Why does so much conversion happen in culture rich Tamil Nadu?
DO CONVERSION MATTER?:
Do you think, conversion really matter, in India, in 21st century, like earlier centuries?
1.My view is “No". Conversion does not matter in today's context
2.It is a personal choice. If anyone is dissatisfied with their mother religion- they should be encouraged to move to the religion of their choice.
3.In TN context, over 87% follow the majority religion of their home land which is culturally rich with spiritual vibrations emanating from temple towers throughout their village/ town/ City. If anyone thinks that conversion brings prosperity to him or his family, materially or spiritually, the society should not be against it.
DEEP ROOTED MEMORIES:
You may wonder, why so much hue and cry among people against conversion.
This is due to deep rooted memory prints/ fear in our body carried from our forefathers, ancestors. The conversion for petty economic gains of few made our land, TN or South India, to be slave for Western tiny Nations for few centuries.
Now we are free Nation. Nowhere the threat is existant now, after 1947.
Then “Yamirukka Bayamen"
HISTORIC:
Root Cause: Fear of Suffering Caused due to Conversion in Earlier Centuries:
All Europeans(Portuguese, Dutch, French, British) followed the same strategy of luring locals with petty economic benefits, converting them to Christianity, use the information to loot temple treasures and train the locals to fight with their own royals.
Dutch are expert in looting temples and black mail with the idols for a ransom.
They did it with Tiruchendur in 1648 and Guruvayur in 1710 and fear of the Travancore King to protect Thiruvanandapuram Temple treasure, in 1750, lead to the deportation of Devasahayam Pillai aka Neelakantan Pillai.
British and French: The period of 1640, after Vijayanagara Empire ended at Roya Vellore- carnatic become chaos with so many players- Nizams, Nawabs, French, British, Portuguese, Dutch tried to grab power (instead of trading) over weakened Naickers and their polygars.
British and French fortified several temples in Northern Tamil Nadu. You might have heard about the legend of Aththi Varadhar rising. Alas, many treasures were looted and found in Palace of British Queen and all over Europe.
Arnav, whatever TN has to loose, it's treasures, wealth and dignity has been lost with the trick of Westerners with the tool of converting few for petty economic gains and use them as spies for looting treasures and fight against their royals.
An African proverb nicely puts European(Britain, France, German, Portuguese, Italy, Spain) invasion as:
“When the Whites came to our Country, We had the Land and They had the Bible, now We have the Bible and they have the Land."
After 1947- now where is the fear?
End
Only interested can read below Annexures refered in the reply.
POLITICAL SITUATION AT SOUTHERN PENINSULA IN 18TH CENTURY
Annexure 1: Rare Customs followed in Southern Temples:
Several temples in South have signs saying that non-Hindus are denied entry, few of them enforce it as strictly as the Guruvayur temple.
Only Orthodox Hindus are allowed’, reads a signboard hanging from the Lion's Gate of the Sri Jagannath Temple in Puri.
Males should enter the body bare at the top, (not carrying any weapons?)in Tiruchendur temple.
All have its tradition and reason from the history. Many Southern Temples were looted, destructed or demanded money by Persian and European invaders- Turkeys, British, Dutch, Portuguese etc. The tool used is to depute either spies (sufi fakirs) or to convert locals to christianity giving petty economic benefits and use them to get the information and to loot the temples.
Annexure 2: Dutch Invasion of Tiruchendur Temple
In 17th century, Dutch and Portugese were based at Kayalpattinam, Tuticorin for the trading spices to Europe. Fortification of temples and looting of temples were a common thing with European traders and invaders when the king is engaged in war elsewhere. The temples recovered from them, once the king is back. Tiruchendur Senthil Andavar temple invasion by Dutch in 17th century is another example. Dutch fortified the temple, looted, set fire and had taken away the idol to Sri Lanka (Ceylon) and demanded money. When Thirumalai Naicker returned from the war victorious, he recovered the idol by warning and further plan with Kandy Naickers in ceylon, made Dutch to return the idol.
Annexure 3: Popularity of Guruvayur- Dutch again
Guruvayur came to light due to three invasions and destructions met during 18th century.
Many may not be aware that Dutch Ceylon occupied Tiruchendur temple, looted treasures, set fire and run away with the idol to ceylon in 1650. The current Tiruchendur temple is reconstructed in 17th century in Tirumalai Naicker regime.
Once tasted looting, Dutch Malabar did the same thing in 1710 to Guruvayur Temple. It looted treasures, destructed Gopurams, Shrines and set fire.
This is followed by Hyder Ali 3 decades later.
And again his Son, Tipu avoided destructing it by collecting huge sums of money from Temple administration.
Guruvayur is popular and cornered public attention due to these invasions.
Many temples in Cauvery Delta region were fortified by British and French in 1750s. Aththi Varadhar Raising signified one out of several such destructions.
Earlier Madurai, Sri Rangam etc were ransacked by Kilji and worship commenced after 48 years by Hindu Vijayanagara Empire. It took 200 years to reconstruct the temples what we have today.
These temples served as local economic power houses- built, reconstructed by noble Emperors / Kings by their liberal endowments, review by local devotees every twelve years, with lot of metals and minerals to connect it to the cosmos and empower whoever come in contact in its vicinity with spiritual vibrations.
Alas, many treasures were looted and found in Palace of British Queen and all over Europe.
Travancore fear of deporting Devasahayam Pillai is justifiable as we still have wealthiest temple of the world- Thiruvanandapuram Ananda Padmaswamy Temple, untouched.
