Bhakti Maha Sangamam - The Tirupathi meet Kamal Kumar Swamiji’s name inspires and Kumar Swamiji had the desired effect at each draws thousands of Hindus of all castes, myriad stop, and the Tirupathi Maha Bhakti specially the oppressed and downtrodden, Sangamam meet had representatives from the Lambadas and the most backward in every village he passed through. Andhra Pradesh. This was evident when over 15,000 simple bhaktas joined him on the By the evening of the 15 th of February, concluding lap of his Mahapadayatra that hundreds of bhaktas were pouring into took 197 days, through 11 districts of Andhra Tirupathi. They were received and rested in Pradesh, a walkathon encompassing 5,255 six kalyana mandapams, and offered kms of unimaginable terrain! annadana with the respect due to a Hindu Atithi (guest). Swamiji, founder General Secretary of the Hindu Devalaya Parirakshana Samiti, A.P., The Grand Procession began his second Mahapadayatra on the 6 th of August 2008, from Sri Kurmam Mandir, The procession was grand and colourful. Srikakulam District, and reached Tirupathi on Over 15,000 bhaktas, each with saffron the 14 th of February 2009. The first angavastram round the neck, men and Mahapadayatra, from Saraswati Mandir, women of all ages, some with infants, walked Basara, to Tirupathi, covered 3,200 kms. with a spring in their steps, led by Kamal Kumar Swamiji. Bhaktas dressed as Kali, This time the canvass was much bigger. Each Hanuman, Rama, Krishna… At every stop, of the 11 districts now has a proper secretariat they enacted tribal dance sequences of of the Hindu Devalaya Parirakshana Samiti, Mahishasuramardini, Asuravadha by the with members drawn from all castes. Each of Devas, to the delight of onlookers lined on the over 788 villages that Swamiji traversed both sides of the roads. is now charged with bhakti fervour. People’s groups have been formed in each village to The three kilometer-long procession take care of their own Mandir affairs. enlivened the pilgrimage town. The tribal drummers were at their best, with beats The most gratifying result of the reverberating in the air, long after they left. Mahapadayatra was to bring awareness to Slogans pierced the skies, calling for common bhaktas in remote villages and abolishment of the Endowment Department disjointed Hindus in towns about the fate of and returning Mandirs to Hindus for proper Hindu Mandirs under Government control. management, for providing Nitya Dhoop, The fiery and informative speeches of Kamal 24 Arsha Vidya Newsletter - March 2009 Deep, Nivedanam to our Gods and Reddy for not keeping his word of rebuilding Goddesses. the 1000 Pillared Mandap at Tirumala. He reminded the public that Mr. Chandrababu The procession took more than four hours to Naidu lost the election because he allowed reach the Municipal School Grounds, the the ancient Mandapam to be brought down venue for the Maha Bhakti Sangamam. The during his regime. He warned a similar fate colourful pandals and shamianas offered awaited the present government. He accused relief from the scorching February sun. the regime of allowing 65000 acres of Mandir Hospitality flowed, and the public meeting lands in AP to slip silently into private hands. which began at 1 p.m. went on till 6.30 p.m. Dr. Subramanian Swamy, former Union Dr. Subramanian Swamy said that we were Minister, presided over the Maha Bhakti not consolidating as a Hindu vote bank, Sangamam. Over 30 district functionaries of unlike the minorities, who get away with the Hindu Devalaya Parirakshana Samiti everything with just this weapon in hand. He were invited to share the dais. Sri M. briefed the cheering audience about his Subramaniam Yadav, Vice President of the efforts through the courts to prevent the Hindu Devalaya Parirakshana Samiti (HDPS) destruction of the Ram Setu by the Sonia-led received the dignitaries and Bhaktas and gave UPA. While this government could not take a brief summary of Swami Kamal Kumarji’s an alternate alignment to protect the Ram second Mahapadayatra. Setu, it had no qualms in changing the entire alignment of a railway line in the Konkan Sri Yelamanchi Prasad, Chairman, Global area to protect a Church. Hindu Heritage Foundation, USA cited examples of discrimination against Hindus in Dr. Swamy gave statistics of how the India and the appeasement of minorities. He numbers of Mandirs are allowed to dwindle gave a clarion call for the Government to while in the same period, churches and “Quit Mandirs” and to leave Hindu Mandir mosques have increased exponentially, affairs to Bhaktas. dotting the Andhra landscape under the Christian YSR regime. There are 42 mosques Smt Lakshmi Parvati, wife of late Shri N.T. in Ayodhya where no Muslim offers prayers, Rama Rao and President of NTR Telugu while they fight for Babri where no prayers Desam spoke of the spiritual vastness of were offered for generations. Sanatana Dharma and the importance of Mandirs in our Dharma. She recalled how her He said that even in Saudi Arabia they bring late husband had always worked for the down mosques obstructing road projects, and cause of improving the conditions of the a mosque can be relocated anywhere as the Hindu Mandirs. sanctity is of the Namaz, not the building. In contrast, the Mandirs are sacred as Prana Sri Bandaru Dattatreya, President, AP State Pratistha of the Vigraha and consecration is unit of BJP, lambasted Chief Minister Samuel done as per the Agamas. ArshaArsha VidyaVidya NewsletterNewsletter -- MarchDecember 2009 2007 25 Dr Swamy averred that he would be instrumental in making water available impleading himself in the Chidambaram through a series of agitations in the arid Nataraja Mandir case on behalf of the Telangana region, offered unstinted support Dikshitars and would take the Ayodhya case to the movement. to the Supreme Court. He assured the public that very soon restrictions on offering pujas Sri Bhanumurthi of Telangana Archaka to Sri Rama would be removed and bhaktas Samajam spoke of the plight of the poor will have free darshan. He lamented that archakas and how successive governments while it was Sri Krishna who was born in have neglected this important segment of the Kamsa’s jail, the present regime has put Hindu Samaj. Rama behind bars in Ayodhya. Veda Bharati founder, Sri Neralla Sri Datta Vijayananda Teerdha Swamiji of Avadhani’s book in Telugu, “Hindu Avadhuta Datta Peetham, Mysore, spoke out AalayalakuSwatantra Prativarthi” was against religious conversions by Christian released by Kamal Kumar Swamiji and the missionaries. He urged the Centre to enact first copy was received by Dr. Subramanian an effective anti-conversion law. Swamiji Swamy. condemned the Government for having Hindu Mandirs under its control and not Dr. Prakasarao Velagapudi, President of taking proper care of them, and demanded Global Hindu Heritage Foundation (GHHF) the abolition of the Endowment Department. spoke of its formation and mission and NRI He stressed the need to preserve Hindu support to the cause of freeing Temples from Temples and Hindu Dharma, and encouraged government control. He asked all Hindus to Hindus to follow its rich and eternal values. attend the temples and participate in the He said Hindu temples must be freed from movement to repeal the Endowment Act. government control and all Hindus should look at serving the needs of the poor. Sri Kamal Kumar Swamiji demanded that government cease mismanaging Hindu Sri Raghunadhacharya of Ashtalakshmi Mandir affairs. He called for the abolishment Peetham criticized government interference in of the Hindu Endowment Department. Hindu Mandir affairs and offered His Shouts of Jai Shriram, Kamal Kumar Swamiji blessings and support to the Bhagiratha task ki Jai pierced the air. People cheered every undertaken by Kamal Kumar Swamiji. word he spoke. He spoke about his experiences during the Mahapadayatra, Sri Ganjam Prabhakaracharyulu of Vaikanasa telling the people that he drew inspiration Peetham highlighted the plight of poor from their bhakti and commitment to the archakas and urged the government to Mandir cause. His powerful oratory kept the immediately offer succor to them. people engrossed. Sri Dusserla Satyanarayana, President of the Sri Venkatnarayanan, Secretary, Hindu Telengana Jala Sadhana which was Dharma Acharya Sabha, Sri Bhanu Prakash 26 Arsha Vidya Newsletter - March 2009 Reddy, President BJP (Youth), AP, Anita Follow Up Sakuru, Vice President, HDPS and Ajay With District-wise office bearers of HDPS in Sakuru, Sri Vinay Bopanna, Dr TRN Rao place, following immediate tasks are being participated in the Bhakti Maha Sangamam. planned: End of meeting – Onward march to Tirumala 1] Identifying a team of committed Hindu advocates and attaching them to each It was a sight that gladdened the heart. The of these district units. colourful group of 15,000 headed by Kamal Kumar Swamiji left the Municipal Grounds 2] Engaging the Government in legal to trek the Sacred Seven Hills. Unlike last battles to restore Mandir lands illegally time, they were not stopped when each one occupied in these areas, to the carried a Bhagva in hand. People vied with respective Mandirs, through the legal each other to touch the feet of Swamiji and wing of the HDPS. to seek his blessings. 3] Identifying Hindu workers (full time) for each District Units to keep up the What was most gratifying was that the TTD momentum. choultries housed all of them at Tirumala and the darshan of Sri Balaji was arranged 4] Proper selection and utilization of without a hitch. The TTD came forward to archaka manpower in the 4000 Mandirs provide annadanam to all of them until the sanctioned by the recent GO of day they left the Sacred Hills after darshan. Government of AP. For over 90% of them, this was their first darshan of Sri Venkateshwara. There is still a long way to go.