The highly polarised narratives being spun by vested interests around the shrines, be it of Kashi Viswanath temple- Gyan Vyapi mosque of Benaras or Krishna Janmabhumi temple and Shahi Idgah Mosque of Mathura have imperiled communal harmony and put at stake the constitutional vision of India celebrating religious pluralism. The whole country is caught in the whirlpool of divisiveness on account of such disturbing developments. In the midst of such toxic atmosphere marked by deepening of existing fault lines caused by religious identities, there is a refreshingly constructive message of peace and harmony being transmitted from the actions of Odisha Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik, who allotted money to not only renovate many Hindu temples but also several Mosques and Churches of the State. On 18th May 2022 he visited the holy shrine of Tara Tarini Goddess, one of the most venerated deities, and associated himself with the consecration of the renovated and modern temple structure of the Goddess. The abode of Tara Tarini has been acclaimed as one of the Shakti Pithas and the Goddess is hailed as the presiding deity of Ganjam district of Odisha. While participating in the Pratistha Mahotasav of the modern temple structure of mother Tara Tarini he prayed for harmony,peace,development and well being of all people.
Swami Vivekananda's Vision
Located in the Kumari hills of Odisha's Ganjam district on the banks of river Rushikalya, the temple structure of Tara Tarini has undergone quality transformation blending both modern features and the time honoured practices followed in the shrine of the Goddess. The modern architecture of the renovated temple with the provision for establishing a meditation center and library within the sacred premises of the holy shrine, is evocative of Swami Vivekananda's vision based on which all Ramakrishna Missions have been constructed, each with a hall for meditation and a library located near it to pursue studies. It is instructive that the manner in which the refurbished temple structure of the Goddess Tara Tarini provides space for a meditation centre and library underline the profound significance of the Shakti Peetha where visiting pilgrims would now get a quiet space for deeper communion with the deity.
It is heartening to note that now modern amenities form part of the transformed temple and these can be accessed by the devotees visiting the shrine. It was reported in the media that the Chief Minister dedicated, among others, a Prasad Sevan Hall, Interpretation Centre and Food Kiosk. The distinguishing features of the revamped temple structure is that it showcases the much acclaimed sculpture and architecture of Odisha. It presents a refreshing and soothing look, so characteristic of the sacred ambience of places with deep religious and spiritual significance.
Mahatma Gandhi's Vision of Modern Temple
If we contextualise the modern and transformed temple structure of the Tara Tarini temple with the ideas of Mahatma Gandhi articulated by him in his illuminating article "Model Temple” written in the Harijan on 29th April 1933, we find that the architecture of the revamped temple have some aspects which Gandhi had flagged in his article. Gandhi wrote, "It(temple) must be … extensive... It need not be in the heart of a village or a city. It should be easily accessible to the Harijans and the other poor and yet it must not be in insanitary surroundings. If possible, it should be higher than its surroundings. In any case, I would aim at making the plinth of the actual temple as high as possible. And on this site I should select my plot for daily worship. Round this will come into being a school, a dispensary, a library, secular and religious. The school may serve also as a meeting or debating hall. I should have a dharmsala or guest house connected with the temple. Each one of these will be a separate institution and yet subordinate to the temple and may be built simultaneously or one after another as circumstances and funds may permit. The buildings may or may not be substantial. If labour is voluntary, as it well may be, with mud and straw a beginning may be made at once. But the temple is not yet built. The foundation was laid when the site was procured, the plot for the temple was selected and the first prayer was offered. For the Bhagavata says, "Wherever people meet and utter His name from their hearts, there God dwells, there is His temple."
A close look at the words of Gandhi concerning his idea of model temple clearly reveal that the Tara Tarini shrine and its modern structure have several features which are in tune with his vision. It is a temple located far away from human habitation and its altitude is very high. Its surroundings are clean and people regardless of their castes have access to it. Now its new architecture has provision for a library, meditation centre and other modern facilities some of which remained integral to the conception of model temple envisioned by none other than Mahatma Gandhi, the father of our nation.
The key aspect of the temple is the priest who is the link between people and deity. Gandhi wrote that a priest of his model temple while being well versed with Shastras, scriptures, should be the friend and guide to the people visiting the shrine. He wrote,"Therefore the first desideratum is the priest. My ideal priest must be a man of God. He must be a true servant of the people. He should have the qualifications of a guide, friend and philosopher to those among whom he is officiating. He must be a whole-timer with the least possible needs and personal ties. He should be versed in the Shastras. His whole concern will be to look after the welfare of his people."
The consecration of modern temple structure of the Goddess Tara Tara Tarini brings to mind the legacy of the holy shrine dating back to several centuries and at the same time underlines the humble efforts of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s regime to take forward that legacy by transforming the temple structure itself. It captures to some extent the vision of Swami Vivekananda and Mahatma Gandhi. Glory to those who were involved in this arduous task and took the initiative and first step. First and foremost the people of Ganjam deserve gratitude from all concerned for voluntarily contributing money, material and even labour for the project modernisation of the shrine. Literally and figuratively it became a people’s movement and they came forward willingly to contribute resources for the cause of the Goddess Tara Tarini. Such people’s involvement for revamping the temple reminded Sardar Patel’s efforts to mobilise funds from the public, on the advice of Mahatma Gandhi, to rebuild and restore Somnath Temple in Gujarat. The then Collector of Ganjam, V. Karithikeyan Pandian and presently 5 T secretary deserves appreciation for his hard work and contributions for the temple modernaisation. Arun Panda, then Revenue Divisional Commissioner of the southern region remained in the forefront in taking it forward and playing a key role. The present Collector of Ganjam Vijay Amruta Kulange consolidated the earlier efforts and implemented the temple project which included construction of the beautiful Rushikulya River Front and Ring Road. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has thanked the architects and many others who worked hard for bringing the project to fruition. And of course his leadership became the chief motive force in executing the transformed structure of the temple and providing the much needed modern depth and dimension which gave it a rejuvenated shape, further deepening its spiritual heritage. The thoughts and spirit embodied in this gigantic and noble task lasting more than a decade should resonate across the country and defeat the divisive and polarising narratives threatening the idea of India.
#The author served as Officer on Special Duty and Press Secretary to President of India late Shri K R Narayanan and had a tenure in Prime Minister’s Office and Joint Secretary in Rajya Sabha Secretariat. Views expressed in the article are in his personal capacity.
