The blackmail has been blunted. This is no mindless endorsement of the demolition drive around Jagannath Temple in Puri. The pulling down of dilapidated structures overcrowding the precincts of the Lord of the Cosmos is a rare bold step, taken after centuries of ‘slumming’. The mutts need to be razed because the 12th century shrine needs more fortification and tidying, which is overdue. Some 5-6 centuries ago these mutts ( also the other mutts in general) were intended to impart Sanskrit lessons to young scholars, visiting scholars, offer boarding facilities to pilgrims and specialised services to the rituals of Jagannath Temple. Many of these had good libraries at some point in time. I have visited many but now the scholastic relevance of the mutts is completely absent and desiccated.
In early days, the mutts in Puri were built and supported by ‘Lines of Following” and so Ramanuja Acharya, a seer of Shaivanism, set up Emar Mutt and Ramananda founded the Bada Akhada Mutt with the purpose of preparing servitors with physical training to guard the temple and its sanctity. The seers or religious leaders, who established mutts did so with the help of the rulers and rich patrons. The land and the donations that these mutts received belong to the people. The mutts, which originally meant to be learning and spiritual centres, have become centres of conflicts – litigation on Mahant succession, ugly tussles over property ownership (they own huge tracts of land) and uncountable hoarding of gold, precious stones and riches. Mutts are of the seers, by the seers and for the learners. Where is the play of slabs of silver in this? Is this why the mutts should squat over swathes of land both near the temple and on farmlands in villages? The Puri Gazetter describes thus: “Mutts are monastic houses originally founded with the objective of giving religious instructions to chelas or disciples and generally for encouraging a religious life.”
Srimandir is perhaps the only temple on planet earth which propounds the tenet that ‘all humans are one’. The oneness is seen in practice, not only in rhetoric. The patrons including feudal lords, kings, traders had put up 752 mutts to accommodate pilgrims from all over the world and provide food and comfort without commercialising the services. This is also believed to be the inspiration behind the ‘Langar’ culture of the Gurudwara. Guru Nanak had established Bauli Mutt in Puri, which is almost in ruins now.
To put it straight, mutts are irrelevant today and could not meet the high purposes they were meant for. How many of you or the ones who are shouting for preservation of the mutts have ever been inside one in Puri? They are inhabitable. They provide inhuman quarters (dormitories) to pilgrims (who choose to stay there now) and even to the poor and hapless widows during Kartika Brata.
The mutts were revered once upon a time as the gateway or the stopovers to the ultimate unison with Lord Jagannath. But they have lost all relevance because they could not retain their coveted position of postulating ‘Advaita’ doctrine. How many below the age of 35 would even know what a mutt is? How would they know when we do not know anything about mutts nor the mutts have ever chosen to be in the mainstream? When it comes to street fights, we remember ‘preserving culture and legacy of Puri’.
How many civil society organisations have ever taken up the cause of mutts (if there was any cause) and have helped restore them?
When were you in a mutt, last?
Shreekshetra is one of the seven most holiest places for Hindus in the globe and one of the four Dhams (Char Dham) considered to be the highest place of Hindu faith. Cleaning of the Dham will set an example for the rest of the world to preserve such old temples of faith, which steer humanity.
The Garuda Purana says,
Ayodhyā Mathurā Māyā Kāsi Kāñchī Avantikā I Purī Dvārāvatī chaiva saptaitā moksadāyikāh II (the seven holy places of Hindu faith)
The religious mutts are always seen as rigid institutions that preserve old traditions and not as ones that are in sync with the changing times or norms. They have never been able to transform into institutions that can connect with society while changing with times. They could not evolve because of their limited capabilities and intellectual proclivities. A mutt today is nothing more than a building because they are bereft of the divine spirit. If it is a decrepit building, then why should it stand between me and my Lord?
I support the state’s incredible and unparallel decisiveness in cleaning the muck around our Lord’s abode. In many old cities with similar situations around the world, I have noticed that the administrations have not been bold enough to bulldoze encroaching structures. What Odisha has done today in Puri, the rest of the country would follow. In complete solidarity with the plucky and progressive move of the State.
The abode of the Lord of the Cosmos has to be the brightest, strongest and the nattiest. Because that is the least, we mortals (and Odias) can offer as our reverence and prayer. Keep our highest pedestal clean and safe.
On one hand, I can’t pillory the sanitation and infrastructure of Puri and on the other turn activist overnight for the mutts.
We cannot neglect our Lord for decadent mutts. No way.
Hats off Odisha!
(The writer is a columnist based in New Delhi)
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