Anybody coming to Sri Parthasarathy swami temple after a couple of years would find a sea change in the environment and in the surroundings of the temple. To start with, a whole array of new flex banners of the deities adores the walls of the temple obstructing and covering the intricate murals on the walls. To a devotee like me, things like these are a huge turn off and take away a feeling of spirituality that you generally associate with any temple.
The second major change that one notices is the wooden steps connecting the temple. A temple is a place that provides you an ambience that is complete with peace and tranquility. But then, the constant movement on the wooden steps takes away the peacefulness completely.
The third major factor is the lighting. The entire temple is peppered with high intensity focus lights that makes the entire place bright. But they are everywhere and too much of them spoil the atmosphere and make the entire place look artificial. Usage of such high intensity lights not only irritates the devotee by blinding the eyes but also has a huge environmental impact and also consumes lot of power. Also the usage of similar lights while the deity is taken out on the streets has the same impact.
The fourth noticeable aspect is that there is a huge influx of cheap plastic covers that fills the entire temple. Though the temple makes every effort to make the place clean, it is still unable to stop the growth of plastic covers.
The last two factors have a major environmental and economic impact. When the whole world is concerned about global warming and spread of toxic plastics, we at such an ancient temple have forgotten our ancient best practices of using tree leaves and cloth bags to carry stuff to the temple. Also the usage of low intensity lights would not only save expenses on current charges but also contribute to a pleasant ambience that would help in providing a conducive atmosphere for every devotee.
I would only want the temple authorities concerned to take necessary steps in doing away with such unwanted and unnecessary stuff that makes the pilgrimage to the temple to look like a picnic.
