Kanchi Varadar Brahmotsavam Thenkalai Vadakalai Issues

Vaishnavite Sects came to knocks again on Friday during the Brahmotsavam reminding one, of the remarks made by the Muslim Judge in 1967

Photo from Thathachariar Vasudevan

It is Friday (May 24) afternoon and the 5th day of the Vaikasi Brahmotsavam at the Varadaraja Perumal temple in Kanchipuram. This writer, who was just back after experiencing a set of issues on the final evening of the Vasantha Utsavam at the Ranganathaswamy temple in Srirangam (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2024/05/srirangam-vasantha-utsavam-2024.html), received a video from a Kainkaryapaka at the Varadar temple that is highly disturbing. In the video, one of this writer’s favourite Prabhandham members at Thiruvallikeni is seen using foul words and  making a gesture to kick him before he was calmed down by his team members. Irrespective of the right and wrong of the two sides, it was saddening to see a Prabhandham member who recites with great devotion at the highest tone at the street processions at Thiruvallikeni use such language to take on the other side.

An hour later, another video from Kanchipuram shows a Vadakalai member grabbing the mobile phone from a Thenkalai who was recording the sacred recital of the Vadakalai group and throwing it down on the ground.

Muslim Judge makes an important observation

These two incidents took one back to the judgement in September 1967, interestingly of a Muslim judge Kamaluddin on the Mantra Pushpam issue that was the subject matter of the hearing that year.

While he gave a specific order relating to that issue, he ended his order raising a very important matter that bears resonance to the above two incidents on Friday. The Judge in his final remark said “Before I conclude, I observe that it is sad and strange that in these days when great philosophers think and talk of one world community and one world religion, these two sects of a great religion should continue to fight over small differences in rituals over such a long time. Such disputes can and should be easily resolved by amicable settlement between the parties.”

   Photo from Thathachariar Vasudevan

This section had pointed out many years ago that the heads of the Thenkalai and Vadakalai Mutts should discuss and resolve this issue and that the Mutts should also restrain their disciples from abusive conduct on the ground in full public view (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2019/01/pazhaya-seevaram-battle-for-vaishnavite.html) . 

55 years after the 1967 judgement nothing seems to have changed and the  fight is still on over the same issues. 

Mantra Pushpam Issue at Kanchipuram in the 1960s

Way back in the 1960s, the issue that came up before the Judge was about the duration and the tone of the Mantra Pushpam recital. The issue was brought to the attention of the court that when the Prabhandham recital was going on, the mantra pushpam kattiyam was being presented in a high tone and without a time restriction in a way to disturb the Thenkalai Adyapakas.

In that order in 1967, Judge Kamaluddin directed that the mantra pushpam service by its very nature should be restricted to a maximum of 15 minutes and the recital should take place in a low tone and pitch. 

The current Brahmotsavam at the Varadaraja Perumal temple has seen another year without the presentation of the Nalayira Divya Prabhandham. The Thenkalayars feel aggrieved that while the Prabhandham recital ( rights belonging to them) has been stopped during the Brahmotsavam, the court restraint orders relating to the vedic recital and the restrictions on stotrams to not be recited during Mantra Pushpams is not being followed. 

The fight between the two sects has continued on the ground like it did in the 1960s with each sect trying to showcase the wrongs of the other now with the assistance of the modern gadgets by capturing the acts on the video instead of resolving the issues amicably through internal discussions. And this does not augur well for the Vaishnavite community.