Mangaluru: Two years after the State Dharmika Parishat gave its recommendations to the state Muzrai Department, on various reforms all the 24 ‘A’ grade temples in the District are the first to carry out the main recommendations that the thrust areas of the reforms was making all temples devotee friendly especially the ‘A’ grade temples in the state that are flush with funds.
The Dakshina Kannada District which is dotted with ancient temples and shrines is on a reformative mode. 24 ‘A’ grade temples coming under the Muzrai Department have been given specific instructions from the Deputy Commissioner to be ‘devotee friendly’ and implement all the 31 recommendations made by B. G. Nandakumar Former Commissioner of the Muzrai Department given in 2011.
Officials in the Muzrai Department say that many temples have not carried out many of the guidelines issued by Nandakumar, “Some of the main issues we have noted that the maintenance of cleanliness, arrangements for devotees to safekeep and orderly deposit of their footwears, conversion of the cooking facilities from conventional fuel wood to gas generated steam cooking ranges and increase in devotee comfort level in having a good darshan,” the officials say.
Following devotees complaining to the Executive officers of the ‘A’ category temples coming under Muzarai Department a few more reforms have been sought with the active participation of the temple managements say the executive officers of the temples in Dakshina Kannada. “The committee report clearly indicated that all the 31 items on the list of recommendations given by the Dharmik Parishat should be carried out in certain time limit in total by the ‘A’grade temples, in the case of B and C grade temples have been given their own set of guidelines, in all the devotee comfort and facilitating ease of Darshan was common to all grades” Dharmik Parishat Committee members point out cleanliness and hygiene were the main elements in the temple administration reform recommendations. “This has been an area of neglect generally in all temples, basically due to the heavy flow of devotees. There are times when people are crammed up between heavy railings, inside sheds like cattle with no light or air for hours which they call it ‘orderly darshan’. To create rush outside the temple they close the temples main doors when the crowds are less, they have several reasons to offer why they do so. But in fact a lengthy queue outside the temples is a sign of popularity and based on the length of the queue more devotees come to the temple,” say the officials.
What the devotees want
*Devotees should be given a secure place to keep their footwear.
*Every devotee should be given reasonable time to view the deity and the archaks should not obstruct their view.
*Preparation of prasadam should be carefully done with hygienic practices, and using good quality ingredients.