Mysuru
Mysuru-Kodagu Lok Sabha Member of Parliament Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar on Saturday launched a special initiative by Save Hindu Temples to respectfully collect and manage damaged religious idols and portraits of deities.
The initiative was launched as part of the Seva Sankalpa programme being organised to mark the birthday celebrations of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The initiative seeks to provide a respectful and systematic mechanism for collecting damaged, broken, old or otherwise unusable religious idols and portraits of deities that were earlier used for worship in homes and temples, and ensure their appropriate disposal.
As part of the initiative, specially designed collection cages have been installed to receive damaged or unwanted religious idols and portraits. The objective is to ensure that sacred religious articles are neither thrown away with ordinary waste nor abandoned at inappropriate places, but are handled with dignity and in an organised manner.
The first collection centre under the initiative has been established near 101 Ganapathi Temple at Agrahara Circle in Mysuru. The programme, organised by Save Hindu Temples, was attended by representatives of religious, social and various community organisations.
‘Addressing the gathering, Yaduveer said religious faith, temples and traditions are deeply intertwined with India’s cultural heritage and values. “For generations, our temples, traditions and religious practices have remained an integral part of our cultural identity. When an idol or religious portrait is damaged or can no longer be used for worship, it is important that we handle it with the same respect with which we worship it,” he said.
The MP said the initiative would provide a practical solution to families who are unsure about how to respectfully handle old or damaged idols and portraits of deities. “This is not merely a programme to collect old idols and portraits. It is an effort to create awareness among people about respectfully handling articles associated with religious faith. It is commendable that Save Hindu Temples has created a systematic mechanism for their collection and dignified handling. The citizens, temples and community organisations must extend their support to such initiatives. Preserving cultural values, maintaining cleanliness and respecting the sentiments of fellow citizens are also important aspects of social service
A responsible system
Save Hindu Temples founder Nikhilesh M.M. said the initiative was conceived to address a common yet largely overlooked problem faced by households and temples.
“Every year, old or damaged idols and portraits of deities are replaced in homes and places of worship. Many people do not know what to do with such sacred articles once they are no longer suitable for worship. At times, they may even end up being disposed of along with ordinary waste. We therefore felt the need for a respectful and systematic alternative,” he said.
He said the organisation aims to create awareness among people and encourage them to hand over damaged or unwanted religious articles at designated collection centres.
Collection network to spread across Mysuru
The organisers said the collection system would be introduced in different parts of Mysuru in a phased manner. They appealed to the public not to dispose of old, broken or damaged religious idols and portraits indiscriminately, but to make use of the collection system being established under the initiative.
KR Mandal president Gopal Raj Urs, general secretary Rudramurthy, and Save Hindu Temples office-bearers Raghavendra, Sunil, Veerabhadra, Balachandra, Praveen and Nagendra, besides representatives of various communities were present.
