Dear Friends,
Today was a monday and I was indisposed since morning. Nothing serious, just down with a stomach bug that seemed to be doing its job rather seriously! Wouldn't have gone anywhere, but it being monday and monday being my mother's weekly fast for lord Shiva, and my mother being more indisposed than me, per force, I had to go to the temple in the evening so that mom could break her fast. There is a temple near my home. It is called the 'Panchmukhi Hanuman Mandir'(Taking advantage of this rather unusual name, a sweet shop has also come up next to the temple by the same name). Our family has been visiting this temple since the time we shifted to vikas nagar which was more than a decade ago. Since then we have seen it grow from a run down little place into an impressive structure. In this area of Lucknow, it has become rather well patronized, hence the turnaround in its fortunes. Will, like most other temples, this one also has a Shiva Lingam. The Shiva Lingam, as you must be aware, is traditionally worshipped by bathing it with water/milk and offering belpatra, dhatura, flowers, and fruits to it. Typically, the Shiva Lingam is one deity that is never worshipped from a distance. (Incidentally the same practice of worship is followed in the Kashi Vishwanath Temple at Varanasi, which, arguably is the most powerful of all the Shiva Temples in India.
For so many years our family (and other families of the area) had been performing this simple ceremony of Shiva Pooja at this temple without any problems. However, we were shocked to find that this time round the Shiva Lingam had been surrounded by a fence and a gate was installed that was kept locked. This was especially inappropriate on a Monday, since it is the day of worship of Lord Shiva. Equally, or even more shocking was the fact that the Mahant of this temple had installed some Takahats and a television in the Sactum Sanctorum and was using the public worship area as a place of personal recline and recreation.
Desisiting from commenting on the Television, I requested the Mahant to kindly open the gate of the fencing surrounding Lord Shiva so that we could offer worship as usual. Imagine my shock and surprise when the Mahant not only refused to do so, but when I insisted that he open the gate, became abusive and demanded that I leave the premises. Its, of course, no secret that even though this particular temple belongs to a trust, its major portion is constructed on encroached public land like most other such temples in the city. This case is a classic example of how we allow antisocial, undesirable and possibly criminal elements to masquarade as 'priests', occupy public land and finally misbehave with devotees who have developed a spiritual faith in the deities in such temples. Friends, I for one have decided that if I ever visit a temple again, it shall only be after I have verified the antecedants of the temple in as much as whether or not it is constructed on legally aquired land. I also exhort to you to stop patronizing temples built on encroached and illegally occupied land. By offering worship in such 'temples' we are only strengthening the hands of the land mafia that operates in their garb and are directly contributing to the desacration of our religion and faith. In fact, we should all write to the respective District Magistrates about such illegal 'temples' and demand that all of them be demolished at once. What we require are better and safer roads, bridges, public parks etc. Any such illegal structure that becomes an impediment in the provision of these facilities should be demolished without a second thought. I am sure that if Lord Laxman (the founder of Lakhanpuri- now Lucknow) was still ruling Awadh, he would have done the same.
