A pure mind with unconditional love and affection towards mankind is what one has to have to get the blessings of the God and not prominence or exclusiveness in doing 'pooja', the Madras High Court has observed.
The court made the observations while disposing of a petition by S Natarajan, who sought a direction to the authorities to permit his family to conduct 'mandapa kattalai pooja' on behalf of a local mutt during coming 'Thai Poosam' festival at the famous Lord Subramaniya Swami temple in Chennimalai in Erode district as had been done for years.
The court said that doing poojas by spending huge money will serve no purpose if one has a polluted mind loaded with arrogance or ill-feelings or evil thoughts or hatredness.
It may, at the best, be for the satisfaction of such person alone and certainly, not to the satisfaction of The Almighty, Justice K Ravichandrabaabu said in a recent order.
"What is required to get His blessings is only a pure and clean mind with unconditional love and affection towards the mankind and to the rest of the world," he said.
The petitioner submitted that the mutt was established by his great grand father seven decades ago with the purpose to conduct the pooja at the temple and since then, his family members were carrying on the rituals every year.
However, after some persons questioned the right of the family to conduct the pooja, the officials of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment department, which administers the temple, were reluctant to receive the fee and permit the petitioner's family to conduct the Kattalai Pooja from 2011.
Since then, they had been moving the court and conducting the pooja based on its order.
The judge in his order said the crux of the dispute was as to who is prominent before Lord Sri Subramaniyaswami or who is not.
All parties herein must realise that enjoying the prominence or the exclusiveness by somebody in doing the pooja before The God was immaterial, he said.
"The God will never be partial in bestowing His blessings on the people either by noticing as to who is performing the pooja and who is not or who is standing in the first row or who is standing in the last row.
"The blessings of The God will be bestowed on each and everyone, who is pure, kind, polite, humble and leading the rectitude life, the Judge said.
Referring to the previous orders of the high court in the matter, he then directed the Executive Officer of the temple to allow the petitioner to perform the Kattalai Pooja along with other members of the mutt.
However, there shall be no 'Mudhal Mariyadhai' or 'Parivattam' (temple honours) either to the petitioner or to any other members of the mutt, he added.
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