News Tamil Nadu

Self-Anointed Dravidianist ‘Spiritual Discourser’ Suki Sivam Says Palani Murugan Temple Has No Flagstaff, Here’s What He Didn’t Say

February 12, 2024
The Commune

Suki Sivam is a popular Tamil orator, writer, and a self-anointed scholar who had become a household name with the TV show “Indha Naal Iniya Naal” on Sun TV. He is known for inserting Dravidianist agenda in his spiritual discourses. He is now facing criticism from netizens for allegedly spreading false information during a speech.

This comes in the wake of the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court issuing an order on 30 January 2024, stating that individuals who are not Hindus should be restricted from entering the Palani Murugan Temple. The court further specified that those without Hindu beliefs should not go beyond the ‘kodimaram’ (flagstaff) of the temple, and visible placards conveying these restrictions should be placed at various locations within the temple premises.

At the discourse hosted by the Narayana Guru Trust at the Periyar venue in Madras University titled “Religion and Society,” he delivered a speech, “In the Palani temple, keep the board that says Hindus (said instead of non-hindus) are not allowed to cross the sacred Kodi Maram (flagstaff) so that it is clearly visible, i.e. write it clearly so that even the blind can see it without wearing glasses, they have given a ruling that no one can come beyond the sacred flagstaff, now I am going to say something interesting. There is no flagpole in Palani hill temple”

“Only the temples built according to the rules of Agama have a flagpole, the temples built by the Siddhas in violation of the rules of Agama do not have the flagpole. Then the Palani temple was built by the Siddhas, so there was no flagpole. For a temple without a flagpole, one files a case, one writes a reply, and a judge writes a verdict. So none of them care about god, only the fight matters.” he said.

“Now came the single judge judgment, but before this there was already a two-judge judgment in the bench. One, we don’t have time to scrutinize the religion of all the people. If there is a temple consecration (kumbabhishekam) ceremony is it possible to question, Who are you? What caste? What religion? It is impossible and hence the plea of the petitioners cannot be accepted.” he further said.

“Number two, they claim that people of other religions should not come in. But they are playing the song sung by Yesudas for Ayyappan (Audience Clapping). If you ask me, Ayyappan likes Yesudas the most. Did Ayyappan care about What religion he is? No right? So we put on Yesudas song, can we question Yesudas devotion?” he added

“Thirdly they said a word and it was a beautiful word. They said that if you come inside to see a diety, it means that he believes in that faith. Do not research this, it will not be good.” he further added.

Later Suki Sivam wryly remarked that the purpose of someone entering the temple is for worship, not to plant a bomb. He criticizes the emphasis on discouraging the worship of family clan gods, suggesting that it may not be a practical solution as long as there is a continuation of cultism and caste-based divisions. He also attributes the creation of castes to figures like Shankaracharya, referencing Vivekananda’s words to highlight the historical roots of the caste system.

The DMK IT wing initiated a video clipping, focusing on the Palani Murugan Temple and the discussion surrounding the sacred flagpole. They disseminated the content on social media, asserting that there was no sacred flagpole in the Palani Murugan Temple. In a swift response, netizens countered and refuted these claims by presenting previous news video of Thanthi TV showcasing ceremonies conducted for the Palani Murugan Temple’s sacred flagpole during the Thaipoosam festival.

Apart from the temple situated on the hillock, there is also a Murugan temple at the Adivaram (foothills of the Palani Murugan Temple hill). In ancient times palani was referred as Thiru Aavinankudi and this temple existed even before Palani Dhandayuthaswamy temple. This is also the third Padai-Vîdu (third of the six abodes of Murugan) celebrated in song, classics, legend and traditions. Usually before going to the main hill temple, devotees visit Tiru Avinankudi. The sacred water body ‘Saravana Poigai’ is located near this temple.

The Kodimaram in this temple is made of single stone. Lord Muruga (as child sitting on the peacock) is the main deity.

This is not the first instance of Suki Sivam entering into controversy. Whenever there is a discourse on Hindu dharma, he consistently aligns himself with a perspective that resonates with the Dravidian ideology, conveying sentiments that seem favorable to the DMK family. It is noteworthy that his career gained prominence through hosting programs on Sun TV, a network associated with the DMK family. There are allegations suggesting that he received the Kalaimamani Award in 2009 under the leadership of CM Karunanidhi.

In the discussion about conducting the Kudamuzhaku ceremony exclusively in Tamil ordered by the DMK government at the temple, Suki Sivam promptly aligned himself with the party, expressing full support for the initiative.

Previously as an opportunist to create controversy and capitalize on it, he unfounded a theory that Muruga and Subrahmanya are distinct, perpetuating a recycled narrative of Aryan and Dravidian divisions. He relies on Arivumathi’s flawed research book, a work associated with Dravidian Stockism, as evidence for his claims.

On another occasion, during the consecration of the Palani Murugan temple, several instances of Agama violations were reported. HR&CE Minister P Sekarbabu was observed standing shirtless outside the sanctum sanctorum. In an effort to defend the DMK, Suki Sivam asserted that Palani Dhandayudhapani does not require Agama-prescribed worship as it is a deity installed by Siddhars, and Lord Muruga himself is considered a Siddhar at Palani. Sivam claimed, “The name of Muruga at Palani is Sidhar Nathan. He does not have a Vel (spear) or peacock (Lord Muruga’s vehicle). He is Dhandayuthapani having a dhanda (a lathi). A loincloth-wearing saint. He is a Siddhar.” Contrary to Sivam’s assertions, Hindu Tamil texts, particularly Shaiva agamas, prescribe 17 forms for Muruga, including his Palani Aandi form. Tirumoolar, a Siddhar himself, has also revered Agamas.

In January 2022, CM Stalin appointed him as an advisor to the Tamil Nadu HR&CE department, and immediately in March 2022, he spoke at a DMK function praising the MK Stalin government, emphasizing that no historian, journalist, or political commentator had anticipated the level of governance provided. Taking subtle jabs at the AIADMK, Sivam remarked during the Chief Minister’s swearing-in, “On one side there is corona, and on the other side gaaliyaana gajana (empty treasury),” employing a metaphorical expression to criticize the financial state, thereby indirectly targeting the AIADMK. He concluded with a theatrical reference, stating that Stalin pulled off a “thillana.”

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