PPs are the herd of Pujari-s and Panda-s swarming around Hindu shrines like honeybees with stings soliciting and bullying unsuspecting, innocent pilgrims whom they strive vehemently to convert themselves into their Yajnaman-s. Then they embark upon delivering pre-recorded discourses on a long catalogue of Puja-s and corresponding ‘Dakshina-s’ to mesmerise innocent seekers of elusive peace and Moksa. Now the newly transformed Yajnamana-s blissfully walk into their miasma, undergo a series of harrowing experiences, come out of holy shrines harassed and haggard albeit poorer by a few thousands and slightly more enlightened, struggling to forget all that before narrating it to some relatives, friends etc. on arriving back into their homes. The solace that they carry home is always in the form of ‘Prasad’ and assurance of fulfillment of ‘Manokamna’ delivered by those vagrants howsoever irrational implicitly ruling out selfless devotion unto deities as well as defeating Karmayoga altogether while nurturing the culture of bribery even into holy shrines.
Participating in ‘Bhasmi-Arati’ of Bhagavan Mahakaleshvar at Ujjain is a nightmare of sorts for any pilgrim. Official ticket costs Rs. 200/- while majority of tickets are sold in black by PPs ranging from Rs. 1500/- to 2000/- in spite of the facility of online booking, a ‘divine’ miracle that can be explained only by their PPs led by Pt. Ashok Bharadvaja. Then all such ‘Bhasmi-pilgrims are directed to report at 2 am though temple gates open at 3 am topless only in Dhoti-s. With no arrangement to be seated or even water to drink under the night skyline, they are advised to sit on floor like cattle and wait patiently for the temple to open. It is certainly a nightmare during winter months for pilgrims.
Conduct of PPs at Omkareshvara Jyotirlingam is even worse. PPs extract money from pilgrims in the order of Rs. 2000/- without providing any ticket at all. Members of the PP tribe ensure all such ‘Manokamna-holders’ are ushered into the shrine from one gate to another for a Darshan lasting merely a few seconds. Nobody is allowed to disturb the deity more than a few seconds. Even 2-hour long Rudrabhishekam is completed at this jet-speed with negotiated ‘Dakshina’ after a long wait in queue.
In precincts of Jagannath Mandira at Puri, one illustrated PP-gang member exclaimed on an old fragile woman, “O Budhia ! you want to have Darshan without spending ? Come here, donate first before Darshan.” No doubt his outrageous behavior angered me to no limits and I ticked him off then and there in presence of so many, told him bluntly rogues like him are reckoning factors of conversion of Hindu-s to other faiths and Hinduism being derogated by so many within and outside the nation.
Harassment of visitors by boatmen at Dashashvamedh Ghat in Varanasi is to be experienced to be believed. In Kal Bhairava Mandira at Varanasi, two gangster type Panda-s sit on both sides of the deity to bully and extort ‘Dakshina’ from worshippers.
At Sangam in Prayagraj, boatmen in cahoots with PPs force visitors to shell out for Puja right in centre of waters while coconuts, flowers are recycled I do not know how many times by them in a day. I had to call Police to free myself from their vice like clutches.
My experience at Kalighat in Kolkata was no less harrowing while Mumbra Devi, Mahalaxmi Temples etc. in Mumbai least troublesome.
Decade ago at Shaktipeeth Vindhya Devi Mandira in Mirzapur of UP, Panda serving the deity ordered me to pay Rs. 500/- immediately which I flatly refused. Then another Panda brought coconut etc. without my asking for that and began bullying me to perform this and that Puja. Since I never hold any ‘Manokamna’ to be fulfilled, I bluntly told him to buzz off. He continued chasing me till the exit, then exclaimed sarcastically within my hearing range to another PP member, “Let’s break the Nariyal on his behalf.”
These are personal experiences, do not require any evidence. It’s a disgusting scenario. So long as it continues, I shall neither support nor oppose withdrawal of Government control over Hindu shrines. Government must constitute trusts of people with integrity to run temple affairs professionally, receipts must be accounted for, proceeds judiciously spent on welfare of Hindu-s ONLY before such demands to liberate temples from Sarkari loot are conceded.
Till then, it is better temples being looted by Governments instead of by those nasty, stinging Holy Souls, Merchants of Hinduism.
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