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[sv-rituals] temple entry

From the Bhakti List Archives

Naresh Ramarajan • May 9, 2002 


> NamaskArams to all,
>
> Thanks for sending me suggestions for my bibliography as per
previous
> request. Thanks to Lakshmi Nrsimhan's grace, i am able to begin
> researching Ahobila kshetram with my professor.
>
> On another matter, why do we not permit entry of non-hindus into our
> famous sri vaishnava temples like Sri rangam, Kanchipuram etc.? Has
> Ramanuja/other Acharyas in our sampradayam laid out anything
specifically
> against interested non-hindus worshipping at our temples?
>
> I am aware that this happens with other famous temples as well
(Puri, guruvayur etc.),
> but those streams seem to have explicit statements against non-
Hindus. I
> have always believed that Sri vaishnava's were more open and
accepting of
> all castes/creeds as bhaktas (samhasrayanam to all bhaktas,
acceptance of
> "lower caste" and female Alwars etc.), but last time i went to
Kanchipuram
> with a white-American friend, he was stopped. I could have said
that he
> was a Hare Krishna devotee, but wanted to check if our Acharyas had
> specifically said anything against non-hindus entering the temple
because
> they cannot perform certain rites needed for entry.
>
> Please do answer from our Acharya's point of view. I have heard the
> tourist argument and the "defiling" the temple argument from
priests in
> Puri and Guruvayur, where Indira Gandhi was denied entrance in the
former
> and a great bhakta like K.J.yesudas is denied entry in the latter.
>
> Thank you,
>
> Adiyen,
> Naresh Ramarajan.
>




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