2,700-year-old ‘Munivahana Seva’ replicated in Tirupati to promote caste equity

A government teacher carried a Dalit colleague on his shoulders into the Lalitha Peetham temple at Srinivasa Mangapuram, near Tirupati, re-enacting a 2,700-year-old episode to make a point on caste equity.

Mahesh Degala, founder-president of the Hindu Upadhyaya Samithi, led the move. The colleague on his shoulders was Munaswamy Nagarajan, a Dalit teacher who is also the State president of the Samithi’s SC/ST Reservation Protection wing, and the act drew cheers from fellow teachers and the public.

2,700 years ago

The act was a re-enactment of an event believed to have taken place 2,700 years ago at the Srirangam temple, involving Tiruppan Alwar, a Dalit among the 12 Sri Vaishnavite saints, and a temple priest, Lokasaranga Muni.

According to the account, the Alwar stood before the temple in a trance, singing hymns in praise of Lord Ranganatha. The priest pushed him away for obstructing his path into the temple, causing him bleeding injuries.

When the deity of Lord Ranganatha inside the sanctum sanctorum was also found bleeding, the shocked priest rushed out, apologised to the Alwar and carried him on his shoulder into the temple.

Replicating this event, Mr. Mahesh carried a Dalit teacher, Munaswamy Nagarajan, who is also the state President of the Samithi’s SC/ST Reservation Protection wing, on his shoulders and entered the temple, amid cheers from fellow teachers and general public.

Referring to the purpose behind the re-enactment, Mr. Mahesh called it an attempt to correct what he termed the distorted perspective attributed to Sanatana Dharma by “pseudo-secular” forces.

“The Varna system (hierarchy by profession) mentioned in our ancient scriptures is different from the caste system in vogue today. We, the teachers, have a responsibility to present the correct picture to the society,” he said.

Later, the members sat together for a community lunch.