care. The gold bars can be used for building infrastructure for devotees and or for a heritage centre on the temple premises," suggests the historian.
"If anyone with love and devotion offers me a leaf, a flower, a fruit, or water, I will accept it," said Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita. He also says, in a later verse, that "Absolute freedom or bliss-experience comes to those seers who are free from desire and anger, who are detached and who work for the welfare of all beings."
That the custodians of God's treasure remained detached is evident from the fact that nothing was touched for personal gain. Perhaps the time has come to use it for public good, "for the welfare of all beings...."
The Sri Padmanabhaswami Temple in Thiruvananthapuram has found itself hogging prime space on TV channels and newspapers since last week, when a Supreme Court-appointed panel began taking stock of wealth tucked away in the temple's secret chambers.
What tumbled out of those inner vaults — gold coins, ornaments and idols, diamonds, antiques and other valuables — could put Aladdin's cave to shame. Rs 100,000 crore and still counting — we'll get to know the true worth of the centuries-old coins and artifacts only after the two remaining secret chambers are thrown open — a decision yet to be taken by the panel.
The history of the treasure at Sri Padmanabhaswami temple is closely intertwined with that of the royal family of Travancore. Historian Malayinkil Gopalakrishnan says the golden era of the temple started in 1750 CE when the then maharaja, Marthanda Varma, dedicated his kingdom to Sri Padmanabha, the family deity. The maharaja proclaimed that he and his descendants would rule the kingdom as Padmanabhadasas, as servants of Padmanabha.
Maharaja means chief servant
"Marthanda Varma instituted Bhadradeepam, Murajapam and Lakshdeepam festivals at the temple," says Gopalakrishnan. Thulapurushadanam and Hiranyagarbham were conducted by Marthanda Varma.
The first involves weighing the maharaja in gold, minting coins from that gold and giving it away to Brahmins. For Hiranyagarbham, essentially a coronation ceremony, a lotus-shaped 8-foot wide, 10-foot high golden drum is made. To the chanting of mantras and led by priests, the maharaja gets into the drum that's filled with milk, ghee, water and other ingredients. The drum is closed shut with a golden lid and the maharaja dips himself in the liquid five times. As he emerges, the chief priest addresses him as Kulasekhara Perumal and places a golden crown on his head. "Then the maharaja becomes Ponnu Thampuran or Golden King," says Gopalakrishnan. The golden drum is then cut to pieces and distributed among Brahmins. Gopalakrishnan says there are manuscripts to show that the maharaja wanted to procure gold from the Dutch for the function.
Marthanda Varma expanded his kingdom by annexing smaller states and his kingdom extended to the Kochi kingdom. The principalities were prosperous ones; gold and riches acquired from annexations were offered to the deity. Also, when Tipu Sultan attacked Malabar, some principalities transferred their riches to the temple to protect it from being plundered.
Caretaker of temple riches
The royal family took no money from the temple; it only added to its funds. Gopalakrishnan says that even when a revolt broke out in Travancore against the British due to non-payment of kappam or taxes, the temple funds were safeguarded.
The royals' devotion to the deity has to be seen to be believed. The maharaja prays at the temple every day and if he misses a single day, he pays a fine to the temple. Gopalakrishnan recalls that during the eve of an Aarattu or procession function, news came that Indira Gandhi was shot dead. The maharaja wore a dhoti with a black kara or border and went ahead with a low key Aarattu. Devotee CTV Bhattathiripad says, the Travancore kings took great care of the Temple's wealth. So "any decision regarding the treasure found there should be taken only after consulting the royal family and in accordance with their wishes." Similarly, he says any decision on the treasure found at Sathya Sai Baba's Yajur Mandir at Prashanti Nilayam should be taken in consultation with devotees and the Sathya Sai Trust, as the money belongs to them. Bhattathiripad is only echoing the sentiments of most devotees when he says he is against government takeover of places of worship.
Social activist Mythreyan says the concept of wealth should be defined to get a grip on the situation. "True wealth is that which enriches our lives in some way. Gold has value only if it is transacted. Locked away in a dark cellar, it has absolutely no value."
Mythreyan says that yesteryear royals may have used temples to collect funds just like taxes. He says the rulers projected themselves as descendants of a divine lineage. "Even Rama is supposed to be of Suryavamsa. That was when the sun and moon were popularly worshipped and rulers were accorded god-like status. Later, when they were revealed to be mere mortals, royals tried to rule on behalf of a so-called God.... The concept of wealth-generation is only about 200 years old. Before that even kings didn't know what to do with their gold and riches. If that gold can be put to use for common benefit, then it creates wealth. Otherwise, it is dead investment," says Mythreyan.
True worth of gold
Gold is actually worshipped, he comments. "In discussions about the new-found treasure, nobody even remembers Padmanabha," he says. "A temple is considered big when it generates huge income. If a thousand gold coins all look the same, then there's no rarity also. So keep just one or two in a museum to study them and utilise the rest for the welfare of the people," says Mythreyan.
What the others do
Bhaskar Reddy, financial advisor to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), says every paisa at the Balaji Temple in Tirupati is accounted for and is well utilised. The Tirupati Temple was the richest in India before Padmanabhaswami pipped Balaji for the spot. Reddy says TTD is a charitable and religious institution; it has 30 shrines and various charitable organisations under its wing. It has 10,000 employees on its rolls , while it outsources work to 8,000 others, all paid by the TTD. The Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences provides healthcare. Nine trusts were formed for charitable work.
On July7, President Pratibha Patil inaugurated a new Annadanam (free food) complex at the shrine. "A Rs 300-crore corpus has been earmarked for the free-food project; TTD plans to add another Rs 200 crore to the corpus," says Reddy. The TTD's annual budget is like a small state's budget in scale. The income is generated from the interest, hundi collections, prasadam sales and accommodation receipts.
Dalmegh Singh, secretary of SGPC, which manages gurudwaras including the Golden Temple, says people go to gurudwaras for spiritual well-being. Gurudwaras utilise the money at their disposal to provide free food, education and medicines — all for common welfare.
Heritage and welfare
Gopalakrishnan says a world heritage museum should be built next to the Sri Padmanabhaswami Temple. "The idols found in chamber four should not be taken out while items of archeological importance can be shifted to a museum, under the temple's care. The gold bars can be used for building infrastructure for devotees and or for a heritage centre on the temple premises," suggests the historian.
"If anyone with love and devotion offers me a leaf, a flower, a fruit, or water, I will accept it," said Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita. He also says, in a later verse, that "Absolute freedom or bliss-experience comes to those seers who are free from desire and anger, who are detached and who work for the welfare of all beings."
That the custodians of God's treasure remained detached is evident from the fact that nothing was touched for personal gain. Perhaps the time has come to use it for public good, "for the welfare of all beings...."
OMSAIRAMMM...
.
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