Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple
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Taboos and superstitions
When the man held responsible for opening long-bolted vaults at the Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple died recently, many whispered it was divine retribution. But places of worship across the country have strange superstitions Shobha John | TNN
The Times of India, July 24, 2011
India is a land of contradictions. While cutting-edge technology drives us forward, religious superstitions which befuddle the mind take us in the opposite direction. Even the sudden death of advocate T P Sundararajan, whose legal intervention led to stock-taking in Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple, was said to be “divine retribution”. Was it? Who can tell?
Superstitions abound all over India. Who are we to tempt the gods, ask believers. Take Renuka Temple in Kullu where goddess Renuka Devi is worshipped. Villagers are so fearful of inviting the wrath of her husband, Rishi Jamdagni, that they dare not look at her idol. Even the priest enters only after covering his face with a white cloth during Navratra and Fagli when the temple door is opened. Women throw their offerings from afar.
Shobha Ram, the priest, explains: “Everybody is aware of Jamdagni’s rage. He once got so angry with his wife that he ordered his son Parshuram to kill her.” Bir Singh Rana, a devotee, says he has never peeped into the temple. “Jamdagni’s curse can remain for more than 12 years. A woman lost her eyesight when she looked at the idol.” Believe it or not.
