Temple scams one should know about. Please contribute.

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As India is progressing we are also going-back-in time, with religion becoming a machinery to earn. All are caught in a paradox. I never go to these big temples (or avoid). There is Sarkunda Devi temple (where the head fell) near my house in Mussoorie. It is so tranquil and peaceful. There are hardly people there. And you can easily walk to the main deity. Later on I went to Kamakhya Devi (where the womb fell); at Guwahati, oh my God....! It was totally a money making racket. I was actually shocked. One just had to flash some money, and darshan, puja, aarti, prasad all was done in a jiffy. Oh and the tikka, roli-dhaga...!
 
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asingh said:
As India is progressing we are also going-back-in time, with religion becoming a machinery to earn. All are caught in a paradox. I never go to these big temples (or avoid). There is Sarkunda Devi temple (where the head fell) near my house in Mussoorie. It is so tranquil and peaceful. There are hardly people there. And you can easily walk to the main deity. Later on I went to Kamakhya Devi (where the womb fell); at Guwahati, oh my God....! It was totally a money making racket. I was actually shocked. One just had to flash some money, and darshan, puja, aarti, prasad all was done in a jiffy. Oh and the tikka, roli-dhaga...!
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my thought too! temples like the Uthralikaavu temple near Thrissur, Mangeshi temple in Goa, and such, these would be spirit-uplifting to visit!

BTW, would like to read the experience(s) of members here who have visited the temple of Shree Raaghavendra Swami at Mantraalayam in AP. have read quite (good) about that place, and sincerely wish to visit & have a darshan there once!
 
^^ Have you seen Uthralikaavu temple's fireworks for their yearly festival ? One of the most famous fireworks in Kerala, locals travels dozens of kilometers to enjoy that. Don't miss fireworks of Thrissur pooram, Uthralikaavu pooram, etc. Make sure you see it before Govt. ban them, which may happen soon.
 
Have not seen any scam in Kerala - agree to what @Prole73 suggested. As for the govt - never looked at that aspect.

The only requirement which i feel is not exactly correct is the requirement to wear dhoti/sarees for ladies to enter the inner sanctum of most temples. Else, you can do mukh darshan from inside the temple but outside the inner sanctum.

Cant say the same about TN temples.

I dont want to talk about Tirupati. I feel that VIP darshan itself is a big scam. Paying money to see god quickly. :sad:
 
^^
A temple (from the Latin word templum) is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites.

Despite the specific set of meanings associated with the religion of ancient Rome, the word has now become quite widely used to describe a house of worship for any number of religions and is even used for time periods prior to the Romans.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple

Temple is a neutral word that simply refers to a religious place. Even Christians in India often refer to churches as temples.

I think you are confusing it with a "Hindu Temple"

A Temple (Sanskrit: Mandir) is a structure which houses the Gods in Hinduism. A characteristic of most temples is the presence of murtis (idols) of the Hindu deity to whom the temple is dedicated. They are usually dedicated to one primary deity, the presiding deity though there are temples dedicated to several deities.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandir
 
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Kilroyquasar said:
my thought too! temples like the Uthralikaavu temple near Thrissur, Mangeshi temple in Goa, and such, these would be spirit-uplifting to visit!

BTW, would like to read the experience(s) of members here who have visited the temple of Shree Raaghavendra Swami at Mantraalayam in AP. have read quite (good) about that place, and sincerely wish to visit & have a darshan there once!
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Also the ISKCON franchisee is a money - making MNC....!
 
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Prole73 said:
^^ Have you seen Uthralikaavu temple's fireworks for their yearly festival ? One of the most famous fireworks in Kerala, locals travels dozens of kilometers to enjoy that. Don't miss fireworks of Thrissur pooram, Uthralikaavu pooram, etc. Make sure you see it before Govt. ban them, which may happen soon.
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sorry, but sadly haven't yet visited the temple. hopefully will be able to do it sometime. why the proposed ban? due to pollution?
 
asingh said:
Also the ISKCON franchisee is a money - making MNC....!
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hehe. 'money-making', in somewhat the likeness of MNCs, but spending, in the likeness of MNMs (Multi-National Movements). its a movement with a missionary motive & zeal, and naturally, money is required to sustain it, as well as to make it grow/spread. to my knowledge, their money-making is supported by selling of books & such, plus voluntary donations, and not additionally by way of providing VIP/VVIP-darshan sort of 'elitist' facilities, or fleecing devotees like the 'pandaas' of big temples in the south and the north (Kaashi), though admittedly, i don't know much about it. i believe the money is used to meet the Society's expenses, to spread the movement in word & deed, to provide good, clean food & water at the temple-premises, creating & maintaining 'gaushaalaas', and for other facilities for the devotees, and hopefully not being used to secure objects of personal comforts. if you are 'trading' messages/media of good virtues to cover your expenses and support+grow your movement (every weekend i see a large van come to our area from an ISKCON temple located in another suburb to sell books and such; but understandably, too few takers), rather than scintillating people's senses & selling to them 'item songs' (by this i mean, simply items of/for achieving/providing just sensory pleasures), i find it alright & good. but, as i wrote (above), i don't know well about it, though have seen some people transform for the good after coming under the wing of the Society. :)
 
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^ you are right, last year i visited ISKCON temple in Vrindavan and there is no queue during AARTI and also no one is forcing for taking flowers or Puja Thali and Samagiri. But there are shops inside the temple in which books and other things are available for purchase. Also the owner of the shop is Follower (like one who wears Orange clothes and follows Diety Shri Krishan God), not from the local locality and there is no any type of sales person who is forcing to purchase books or whatever we like on discounted prices, prices are same as written on books.

Most of the north indian temples have queues but i never saw VIP Pass or Queue. And for the South Indian temples i don't know because i never visited them.
 
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lbh going to an iskcon temple is exactly the same as going to a mall. can't imagine people queuing up an getting scalped for stuff like that regardless of the nice clean floors and lighting.
 
Kilroyquasar said:
sorry, but sadly haven't yet visited the temple. hopefully will be able to do it sometime. why the proposed ban? due to pollution?
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Pollution, not much. Fireworks and explosive used there are extremely powerful, careless ways in this industry caused serious accidents. Firework industry isn't standardised at all. Again, such explosives reaching wrong hands can be biggest issue.
 
Prole73 said:
Pollution, not much. Fireworks and explosive used there are extremely powerful, careless ways in this industry caused serious accidents. Firework industry isn't standardised at all. Again, such explosives reaching wrong hands can be biggest issue.
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i see! yes, the level to which the fireworks-industries are 'well-managed' is a common knowledge. the ammunition & explosives from even the ordnance depots here find their way into the black market. as it is, huge amounts of explosives and their crude ingredients go unaccountable each year (get smuggled out from factories in trucks, which promptly go missing), so the govt.'s concern is understandable.

anyway, will try to read more on the celebrations and fireworks there, and if available, watch a video or two on those. thanks for the info!
 
sharktale1212 said:
Nope they ask you if you want to take pics. If not they ask to take out your phone and put a sticker on the camera. They aren't worried about the front facing cam.
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Then I think I can sneak-in my Ericsson C902 :joyful:

btw, Isnt this phone-camera restriction prevalent in most tourist spots too, like museum for example??
 
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