Bhakti Maha Sangamam – The Tirupathi meet

27 February 2009

 

Kamal Kumar Swamiji’s name inspires and draws thousands of
Hindus of all castes, specially the oppressed and downtrodden, the Lambadas and
the most backward in Andhra Pradesh. This was evident when over 15,000
simple bhaktas joined him on the concluding lap of his
Mahapadayatra that took 197 days, through 11 districts of Andhra Pradesh, a
walkathon encompassing 5,255 kms. of unimaginable terrain!

 

Swamiji, founder General Secretary of the Hindu Devalaya
Parirakshana Samiti, A.P., began his second Mahapadayatra on 6 August 2008,
from Sri Kurmam Mandir, Srikakulam District, and reached Tirupathi on 14
February 2009. The first Mahapadayatra, from Saraswati Mandir, Basara, to
Tirupathi, covered 3,200 kms.

 

This time the canvass was much bigger. Each of the 11 districts
now has a proper secretariat of the Hindu Devalaya Parirakshana Samiti, with
members drawn from all castes. Each of the over 788 villages that Swamiji
traversed is now charged with bhakta fervour. People’s groups have been formed
in each village to take care of their own Mandir affairs.

 

The most gratifying result of the Mahapadayatra was to
bring awareness to common bhaktas in remote villages and disjointed Hindus in
towns about the fate of Hindu Mandirs under Government control. The fiery and informative
speeches of Kamal Kumar Swamiji had the desired effect at each myriad stop, and
the Tirupathi Maha Bhakti Sangamam meet had representatives from EVERY village
he passed through.

 

By the evening of 15 February, hundreds of bhaktas were
pouring into Tirupathi. They were received and rested in six kalyana mandapams,
and offered annadana with the respect due to a Hindu Atithi (guest).

 

The Grand Procession

 

The procession was grand and colourful. Over 15,000
bhaktas, each with saffron angavastram round the neck, men and
women of all ages, some with infants, walked with a spring in their steps, led
by Kamal Kumar Swamiji. Bhaktas dressed as Kali, Hanuman, Rama, Krishna… At
every stop, they enacted tribal dance sequences of Mahishasuramardini, Asuravadha
by the Devas, to the delight of onlookers lined on both sides of the roads.

 

The three kilometer-long procession enlivened the
pilgrimage town. The tribal drummers were at their best, with beats
reverberating in the air, long after they left. Slogans pierced the skies,
calling for abolishment of the Endowment Department and returning Mandirs to
Hindus for proper management, for providing Nitya Dhoop, Deep, Nivedanam to our
Gods and Goddesses.

 

The procession took more than four hours to reach the Municipal
School Grounds, the venue for the Maha Bhakti Sangamam. The colourful pandals
and shamianas offered relief from the scorching February sun. Hospitality
flowed, and the public meeting which began at 1 p.m. went on till 6.30
p.m. Dr. Subramanian Swamy, former Union Minister, presided over the Maha
Bhakti Sangamam. Over 30 district functionaries of the Hindu Devalaya
Parirakshana Samiti were invited to share the dais. Sri M. Subramaniam
Yadav, Vice President of the Hindu Devalaya Parirakshana Samiti (HDPS) received
the dignitaries and Bhaktas and gave a brief summary of Swami Kamal Kumarji’s
second Mahapadayatra.

 

Sri Yelamanchi
Prasad

, Chairman, Global Hindu Heritage
Foundation, USA cited examples of discrimination against Hindus in India and
the appeasement of minorities. He gave a clarion call for the Government to
“Quit Mandirs” and to leave Hindu Mandir affairs to Bhaktas.

 

Smt Lakshmi
Parvati

, wife of late Shri N.T. Rama Rao
and President of NTR Telugu Desam spoke of the spiritual vastness of Sanatana
Dharma and the importance of Mandirs in our Dharma. She recalled how her late
husband had always worked for the cause of improving the conditions of the
Hindu Mandirs.

 

Sri Bandaru
Dattatreya

, President, AP State unit of
BJP, lambasted Chief Minister Samuel Reddy for not keeping his word of
rebuilding the 1000 Pillared Mandap at Tirumala. He reminded the public that
Mr. Chandrababu Naidu lost the election because he allowed the ancient Mandapam
to be brought down during his regime. He warned a similar fate awaited the
present government. He accused the regime of allowing 65000 acres of Mandir
lands in AP to slip silently into private hands.

 

Dr.
Subramanian Swamy

rued that we are
not consolidating as a Hindu vote bank, unlike the minorities, who get away
with everything with just this weapon in hand. He briefed the cheering audience
about his efforts through the courts to prevent the destruction of the Ram Setu
by the Sonia-led UPA. While this government could not take an
alternate alignment to protect the Ram Setu, it had no qualms in changing the
entire alignment of a railway line in the Konkan area to protect a Church.

 

Dr. Swamy gave statistics of how the numbers of Mandirs are
allowed to dwindle while in the same period, churches and mosques have
increased exponentially, dotting the Andhra landscape under the Christian YSR
regime. There are 42 mosques in Ayodhya where no Muslim offers prayers, while
they fight for Babri where no prayers were offered for generations.

 

He said that even in Saudi Arabia they bring down mosques
obstructing road projects, and a mosque can be relocated anywhere as the
sanctity is of the Namaz,  not the building. In contrast, the Mandirs are
sacred as Prana Pratistha of the Vigraha and consecration is done as per the
Agamas.

 

Dr Swamy averred that he would be impleading himself in the
Chidambaram Nataraja Mandir case on behalf of the Dikshitars and would take the
Ayodhya case to the Supreme Court. He assured the public that very soon
restrictions on offering pujas to Sri Rama would be removed and bhaktas will
have free darshan. He lamented that while it was Sri Krishna who was born in
Kamsa’s jail, the present regime has put Rama behind bars in Ayodhya. It was my
pleasant duty to translate this electrifying speech into Telugu.

 

Sri Datta
Vijayananda Teerdha


Swamiji of Avadhuta Datta Peetham, Mysore, spoke out against religious conversions by Christian
missionaries. He urged the Centre to enact an effective anti-conversion law.
Swamiji condemned the Government for having Hindu Mandirs under its control and
not taking proper care of them, and demanded the abolition of the Endowment
Department. He stressed the need to preserve Hindu Temples and Hindu
Dharma, and encouraged  Hindus to follow its rich and eternal values. He
said Hindu temples must be freed from government control and all Hindus
should look at serving the needs of the poor.

 

Sri Raghunadhacharya
of Ashtalakshmi Peetham

 criticized
government interference in Hindu Mandir affairs and offered His blessings and
support to the Bhagiratha task undertaken by Kamal Kumar Swamiji.

 

Sri Ganjam
Prabhakaracharyulu of Vaikanasa Peetham

 highlighted
the plight of poor archakas and urged the government to
immediately offer succour to them.

 

Sri Dusserla
Satyanarayana,

President of
the Telengana Jala Sadhana which was instrumental in making water
available through a series of agitations in the arid Telangana region, offered
unstinted support to the movement.

 

Sri Bhanumurthi
of Telangana Archaka Samajam

 spoke of
the plight of the poor archakas and how successive governments have
neglected this important segment of the Hindu Samaj.

 

Veda Bharati
founder, Sri Neralla Avadhani’s

 book
in Telugu, “Hindu AalayalakuSwatantra Prativarthi” was
released by Kamal Kumar Swamiji and the first copy was received by Dr. Subramanian
Swamy.

 

Dr. Prakasarao
Velagapudi,

President of Global Hindu
Heritage Foundation (GHHF) spoke of its formation and mission and NRI support
to the cause of freeing Temples from government control. He asked all Hindus to
attend the temples and participate in the movement to repeal the Endowment Act.

 

Sri Kamal
Kumar Swamiji

 demanded that
government cease mismanaging Hindu Mandir affairs. He called for the
abolishment of the Hindu Endowment Department. Shouts of Jai Shriram, Kamal
Kumar Swamiji ki Jai pierced the air. People cheered every word he spoke. He
spoke about his experiences during the Mahapadayatra, telling the people that
he drew inspiration from their bhakti and commitment to the Mandir cause. His
powerful oratory kept the people engrossed.

 

Sri Venkatnarayanan, Secretary, Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha,
Sri Bhanu Prakash Reddy, President BJP (Youth), AP, Anita Sakuru, Vice
President, HDPS and Ajay Sakuru, Sri Vinay Bopanna, Dr TRN Rao participated in
the Bhakti Maha Sangamam.

 

End of meeting – Onward march to Tirumala

 

It was a sight that gladdened the heart. The colourful
group of 15,000 headed by Kamal Kumar Swamiji left the Municipal Grounds to
trek the Sacred Seven Hills. Unlike last time, they were not stopped when each
one carried a Bhagva in hand. People vied with each other to touch the feet of
Swamiji and to seek his blessings.

 

What was most gratifying was that the TTD choultries housed
all of them at Tirumala and the darshan of Sri Balaji was arranged without a
hitch. The TTD came forward to provide annadanam to all of them until the day
they left the Sacred Hills after darshan. For over 90% of them, this was their
first darshan of Sri Venkateshwara.

 

The Good News comes the very next day

 

The meeting took place on Monday, 16 February 2009.
The very next day the AP Government bowed to our requests
and passed a G.O. sanctioning a sum of Rs.2500/month towards Dhoop,
Deepa, Neivedyam of 4000 inactive Mandirs, in addition to
sanctioning a sum of Rs. 1,500/month to the archakas of these Mandirs.

 

This is just the beginning. Kamal Kumar Swamiji promised to
continue his programme of awakening Hindu Bhaktas till the Mandirs are back under
the rightful control of the Hindu Samaj.

 

Follow Up

 

With District-wise office bearers of HDPS in place,
following immediate tasks are being planned:

 

1] Identifying a team of committed Hindu advocates and attaching
them to each of these

    district units.

2] Engaging the Government in legal battles to restore Mandir
lands illegally occupied in

    these areas, to
the respective Mandirs, through the legal wing of the HDPS.

3] Identifying Hindu workers (full time) for each District
Units @ 5/district to keep up the

    momentum.

4] Proper selection and utilization of archaka manpower in
the 4000 Mandirs sanctioned

    by the recent GO
of Government of AP.

 

There is still a long way to go. But with a committed
Swamiji like Sri Kamal Kumar Swamiji and the thousands of Hindu Bhaktas whom he
was able to inspire with his two Mahapadayatras, there is no doubt we will
continue to achieve major victories in our struggle.

 

Appeal

 

Kamal Kumar Swamiji appeals to all Hindus to support this
noble cause and join in the future programmes against the establishment to
reach our goal – “Mana Devalayalani Maname Kaapadukuntam” (We will protect our
Mandirs).

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