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b.rangarajan_at_pgrad.unimelb.edu.au
Date: Thu Jun 01 2000 - 17:41:59 PDT
Dear Sir:This article appeared in the Hindu on 2nd June. I hope you can use it for wider ciruculation.
rangarajan
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This article is emailed to you by b.rangarajan ( b.rangarajan@pgrad.unimelb.edu.au )
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Source: The Hindu (http://www.the-hindu.com)
Harmonious blend of ecology and devotion
COME WORLD Environment Day on June 5, and we get busy making
speeches and writing articles. There has been a global awareness
regarding the manner in which man is fast destroying his own
residence, the earth. But the persons who are actually trying to
roll back the floods of danger that threaten our ecological
harmony do not get spoken about. Perhaps they do not care to get
talked about.
The remarkable temple culture that has been nurtured in Tamil
Nadu has innumerable facets apart from, of course, religious
ritualism and its vital component, the attached garden, is verily
the oxygen centre for any temple. Each temple has to have a
grove, a ``nandavana'', so that the deity could be worshipped
with fresh flowers daily. Great Alwars and Nayanmars have been
associated with such wholesome service for enriching the physical
environment. Thirunavukkarasar, for instance, is always
represented carrying a hoe for he made it his life's mission to
clean weeds and thorns that happened to grow in holy places. The
``pushpa-kainkarya'' of Perialwar and Tondaradippodialwar is
well-known. The puranas which provide the major mythological
background for temple culture speak highly of tree planting and
the Skanda Purana give details of how to nurture a Sacred Grove
of Bilva, Banyan, Asoka and Amla trees. These gardens and sacred
groves were also meant for growing herbs to heal the sick, like
the one that was set up by Garuda Vahana Pandithar at the
Dhanvanthri temple in the Srirangam complex.
The twentieth century was particularly cruel to temple culture
and its attempts to inculcate environmental awareness. Today most
of the gardens attached to temples big and small remain untended,
full of thorns and weeds.
However, devotees have been delighted in recent years that Lord
Varadaraja of Kanchipuram is accompanied by the soul-elevating
scent of ``Marikkozhunthu'' and Tulsi and flowers which are
fresh, literally dripping with honey. This has been made possible
because of Uthiyambakkam (a village near Ponvilaintha Kalathur)
Vedanta Ramanujacharya. Meeting him is a lesson in humility. It
is also an inspiration. This Village Administrative Officer is
actively engaged in spreading a message of health and devotion.
Quite a few devotees who have been going to Kanchipuram for the
``Thottotsavam'', the ``Garuda Sevai'' and other festivals have
been remarking about the loveliness of the fresh Tulsi and flower
garlands with which the Lord is being adorned these days. It is
remarkable that you have been able to offer so much single-
handed. What made you take up this service?
I am not sure about the real moment of awareness, but I was
unhappy at the careless manner in which Tulsi was grown in all
sorts of places and plucked carelessly and offered. It seemed to
be desecrating the image of Lord Varadaraja when Tulsi offerings
were made in such a way. I wished to go through the entire
process in very clean and pure surroundings so that the Lord
could receive the flowers and leaves in a consecrated form. That
must have been the reason for attaching ``nandavanas'' to our
temples in ancient days. I began with Tulsi and proceeded to put
up flowering plants.
You have been able to do it in the temple land, I am told.
Yes, the authorities acceded to my request to give about two
acres that had remained unused and neglected. But remember, this
is only a small portion. Actually, the entire ``nandavanam'' of
Varadaraja is spread over 24 acres.
It must have been quite a task to get even two acres ready for
planting.
Certainly. But when there is sincere aspiration, I guess help
comes in automatically. I needed machines for clearing up the
place. Then we used seventy lorry loads of red soil and had it
all levelled. There were problems, but then problems are
everywhere, aren't they? I now have a tractor and I have
installed pump-sets too, and the garden is glowing.
You have flower-varieties as well.
Tulsi is the main offering and I began with Tulsi. We have two
thousand Tulsi plants in the garden. What a pleasure it is to
offer baskets and baskets of the sacred basil leaves (``kudalai
kudalaiyaaha tiruthuzhaay''), plucked fresh from the garden. I
have also put in twenty-two varieties of flowering plants, such
as ``kanakambaram,'' roses and ``nandiyavattai''.
Trees?
Of course. Punnai, Panneer, Champak, Parijatham.
You say that daily several baskets of Tulsi leaves have to be
plucked carefully and the flowers gathered. You need a lot of
trained labour for that.
I am lucky. I have twenty volunteers who help me in the
maintenance as well as gathering of leaves and flowers in the
evening. Blessed with six sons, one grandson and two nephews who
are doing Veda Adhyayanam, I am able to receive help from them.
They are doing it purely as service, ``kainkarya'' as they would
refer to it in Sri Vaishnava parlance.
How about the finances to nurture the garden?
The garden prepared so far at a cost of around Rs. 80,000 needs
about Rs. 4,000 a month for maintenance.
Sri Devadhirajan Nandavana Kainkarya Sabha is trying to get
together a sumptuous amount that can be deposited and the
interest used for maintenance.
Have you any plans to extend the services of the garden?
Yes, with the help of Govindan who was able to give more than a
lakh of rupees, a garden has been set up within the temple
premises of Madhurantakam Eri Kaatha Ramar Sannidhi.
This attempt also has proved to be a success. In fact, the Jeeyar
of Ahobila Math has been pleased with my efforts and has asked me
to set up a ``nandavanam'' in Ahobilam itself. Accordingly I am
in the process of creating a garden in the Tirupati Devasthanam
Complex to offer fresh flowers and Tulsi leaves to Lord
Prahladavardan. I do hope others will also come forward and
resurrect this service of ``pushpa kainkaryam'' in our
innumerable temples. I feel this would also help purify the
environment.
PREMA NANDAKUMAR
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