Andhra Government: No Jesus in Tirupati
Okay, so the Deccan Herald reports that the Andhra government is introducing legislation to ban Christian evangelical activity atop Tirupati’s seven hills. Late last month, I blogged about a group of Hindu leaders protesting such activity, so perhaps their efforts worked.
Tirupati is home to Lord Venkateshwara - an incarnation of Vishnu - and is widely believed to be the wealthiest temple in India. To get to the temple, you can lumber up a daunting flight of stairs, stopping several times at the "cool drinks" rest areas, or you can take a car. The car must negotiate several risky hair-pin turns, but the view from the window is green and serene - in marked contrast to the bustling din of the city below.
The gold-domed temple is usually beseiged by long, sinuous lines of devotees awaiting a second’s glimpse of the deity.
I haven’t seen any evangelical Christians in my few visits to Tirupati, but I have heard recent travellers to India recount their experiences with Tirupati staff members sporting crosses and distributing Christian literature. Unfortunately, this story will take on a life of its own, and before you know it, it would have morphed into a Vatican-funded international scheme to subvert Hinduism.
The Congress-controlled Andhra government claims the "rumours" are a conspiracy to undermine its rule.
