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| SMVDSB 'Arti Darshan charges' - Require review | | | Jamwal Mahadeep Singh | 4/2/2019 9:12:09 PM |
| The spiritual land of India is dotted with Hindu temples, from the ubiquitous street side ones to some of the biggest and beautiful ones on the soil. The Vaishno Devi shrine, Katra of Jammu and Kashmir is considered powerful place of worship, thronged by thousands of devotees from in and outside the country. Believed that visit to this shrine absolve all worries or fulfill wishes.
The affairs of this Shrine are managed and controlled by a Board constituted by virtue of a piece of legislation known as 'Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board'. When we speak of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, one has no option except to say the Board as commingling of best intelligentsia, vision and best human beings. But is it necessary that all decisions that trickle from such bodies are flawless and acceptable to one and all especially when they are related to the subject of trust of devotees.
A similar decision regarding 'Trust of Devotees' has hurt the sentiments of a particular section of the devotees that feel themselves in doll drums how to get the blessings from Divinity, when they do not have big amount to pay as indemnity to the Shrine Board and feel themselves divested from their right of performing Puja and attending Aarti in so managed 'Atka Arti' and 'Shradha Suman Vishesh Poojan' owing to their financial conditions.
Although just a number of 100 such persons are allowed free attendance in Atka Arti but this facility is denied free of charges in so called 'Shradha Suman Vishesh Poojan' and the charges are so high that a mediocre family can never dream of attending Arti performed before the 'idols of Trinity' inside the cave. This facility was open to one and all, without any consideration of rich or poor but everyone was 'just devotee' in the Darbar prior to 2006. But it was in 2006, the charges for attending Pujas were introduced by the Board constituted under Jammu and Kashmir Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Act 1988 that created a line of poor devotees and rich devotees with much attention and take care of the later class.
The most bothersome story that I encountered on First April 2019, was regarding the 'Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board' Katra. A strange aspect of the story is the 'Puja' a Sanskrit word, means reverence, honor, homage, adoration, and worship, performed by the devotees, has been categorized commonly as one 'Atka Aarti', an Aarti performed in the premises of the entrance of the old cave and other one is designed as 'Shradha Suman Vishesh Poojan', that is performed inside the cave and in front of the 'Tripindi' of Mata. The scriptures have taught us to abide by Dharma (Righteousness) in a ritualistic and 'Bhav' (Spiritual emotion) enriched manner by teaching us to worship God. The scriptures have guided how to perform 'Puja' but its classification as 'Atka Arti' and 'Shradha Suman Vishesh Poojan', we find nowhere in Hindu texts. A similar word i.e.
'Atka' is used in Varindaban (UP) for 'Puja', where too the Pujaris charge hefty amount as 'Atka' with no fixed rates. My quarry on this type of exercise in Varindaban during my 'Braj Choarasi Kos Yatra' was explained by the Pujaris that 'Atka' is an 'obstacle' (Rukavat) between the devotee and God, while performing 'Puja' for salvation and this obstacle is removed only by paying money to the Pujari performing ritual on the name of the Lord. I brush away illogical explanation in Toto. Can we term such un-warranted devised methods of Puja as attempts to collect money from devotees as a sort of indemnity as to be part of the ritual? Similarly we do not come across any type of 'Puja' as 'Shradha Suman Vishesh Poojan' architected by 'Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board', Katra. Research, if any by the board on this type of 'Pujas' or the reference from our Vedic scriptures by those employed in the Shrine Board to perform such Puja can help devotees to enlighten themselves on 'Puja' classification and this required to be made public? Being staunch follower of the 'Sanatan Dharma', it is my urge to know more on these types of Pujas, advanced at the site of Mata Vaishno Devi shrine and reference of Hindu scriptures that justify the collection of money as rates fixed for their performance by the devotees. My conversation with some 'Pujaris' on the subject has yielded no results and common voice was in favor of the 'Puja' that is universally prevalent in Hinduism. The practice of charging money as special Darshan or special entry although prevalent in some temples but not necessary that this bad practice is to be followed everywhere. In J&K Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine is the first one to introduce this practice.
Come what may, the order by the CEO issued in reference to Board meeting has enhanced the donation for Atka Arti to two thousand rupees and only such donors are legible to sit in the Atka Arti, with free hold rights to fixed number of 100 common devotees (Source Dainik Jagran dated 1st April). How among thousands that throng the shrine and aspirants to have blessings during Atka Arti are scored out to 100 numbers needs brain storming. On one hand the donations to any system are never fixed by orders but volunteer in nature. Moreover amount of Rs 2000 fixed to attend the Atka Arti is imposed charges styled as donation.
Similarly some other individual Poojans have been categorized as Category-A with enhanced rate of Rs 2100 from 1100 and Category-B with enhanced rate of Rs.11, 000 from Rs. 5100. Similarly the rates for 'Shradha Suman Vishesh Poojan' have been increased many fold with certain privileges included in defined categories such as: accommodation at Katra and Bhawan, three meals, 'Lifafa Parshad', Helicopter ticket/Battery Car ticket. These charges also referred as donation in the order, whereas these are the packages offered by the Shrine Board. The rates for category 'A' i.e. Arti Darshan for one persons along with one child enhanced from Rs. 16000 to Rs. 26,000, category 'B' two persons with two children enhanced from Rs. 31,000 to Rs. 48,000, category 'C' three persons with two children enhanced to Rs. 71,000 and category 'D' for five persons with two children from Rs 75,000 to Rs. 1, 21,000.
How the worship rights of devotees have been put into the shackles of the money power by prescribing an amount of Rs. 35,000 per person for 'Shradha Suman Vishesh Poojan', self devised form of Poojan, on all occasions of Hindu festivals and auspicious religious days such as: Lohri, Republic day, Basant Panchami, Guru Ravi Dass Birthday, Holi, Ganesh/Vinayak Chaturthi, Bhaiya Dooj, 31st December, Navratras, Baisakhi, Buddha Purnima, Independence Day, Raksha Bandan, Janamashtmi, Diwali, Guru Nanak Dev's birthday, Ist. January, Saturday's and Sunday's betwixt 15th March to 15th July. Is this charge of Rs. 2000 for prayers at the premises of entry to Cave and 35,000 for praying before the idols of the Trinity inside the cave are indemnity that is to be levied to the Shrine Board at the Darbar for praying for happiness and seeking blessings from Mata Vaishno Devi, the Hindu Goddess. We worshipper in Hinduism believe, the divine is visible in the image, and the divinity sees the worshipper and take it as interaction between human and deity, and call it is 'Darshan' (seeing). Many of devotees who are not in a position to pay Rs. 35,000 for prayers during Arti inside the cave will be deprived of this interaction between Diety and worshipper.
In the orders so issued, the most disturbing part is the charges of Rs. 2000 per person just for being part of the so called 'Atka Arti' and charges of Rs. 35,000 per person for Arti Darshan during the so established 'Shradha Suman Vishesh Poojan' during the auspicious days of Hindu culture are worst part of the story. This decision on the part of the Shrine Board has demarcated a line of prioritization even in the offerings of prayers and Pujas for those having heavy wallets and in the given situation common devotee from economic baseline feels himself cheated even in the right for prayers and Darshan.
I conclude with the feelings that the decision of Rs. 2000 and Rs. 35,000, forcibly imposed in the field of religious affairs with regard to attendance at the devised schemes of things of 'Atka Arti' and 'Shradha Suman Vishesh Poojan' required to be revisited for justified amendments.
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