UDUPI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay visited Kollur Mookambika temple on Friday and was welcomed with a bouquet by the temple administrative board trustees. The priests welcomed him into the temple with chanting of mantras.
CM Vijay offered a silver sword to Mookambika. Earlier, later Tamil Nadu CM M G Ramachandran, popularly known as MGR, had donated a gold sword. During the temple visit, Vijay viewed the gold sword donated by MGR.
Vijay prayed without making any special vow and left. He spent about 30 minutes in the temple. After darshan of the Goddess, Vijay met his fans. He walked 10 metres from the temple, waved to fans, and left. Vijay also got out of the car and drove himself away up to the Kollur tourist bungalow.
Kollur Sri Mookambika Temple Management Committee president Babu Hegde, said, “Tamil Nadu CM Vijay came to the temple and performed puja for 20 minutes. After puja, he accepted prasadam and dedicated a 1.6 kg silver sword to the temple”. Priest Ramachandra Adiga said, “We gave Vijay a Poorna Kumbha welcome when he arrived. We made him pray at the Sthambha Ganapati and arranged darshan inside”.
“At the deity’s sanctum, offerings were placed and a sankalpa was done, but no special vow was made. He donated a sword as an offering and requested it be used for daily worship decoration. He had darshan of Veerabhadra Swamy, completed pradakshina, and left. MGR had earlier donated a gold sword. He did not express any special wish in his mind. He only asked that the sword be kept before the deity daily and shown to devotees. We showed him the sword donated by MGR. We held it in hand and showed it to him. He accepted prasadam and left”, Hegde said.
Suresh Bhat said, “It is a tradition for any state’s CM or our state’s CM to come here and perform puja. Similarly, Tamil Nadu CM Vijay was brought with a Poorna Kumbha welcome and we made a sankalpa before the Goddess. Then we performed archana. After that, he gave a silver sword, which we dedicated to the Goddess and placed before her.”
Vijay arrived in Kollur by road from the Mangaluru airport. Police had earlier cleared the temple’s inner and outer premises. Final security checks were conducted ahead of Vijay’s arrival and the bomb squad inspected inside the temple including areas where devotees stand in queue.
Police sent devotees outside the temple and entry was barred until 5 pm. The Tamil Nadu police had been camping in Kollur and discussed with the temple management board on Thursday. Joseph Vijay has Z+ security and hence, instructions were given for security at strategic locations and forest routes. Udupi police too had made special security arrangements.
Earlier in the day, temple tantri Nityananda Adiga said, “We have received a notification from the temple about the visit. There are instructions to give a good welcome from the temple. The temple priests and staff have been given oral and written orders. It’s common for big actors and influential people from Tamil Nadu to visit Kollur. Senior music maestro Ilaiyaraaja, Shivamani, and many others visit here. From our state, Saalumarada Thimmakka and others have also visited”.
“Earlier, former Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalithaa had visited. Later, Stalin’s wife and family members came and had Kollur darshan. Likewise, Vijay’s family members used to visit Kollur earlier. This is Vijay’s first visit to Kollur after becoming CM. There are no special pujas in Kollur just because the CM has come. Like other devotees, CM Vijay will also have darshan of the Goddess. As per government protocol, he will enter the temple with Poorna Kumbha welcome. He will come inside, have darshan of the deity, see the temple, and leave”.
“Today being Friday, is not a very special day, but there will be an utsava for the Goddess before Pradosha time in the evening. This is not a preparation made for CM Vijay’s arrival; it’s a routine utsava… regular puja held every Friday. In Kollur, there is no tradition of special puja for anyone. In some temples, there is a practice of performing mangalarathi repeatedly when VIPs visit. But in Kollur Sri Mookambika temple, there are no such puja procedures”.
“If CM Vijay arrives during mangalarathi, he will have the opportunity to see it. Everyone who has faith in God visits Kollur Sri Mookambika shrine”, temple priest Nityananda Adiga said.
Vijay’s fans chanted slogans in the temple premises. “We came here to see Vijay and will stay until he arrives and see him. He is doing good work and may he do even more. May God do good for him. He is giving super hits now, better than in movies. The Mother’s power has dawned on him and he has come here”, they said.
