After hijab row, halal meat issue, ban on non-Hindu traders at temple fairs, and Azaan controversy in Karnataka, now a controversial campaign to stop Muslims from sculpting idols of Hindu deities has begun in Mandya.
Srinivasan, chief priest of Cheluvanarayanaswamy temple in Mandya’s Melukote has claimed that idols sculpted by Muslims are against the traditions and asked Hindus not to buy them.
“It is not right for Muslims to sculpt an idol which is installed in a temple. There are several rules that have to be followed while sculpting an idol of gods. They don’t know them and hence they can’t follow them. Just for the sake of business, Muslims should not chisel the idols that are worshipped in temples. We should buy idols sculpted by the Vishwakarma community. They have been following our traditions for many generations when sculpting idols. I request all priests not to install idols sculpted by Muslims. I will travel across Karnataka and spread awareness about it,” Srinivasan said.
Interestingly, it is believed former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy may have unwittingly caused the row over Muslim sculptors. On March 30, Kumaraswamy while hitting out at right wing groups over halal controversy had said, “Muslim sculptors in Kolar chisel our idols, will you boycott them too?”
“There is a village named Shivarapatna in Kolar, where around 15 Muslim families have been chiseling idols we worship in temples for the past 35-40 years. When are you giving a call to boycott them? Please tell me,” Kumaraswamy had mockingly said.
Sri Ram Sene state president Siddalinga swamiji supported the campaign started by Srinivasan and demanded a boycott on idols sculpted by Muslims.
“Many people did not know that Muslims were sculpting our idols, only a handful of people were doing it, but now Kumaraswamy has highlighted this. For generations Vishwakarma community people have been doing it. They know how to do it, there are rules for it, like vastu shilpa. But Muslim sculptors do not understand this. If you perform pooja to an idol created without following our shastra it neither helps the priest nor the devotees. Sri Ram Sene wholeheartedly supports the campaign to boycott Muslim sculptors,” Muthalik said.
IT and BT Minister Dr CN Ashwathnarayan, who was in Mandya on Thursday reacted to the incident and said, “We can’t dictate such things to anyone.”
“What one has to buy and from whom, can we dictate it? We can’t say whom to speak or sit with. We are Indians first, who have been maintaining good relationships with everyone. Congress and JD(S) are competing to woo Muslim votes.”
Noted spiritual thinker Dr Shelvapillai Iyengar reacting on the issue said that idols kept inside the temples had to be chiseled according to shilpa shastra.
“There are two kinds of idols, one is kept inside the temple which is used to perform poojas, another is just to encourage art, such idols are kept in showcases, tables etc. Idols which are kept outside can be made by anybody, where only skill is important, but idols which are kept inside the temples have to be sculpted following several rules, which are written in shilpa shastra. Vishwakarmas have been sculpting idols for over 5,000 years.”
Mandya DC seeks report on ‘Salaam Aarti’
Mandya Deputy Commissioner Aswathi S has sought a report from Pandavapura Assistant Commissioner over a demand seeking removal of ‘salaam aarti’ performed everyday at 7 pm at Cheluvanarayanaswamy temple in Mandya’s Melukote.
The District Religious Council had also written a letter to the DC demanding removal of ‘salaam aarti.’
The temple priest had also written to the officials to rename ‘salaam aarti’ as ‘Sandhya aarti.’ The Assistant Commissioner is yet to respond on the issue.
This article first appeared on news9live.com