Bitter Payasam

Hullo

Two years ago my mother , myself and little son joined one yatrai group for package trip to Shirdi , Ellora, Ranjangaon, Mantralaya , Ahobilam and Mahanandi . In our group , there were 25 people and we made good friends and everything enjoyable.

We came to Mantralaya the samadhi of Sri Raghavendra swami and had good darshan. But because of big crowd, we all scatter and seperated and we three were together with one Mama-Mami middle age couple.

We finished darshan and when comming out near exit one priest was sitting at a table giving Slips for the lunch at the Mutt. My mother got the slips for us and the Mama got for themself. When we all 5 went for lunch to hall, one attender said we were in different rooms because our family and the Mama's slips were different colour, they got yellow slip and we got pink slip so it was different rooms. It was very big hall and huge crowd but they made nice arrangements for seating everyone, must be difficult job but managed so nicely.

We had good, tasty, hot, filling lunch and with full belly, we got up saying the usual : " Chorittavar sezhikkattum" and after coming outside, we waited for other people of group and we all went shopping. When buying small things there, we were chatting about the temple, the darshan, the food saying Rice was like mallipoo and pumpkin sambhar was so fragrant.

Then the Mami said, oh that payasam was so excellent !

And i blinked and said " oh they forgot to serve us payasam !"

One person in group who has already visited Mantralayam many times, said " Payasam and Ghee is served only to Brahmins"

I was very surprised how will they know who is brahmin in the huge crowds sitting to eat ?
That person laughed and said " Mandu ! They give different colour slips to separate people no ? we cant sit with them for eating"

My mother said, when giving slips they only ask " Which Gotram" from that only they will know who is brahmin itseem. ( we are Siva Gotram, which means we are not from Rishi ancestors )

The Mami who said Payasam is good also did not know this and poor thing was feeling so bad that she told it.

The person who gave me the news was laughing at my surprise. He joked and said " maybe god made our stomaches too weak to digest rich payasam !" Then another person said " no , maybe the Mutt people dont want us to get diabetes " we all joked and changed topic.

When we were all going in line and putting money in the hundi, no one asked our gothram . The priest sitting in front of the Brindavanam selling us silver coins did not ask our gotram . When we made donation for Annadanam fund, they did not ask Gotram. When giving Akshadai ,( the blessing from The Guru) they did not ask gotram.

Annadaanam is the highest kind of danam our scriptures say. Because Annam ( food) is life-giver. Annadanam is the most important part of one of the 5 panchamahayagnas ( the Manushyayagna). And we feed even crows and ants that all life is same, all blood is same, all atmas is same. Annadaanam gives the biggest punyam they say.

Want punyam. Want apartheid too. Strange. But, who are we to comment .

Nobody seems equal even before God. Man made divisions exist even there.

Dear Lata,

A nice writeup.. very well said...

Let me post a detailed post later... am in a hurry now :)

Dear Swarnalatha

Annadaanam is the highest kind of danam our scriptures say. Because Annam ( food) is life-giver. Annadanam is the most important part of one of the 5 panchamahayagnas ( the Manushyayagna). And we feed even crows and ants that all life is same, all blood is same, all atmas is same. Annadaanam gives the biggest punyam they say.

I am totally with you. That was not fair. But like you said, who are we to comment..

Dear swarnaLata,

A nice writeup..........

kadavullukku mun ellorum samam..................

Swarnalatha,
I was shocked after reading this...
These man made laws always differentiate each and everything..which is clearly stated by you in the para...below...

(.When we were all going in line and putting money in the hundi, no one asked our gothram . The priest sitting in front of the Brindavanam selling us silver coins did not ask our gotram . When we made donation for Annadanam fund, they did not ask Gotram. When giving Akshadai ,( the blessing from The Guru) they did not ask gotram.)

The spirit of the people accompanying you is very much appreciated..

sriniketan

dear swarnalatha,

quite shocked at reading this.....why such differrences in a temple and all for a little paayasam?....amazing the way they handle it..the diff coloured slips...

Mindi

When we were all going in line and putting money in the hundi, no one asked our gothram . The priest sitting in front of the Brindavanam selling us silver coins did not ask our gotram . When we made donation for Annadanam fund, they did not ask Gotram. When giving Akshadai ,( the blessing from The Guru) they did not ask gotram.

Give a hundred Ramanujas, Villis and Ponnachis, our people will not reform. Even the great God Krishna when he talks about the four castes says,
"Chaatur varnyam maya srishtam guna karma vibhagachaha"
I created the four varnams yes, but that is based on qualities and deeds."

And elsewhere in Mahabaratha, there is another powerful statement.
"Janmanaaa jaayathe sudhraha karamanaad dvijo uchyathe"

Every one is born a Sudra and raises up higher only because of his deeds. Poor souls in Mantralayam! Haven't done their homework properly. Forgive them Swarnalatha for they know not what they are doing.

regards,

Dear Swarana..

Really it is bitter payasam.... Aanna Enna senjalum ivanga ellam thiruntha maatanga.. Evargal Ippadi thaan....

Nicely written.. Keep up dear..

Love
Brindha...

Dear Swarnalatha,

Very sorry to hear this. Though we now as we are in Karnataka from the day of my birth that these kind of apartheid exists in major temples.

Though personally I am against it and even Swami Raghavendra was against that, but who is going to bell the cat?