In the discussion yesterday, there was a question " will Andal be allowed to tocuh lord today"?
I did not want to reply immediately but wanted to write an article separately.
Most of you would have visited North Indian temples and ( even from Srisailam onwards) would have had an oppertunity to do pujas with your own hand. ( The Pandit dose only the Morning evening Kala Poojai.)
Ever wondered, why only in Tamilnadu there is a Gurukkal is allowed inside and all are not allowed inside.Why a Mahlingam or Ramanathar is not allowed to be touched where as Kasi Vishwanath, or Ujjain Mahakaleshwar be allowed to touched by every body.
Do you know even a big Madadipathis who have the title of Paramacharys like Dharmapuram , Thiruvavaduthurai mutts were not allowed to touch the lord? The only exception is the rights given to Kanchi, sringeri Sankaracharyas & nepal king to touch Ramanathaswamy and not other temples. ( Thiruvanaikaval is the other exception where the Akilandeswari srichakra had to be periodically changed. That right alone given to Kanchi mutt)
If intrested, will write more about the Sivacharyas and why only in Tamilnadu ( or Old Chola nadu) has the practise of not allowing every one to touch God.
I read somewhere, that if a Sivalingam has a Mercury lining at the bottom pooja can be done by anyone or it does not need pooja at all. There is only one Sivalingam like that in south it seems, in Esha Yoga's headquaters - Velliyangiri. In north all the Sivalingam will have that mercury lining it seems? Can someone confirm it?
It is also history. pallavas started it. But i am withdrawing it. but more than caste, their contribution to temples and how they protected it, and contrary to the popular belief to their superiority, how the other people consider them etc will not be recorded.
Only thing i will tell and close it is actually they are looked down for taking up that profession.
I will closese that with that. But they have along history and part and parcel of that history.