Utsava murti abhishekam earlier in the morning. Crowd at Balavinayaka.
Spoke for some time to a Gurukkal we know there about the growing impatience of the temple-going crowds with long rituals that are in fact more important than some of the others most often seen. For example, the Panchasana puja is supposed to be done along with kaalam pujai. Is it being done? It will take ½ hour, with the screen closed. Who wants this? Deeparadhanai and Alankara is what constitute “puja”--another instance of a movement in a devotee-centric directions that displace the full array of agamic/tantric ritual practices.
What changes will this thiruppani bring? During a prior kumbhabhishekam, they broke the wall separating the temple from the current mandapam area. Per agamas, temples should have a closed inner prakaram (as it is in Perumal koyil); the circulation of devotees in this prakaram is part of what gives the power to the deity. But here that’s gone for the sake of a free open environment and convenience.
He spoke also about Sanskrit and Tamil, so often pitted and in tension if you read the newspapers or listen to all those Periyar pethis out there: to see “mudra roopam” you need Sanskrit, but to rouse emotions there’s no language other than Tamil. He spoke for the place of each, placing emphasis on the former for visualising and on the latter for connecting. We thought it an interesting, integrative, and balanced perspective.