Bengaluru, July 14: Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar's statement that dignitaries from Karnataka visiting the world-famous Lord Venkatesha temple at Tirupati-Tirumala should be extended the honour of receiving `Nitya Harati' or the first Arathi to the deity every day has sparked a debate.
As of today, the officer from Karnataka stationed at Tirumala will receive the Nitya Harati on behalf of Karnataka, a traditional honour dedicated to Maharajas of the erstwhile Mysuru Kingdom.
Shivakumar, who is an ardent devotee of Tirupati, said that legislators, judges, officials and other dignitaries from Karnataka should be made eligible to participate in the Nitya Harati, as the traditional honour was given to the State.
However, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam Trust has rejected the proposal, saying that the traditional honour was extended only to the Maharajas and that it was continuing in their names. The Trust also made it clear that the protocol of the temple cannot be broken to accommodate politicians and others.
Requesting the TTD to reconsider their decision, Shivakumar said that he did not ask the TTD to violate any protocol.
"All I am asking is that more people can participate in the honour, which has been traditionally extended to Karnataka. Instead of one officer receiving it every day, any dignitary who is visiting the temple on that particular day can be part of the Nitya Harati," he said.
TTD Board held a meeting on Tuesday and again rejected the proposal and requested the Karnataka Chief Minister to withdraw his statement.
TTD Board member G Bhanu Prakash Reddy said that the Nitya Harati for Karnataka was a `historical privilege and not a political right'.
"It is a privilege granted to Mysuru Maharaja and his representatives, rooted in an age-old tradition and the special bond between the Mysuru Royal Family and the temple.
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"This privilege cannot be claimed by the current politicians and should not be politicised. Accepting such requests will open a floodgate of similar requests from neighbouring Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Tirumala is a spiritual centre governed by ancient traditions and should not be turned into a political arena," Reddy added.
