A throne of Mahabali installed on the premises of the Thrikkakara temple. File photoThiruvananthapuram: As Kerala is gearing up to celebrate Onam, a controversy is brewing over steps to install a statue of demon king Mahabali, the mythical ruler around whom the festival lore revolves, on the premises of a temple in Ernakulam.
The Travancore Devaswom Board's (TDB) move to set up a bronze statue of Mahabali, modeled on a painting drawn by a Travancore king, adjacent to the Thrikkakkara Vamanamoorthy Temple in Ernakulam, has been opposed by devotees and right wing outfits.
Devotees believe that it is improper to install the mythical ruler's statue near the lone shrine in the southern state dedicated to Lord Vamana, one of the 10 incarnations of Lord Vishnu. Legend has it that Vamana sent the demon king to the netherworld.
Defending the plan, Prayar Gopalakrishnan, president, TDB, which manages the shrine, said though Mahabali was an 'asura' ruler, he was a hardcore devotee of Lord Vishnu and there was nothing wrong in installing his statue on the temple premises.
The statue would be made after melting the bronze vessels in the collection of TDB, he said.
"First of all, we are building a bronze statue and not an idol. It is being built not within the temple compound but in an adjacent plot owned by the TDB. There is nothing improper in building the statue," Gopalakrishnan told PTI.
Noting that people have many misconceptions about the character of Mahabali, he said the demon king was known for his noble mind, devotion to Lord Vishnu and initiating welfare measures for his subjects.
He said Mahabali was generally portrayed in a distorted way, as a man with a twirled mustache and a pot belly. The statue was an attempt to give an ideal representation of him, based on the painting by the Travancore king, he said.
"The TDB plans to organize an in-depth presentation of the mythical story and the characters of Mahabali and Vamana at the temple during the Onam days. We hope it will clear doubts and misconceptions of devotees over the issue," he said.
The statue's foundation work has been completed and a total of over Rs 35 lakh is expected for the rest of the work, he said.
Hindu body opposes move
Hindu Aikya Vedi leader E.S. Biju said they were not against Mahabali but were extending solidarity to devotees opposed to installing the statue in the temple premises.
"Mahabali was a people-friendly ruler and devotee of Lord Vishnu, according to legend. So there is nothing wrong in installing his statue. But devotees have objection to setting it up in the ground of the temple, dedicated to Lord Vamana. We also support them," he told PTI.
Biju also alleged that the TDB was taking unilateral decisions in this regard and devotees had already approached the devaswom ombudsman against the TDB's move.
The issue gained attention in the wake of RSS mouthpiece 'Kesari' kicking up a controversy last year questioning the legend behind Onam, arguing that it marks the birth of Vamana and not the homecoming of demon king Mahabali.
Popular belief in the state is that Mahabali's homecoming in the Malayalam month of Chingam to see his subjects is celebrated as 'Thiru Onam' annually, which falls on September 4 this year.
As per mythology, Onam, the harvest festival, is connected with demon king Mahabali, under whose reign everyone lived in happiness and equality.
Envious with his popularity, the 'Devas' (Gods) sought the help of Lord Vishnu to get him banished into the netherworld.
But before going down, Mahabali secured a boon from Lord Vishnu to visit his subjects every year on 'Thiru Onam' day.
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