Topic started by Surya (@ adsl-64-166-143-81.dsl.snfc21.pacbell.net) on Fri Jul 16 21:25:35 EDT 2004.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.
Dakshayini Amman = A form of Durga.
Murugan = Son of Shiva, Younger brother to Ganesha.
The sleepy suburb of Pallavaram, especially around Periamalai area, woke up to tension and tumult as a temple idol was found smashed to smithereens by unidentified miscreants. A trident and a previously mutilated peacock statue in the temple were also found broken.
On morning of July3 the authorities of the local Balamurugan temple found the Dakshayini Amman idol destroyed (presumably with a sledgehammer), with the pieces strewn all around the place. The Amman's sari was torn and found spread over a nearby thorny bush.
The temple's main trustee, Raghupathy, who has been looking after the temple affairs for the last several years, immediately alerted the police and filed a formal complaint. The police, who arrived at the scene, have taken the broken pieces for further investigation.
Though officials were tight-lipped on who could have committed this shameful act, the locals were more vocal.
Many residents of the area were openly pointing fingers at a Christian group that was 'notoriously active' in the area. The names of a local Panchayat leader and a Pastor were openly bandied about by the residents.
The Periamalai area was already sitting on a communal powder keg due to the confrontational and provocative attitude of a Pentecost group that specifically targeted the local Balamurugan temple.
The group, which used to be very active on full-moon nights (yesterday was one), has a history of creating trouble for those coming to worship at the temple.
The residents had made several complaints that the cult group had chosen the place to carry out their brazen expansion activities 12 churches have come up in the last few years within the small circumference of Pallavaram.
The religious group also used to gather up at Periamalai (a small hillock) regularly and shout out taunting remarks at Hindus and openly deride Hindu Gods.
Locals say the Christians brought in women, who were purportedly Hindus, and then asked them to throw their mettis and thalis into a fire.
After the locals took up the issue with the police, a check-post on the entry road to the hillock was put up a few years back to prevent any meeting in the night. But some time later, the check-post was damaged by some miscreants and the night show of evangelism continued.
However, the locals applied pressure with the authorities and got another check-post in the area. Long-time residents of the locality also got a Court order some time back restraining the Christians from 'encroaching' into the land belonging to the Murugan temple.
After last night's act of vandalism by some bigoted minds, security has been put up at the temple. The tension in the area is palpable and looks like the residents of the sleepy suburb are set for some sleepless nights
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