It is testing time for the God's Own Country. A state famous for its breathtaking scenic beauty and literacy is embroiled in controversies, chaos, confusion and calamities. The degeneration of the political and social life in the state has crept into religion with temples, priests, monks and ashrams becoming centres of scandals, misappropriation of funds and nepotism. Of late, Kerala is in the news for wrong reasons.  

News about politicians and social figures figuring in scandals and controversies of the wrong kind are nothing new in the state. But religious shrines always occupied a place of respect and adoration though Kerala is the first state in the world to democratically elect the Communists to head the federal government. Politicians irrespective of their party affiliations make beelines to Hindu, Christian and Islamic scholars soliciting their support in elections.  

Kerala's Sabarimala, the hill-shrine in honour of Lord Ayyappa, is the second most popular Hindu temple in south India, first being the Lord Balaji shrine at Tirupati. The temple in the forests of Western Ghats is an epitome of religious harmony since pilgrims irrespective of caste, creed, position and social status make it a point to visit it during the annual Mandalapooja (November 15 to December 26). In terms of income, Sabarimala stands second only to Tirupati, which is the wealthiest Hindu temple in the world.       

Guruvayoor, a small town in Thrisur district, has become an international pilgrimage centre thanks to the Lord Krishna temple here.

In terms of income, both Guruvayoor and Sabarimala top the list of temples in the state. This amount of money has given rise to a series of allegations iced by sexy, squalid, sleazy stories. There is no dearth of corruption charges involving the Thiruvithamcore Devaswom and Guruvayoor Devaswom which administer the day-to-day functioning of these temples. Devotees across the state were shocked when Kandaruru Mohanaru, the Thanthri (chief priest) of Sabarimala Temple was caught red-handed in an Ernakulam flat in the company of call girls. Though the Thanthri claimed that he was kidnapped at gun-point and was forcibly photographed in compromising positions, it has not carried weight with the people of Kerala.  

The Sangh Parivar and other Hindu organisations are of the view that the incident involving the Thanthri is yet another proof that an international conspiracy is on to usurp this Hindu temple. "Of late, what we see is a flurry of activities in Sabarimala, Guruvayoor and Tirupati by the Christian missionaries," said P Parameswaran, director, Bharatiya Vichara Kendra, a think tank of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). "This is not an isolated incident and there appears to be more than what meets the eyes," added Parameswaran.

Before the Thanthri incident, Sabarimala was in the news following the disclosure by a Kannada film actress Jayamala that she had entered the sanctum sanctorum of the temple, which is a blatant violation of the norms and traditions in the shrine. Women in the 5-55 age group are not allowed in Sabarimala. This has given rise to a big controversy with many activists taking cudgels in the name of gender discrimination.  

Parappanangadi Unnikrishna Panikker, a high profile astrologer whose list of clients reads like the who-is-who of world politics, was the next character to hog the limelight. It was Panikker who held the Ashtamangala Devaprasnam in Sabarimala during June.    The Devaprasnam findings inferred by Panicker said that the presiding deity was not found to be happy by the manner in which the auspicious rituals were conducted at the temple. The astrological findings of Panicker included violations of ritualistic traditions and malpractices in the conduct of various poojas and divine displeasure towards the fleecing of devotees in the temple premises. Summing up the findings of the devaprasnam, Panicker and his team of astrologers suggested the setting up of an advisory committee to streamline the ritualistic matters of Sabarimala.  

All these findings were targeted against the Thanthri who holds his position as hereditary right.

Other than the Thanthri and Jayamala controversies, Sabarimala was always in the news because of the fight between politicians for the control of the cash-rich temple. Though the temple income is meant for providing infrastructure facilities for the devotees, the arrangements at the hill-shrine find wanting all the time. More than 52 people were killed in a major stampede in 1999. The authorities are yet to come out with a fool-proof mechanism to prevent the recurrence of such disasters. The Thiruvithamcore Devaswom Board is a cesspool of corruption. Last week a leading TV channel came out with a report on the rampant corruption in the Devaswom Board. A woman candidate appearing for an interview for the post of lower division clerk in the Board told the channel that middlemen approached her with a job offer if she paid up Rs 5,00,000 .  

Since the Board members are appointed by the government of the day and that too on political affiliations, it is quite natural for them to take care of their masters in return. This is the main reason behind the misappropriation and diversion of the Devaswom funds. If an impartial inquiry is held on the goings on in the Devaswom affairs, many a politician may end up as guest of the government. The goings-on in the Devaswom department have created a deep wedge between various Hindu communities in the state. The much-publicized Nair-Eezhava tie up came a cropper because of allegations and counter allegations thrown at each other by the community leaders in the name of murky dealings in the Devaswom Boards.

"All these talks about deep-rooted conspiracy against the Hindus is bunkum," said Hari Kartha, former chief editor of the RSS   controlled Janmabhumi daily. "The corrupt elements in the Devsawan Board are having a free run because of the incapability of the community leaders. They do not have unity among themselves. If the Thanthri is caught red handed ,how can you term it as a conspiracy," asked Kartha.

Parameswaran points out that the Sabarimala  temple was once burnt down by anti-social elements in 1950. "The government    is yet to make the probe report public. The temple was again targeted by the Christian Missionaries in the name of land grab and it was the united   fight put up by various Hindu organizations which forced the evangelists to make a hasty retreat," said Parameswaran.

It is known all over the state that a powerful business lobby is active in Sabarimala. With the number of pilgrims multiplying manifold year by year, traders and businessmen consider the shrine as yet another El Dorado. All these mud-slinging should be seen as part of the shadow boxing held by   the commercial lobby. It is interesting to note that Panikker who opined that traditional rituals and customs have been given a go by much to the chagrin of the presiding deity has given the green signal to install an ultra modern rope-way system at the shrine.

The controversies connected with the temples have in no way affected the belief in the minds of the devotees. "The Hindus believe in God, not in the priest," says Parameswaran. Kartha was blunt in pointing out that the government is morally bound to use the temple income   for the welfare of the Hindu society. "If it is  done, a lot of apprehension in the minds of the Hindus could be removed," Kartha added.              

The question being asked is whether Sabarimala should have railway and airport which will connect it with the outside world faster. But the traditionalists shoot back by asking which is more   important, "the sanctity or the commercial potential of the shrine"?