I admit to a split within my family over this community Pilliyar that was
installed unannounced on our residential campus, Mantri Synergy. My wife
and I were not on the same page on the idea of placing a Ganapathy idol
in a secularist community, notably, when objection was raised from
within the community.
It all started a couple of months back , with a group of residents buying a Ganapathy idol from Mammalapuram, for Rs.16,000. They were then looking for space in our complex to install the idol. When the issue came up for discussion in our in-house web portal serious objections were raised to the idea. And nothing further was heard, for well over a month, till last weekend when most Mantri residents were taken by surprise to find a Pilliyar idol in place on the lawns of Senior Citizens Area.
A secretive group of residents had worked overnight to get this done. Idol installation puja was held early Sunday morning in the presence of a select group of residents. The event managers may have scored a tactical win, by resorting to hush-hush and questionable means. What they, perhaps, didn't realize, or chose to ignore, is that their action gives cause for mutual mistrust, social disaffection ; it drives a wedge within the community at varied levels - between neighbours, colleagues in OMR Greens, and even within families (such as mine).
I wonder if the means they adopted pleases Lord Ganapathy. But I can say it hasn't pleased the Pilliyar 'bakhtas'. Many of them who supported the move and contributed money for the cause felt deeply let down by such unannounced idol installation ceremony, carried out in a partisan manner. The Ganesha event managers have managed to create cracks in the community at many levels.
It all started a couple of months back , with a group of residents buying a Ganapathy idol from Mammalapuram, for Rs.16,000. They were then looking for space in our complex to install the idol. When the issue came up for discussion in our in-house web portal serious objections were raised to the idea. And nothing further was heard, for well over a month, till last weekend when most Mantri residents were taken by surprise to find a Pilliyar idol in place on the lawns of Senior Citizens Area.
A secretive group of residents had worked overnight to get this done. Idol installation puja was held early Sunday morning in the presence of a select group of residents. The event managers may have scored a tactical win, by resorting to hush-hush and questionable means. What they, perhaps, didn't realize, or chose to ignore, is that their action gives cause for mutual mistrust, social disaffection ; it drives a wedge within the community at varied levels - between neighbours, colleagues in OMR Greens, and even within families (such as mine).
I wonder if the means they adopted pleases Lord Ganapathy. But I can say it hasn't pleased the Pilliyar 'bakhtas'. Many of them who supported the move and contributed money for the cause felt deeply let down by such unannounced idol installation ceremony, carried out in a partisan manner. The Ganesha event managers have managed to create cracks in the community at many levels.
Completely agree with the view mentioned in post. I believe in Gandhi-an philosophy of sarv-dharma-sambhav. How about putting photos/idols representing other three major religions at the same place?
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