It is said that the Almighty doesn’t discriminate between devotees on the basis of their sex, caste or status.
Offcourt...
It is said that the Almighty doesn’t discriminate between devotees on the basis of their sex, caste or status. But those who manage cash-rich shrines which are thronged by financially-sound and socially-influential devotees do offer what’s known as the step-motherly treatment to the lesser citizens.
Recently, the ancient Sabrimala temple managed by a high-powered Travancore Devasom Board sought the highest judicial stamp on its plans to treat different categories of devotees who regularly offer their obeisance to the deity differently. Its categorisation has been approved. The plans were formulated following the Supreme Court’s intervention in December last year. Let’s see what the Board has offered to the weaker devotees and also who it has termed as ‘VIPs’ and ‘former VIPs’. There is no official definition of a ‘former VIP’ when the governance itself is controlled by a large number of tainted lawmakers.
Any official concerned with the Board wouldn’t face any obstruction in reaching the sacred ‘Sopanam Enclosure’ facing the Sreekovil for darshan.
There’s advance booking for offering special prayers costing Rs 20,000 a ticket till 2010. Since select devotees have paid in advance, maximum six members of a family would be allowed to perform the pooja.
There is another ‘pooja’ called Padipooja. Its tickets have been booked till 2017. Each ticket costs Rs.30, 000.
Then there are less costly tickets to please the deity. ‘Nitya’ pooja costs Rs.2, 500. ‘Uccha’ pooja’s ticket is Rs.2, 000 and ‘Usha’ pooja is worth Rs.501 only. The Board has degraded VIPs below the ticket holders and its staff. So are ‘former VIPs’ who have been further placed below the status that they once held.
Ironically, children and physically disabled devotees of the same deity may have a view of the almighty from an alighted platform erected on the left of the general queue of teeming worshippers. Then there is a stern warning for these handicapped devotess.
They must not “cause any obstruction to the devotees standing in the serpentine queues”. And if you have any grievance.
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