Campaign against middlemen at Kukke

Mangaluru: Along with Kukke Shree Subrahmanya Temple issuing a public circular a few days ago stating that pujas/ rituals conducted outside the temple may not reach god, the local youths have started several campaigns to educate visitors local youths have started several campaigns to educate visitors on the issue.

On Friday, Bhaktara Hitharaskhana Vedike held a bike rally and started off their campaign on educating the visitors on not getting caught in the snares of the middlemen. The bike rally passed through Kaikamba, Bilinele, Mardala, Kadaba, Panja, Balpa and Guttigaru.

The group distributed handbills to thousands of devotees informing about Sarpa Samskara, Ashlesha Bali and Nagaprathishta not to be performed outside temple premises, which otherwise will lose its relevance. The handbills educate devotees about fake middlemen and puja services offered outside temple premises. Boards were put up across the town displaying rates of pujas and other necessary information

All religious rituals are exclusively held inside temple premises, but some of the middlemen mislead the devotees to make quick buck. Many similar rituals are held at Samputa Narasimha Mutt, which is situated on the temple premises, alleged, Shivarama Rai, legal advisor of the vedike. Devotees spend huge sum to perform special rituals like Sarpa Samskara, Ashlesha Bali and Nagaprathishta, and it shouldn’t go to waste, he observed.

M H Ravindra, executive officer of the temple, was recently forced to issue a circular as the increasing number of middlemen was a risk to the devotees. 10,000 devotees visit the temple every day on an average and it increases during weekends and on auspicious occasions.