Fresh row over shifting Rameswaram Teerthams'

RAMESWARAM: A fresh controversy has erupted over sifting of six of the 22 'theerthams' (holy wells) in the ancient Sri Ramanathaswamy temple here, which antedates to the period of the 'Ramayana'. 

Even as work has commenced to dig six fresh wells to 'transfer the sanctified waters' from six of the 22 existing wells inside the temple premises to the northern side of the second 'prakara' (second circumambulatory passage around the temple) to avoid the hazards of overcrowding by thousands of devotees in the heart of the shrine when they come to bathe in waters from all the 'theerthams', a new set of objections are being raised against the shifting of the six wells. 

The six 'theerthams' being shifted-, including the four renowned 'theerthams' called 'Mahalakshmi', 'Saraswathi', 'Savathri' and 'Gayathi'-, by the temple authorities now is as per the suggestions by a panel of Judges of the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court who visited the temple in August last year. 
The Judges found the place too congested when several lakh devotees throng the temple, all at once, and had hence advised the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR & CE) department and the temple management committee, to take steps to decongest the core area in the shrine by shifting six 'theerthams' to a suitable place outside. 

Accordingly, workers have now commenced digging six new wells alongside the second 'prakara', after which 'Agamic' rituals will have to be performed by priests to symbolically transfer the waters of the six old wells to the six new wells. 

However, now the objection to this shifting has surprisingly come from the Hindu Makkal Katchi's (HMK) district unit. The HMK district secretary Shri Guru Sharma said, that shifting of the old wells itself was fundamentally against the 'Agamas', even if it is argued that it is being done only for the convenience of the pilgrims. 

Moreover, the place chosen to relocate these six wells already has eight other 'theerthams' in its vicinity that they would only cause more inconvenience to the devotees and pilgrims- a large number keep thronging from all parts of the country and abroad-, he pointed out. The temple committee should abandon this proposal and look to some other place to relocate the six old 'theerthams' from within the precincts of Sri Ramanathaswamy temple, the HMK functionary added.