Munivahana Utsavam in Bhadradri on Feb 11

Bhadrachalam: Under the auspices of Sri Nrusimha Vahini and Temples Protection Movement, the Munivahana Utsavam is planned in Bhadrachalam on February 11. This was announced at a press meet in Bhadrachalam on Tuesday by CS Rangarajan, chief priest of Chilkur Balaji temple, along with Krishna Chaitanya of Sri Nrusimha Vahini. Rangarajan is in Bhadrachalam to participate in the Bhaktha Ramadasu Jayanti Utsavams to begin from Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, the book "Bhadrachala Panchashat" containing 50 slokas in Sanskrit written by Srinidhi Swamy was offered at the lotus feet of the Lord Sri Sitaramachandra Swamy. It was nearly 2,700 years ago that Tiruppanalwar, born in a 'lower caste', was carried from the banks of the river Cauvery into the Srirangam Ranganatha Swamy temple by a priest, which was hailed then as 'Munivahana Utsavam'.

In the present circumstances, when discrimination in the name of caste and class is rampant, the same was carried out recently in Hyderabad, where CS Rangarajan carried a Dalit devotee Aditya Parasri into the Ranganatha Swamy temple in Jiyaguda amid fanfare.

"The idea is to show that Sanatana Dharma treated everyone as equal before the God and the so-called discrimination crept into the system in the recent times," Rangarajan told the media here on Tuesday.

Narrating his experience, Rangarajan said he had considered the Dalit devotee, Aditya Parasri, as the holy Tiruppanalwar himself when he carried him into the temple. "It is heartening that my small step had coincided with the millennial appearance celebrations of Sri Vaishnavite Savant Bhagawad Ramanuja, who had fought for a casteless and egalitarian society," he said. He added that the 'Kaisika Purana' also showed that a Brahmin surrendered before a Scheduled Tribe devotee and attained salvation.