ERODE: A special ‘Tirumanjanam’ (ritualistic bath in Vaishnavite tradition temples) was performed to the deity of Mahatma Gandhi installed at a shrine dedicated to him and his wife Kasturba Gandhi at Senthampalayam village near Goundapadi in Erode district to mark the Father of the Nation’s 150th birth anniversary on Wednesday.
While water for the occasion was specially brought in pots from the Bhavani river, the statue of Gandhi ‘consecrated’ in the shrine was bathed with milk, tender coconut water, curd, sandal paste, honey and scented water among others. There are also small shrines for other traditional Hindu deities at this temple.
The late Vaiyapuri Mudaliyar, a staunch Gandhian, had built this temple in memory of the Mahatma and it was formally consecrated on February 6, 1997. Since then, regular ‘poojas’ are being performed at the shrine. This year, Tamil Nadu Environment minister, Mr. Karupannan was a special invitee for the ‘Gandhi Jayanti Utsav’.
After Vaiyapuri Mudaliyar passed away a few years back, his son Thangarasu Mudaliyar is managing the temple. As he is finding the task difficult with little funds at his disposal, he urged Mr. Karupannan, present on the occasion to take up with the Chief Minister, Mr. Edappadi K Palaniswami the issue of the Government HR & CE department taking over the temple management.
