Automated Prasads and erosion of Spirituality from our temples

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Prasad at Lord Murugan temple in the Palani hills was regarded as perhaps the oldest form of jam.  Its made of five fruits, sugar and sugar candy.  The crowds of devotees are so huge and demand for prasad so high that the temple has decided to set up an automated plant to create prasad.  The trial production from the machine has started.

Established at the cost of Rs 1.5 crore, the machine would not only help make the process of the prasadam easier but it would also increase production as the demand was increasing daily.

The authorities claim that the taste would not differ at all and it will require just 13 people to get the plant working.  The prasad will have enough longevity also.

“If the seal of the prasadam pack is opened, it will be suitable for consumption upto a week. If the seal is not opened it is fit for consumption upto a month,”  temple authorities said.

What do you think?  This over-indulgence of symbols and prasads in our temples has taken away from the original truth, hasnt it?  The very thing that Adi Shankara fought for is being wiped out.  He brought the intellectual wherewithal to bear upon the Vedic and Upanishadic teachings which was unparalleled and today, in the land that he graced, we see temples in the name of film stars… mad crowds for Tirupati and other temples without understanding why they are doing what they are doing!

The legacy that was started by Shankara and followed up with some great stalwarts amongst his students has all but completely withered from South Indian religious minds.  Not that North Indians or West Indians are any better!  Look at Bengal for example… in today’s environment, it is impossible to have a Tagore or Vivekananda – so sick and intellectual deprived that land is!