Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Calls for Spiritual Oversight of Temples and Strict Action Against Food Adulteration
Geneva [Switzerland], September 22: Spiritual leader and founder of the Art of Living, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, has called for the creation of a committee of spiritual leaders to oversee temple matters. In a self-made video, he also urged for strict action against those involved in food adulteration.
Call for Action Against Food Adulteration
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar expressed his concern over food adulteration, particularly in religious offerings like laddoos. He emphasized the need for severe punishment for those involved, including asset seizure and imprisonment. He also questioned the quality of other food products like ghee available in the market.
Proposal for Spiritual Oversight
He proposed that temples should have management boards similar to those of other religious communities, such as the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee for Sikhs. He suggested that these boards should be composed of saints, swamis, and spiritual leaders, with minimal government involvement.
Controversy Over Tirupati Laddoo
On September 19, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu claimed that the ghee used in the preparation of Tirupati laddoo prasadam contained animal fat during the previous YSRCP government. This led to a political controversy, with former Andhra CM and YSRCP chief Jagan Mohan Reddy accusing the ruling TDP of politicizing religious matters.
Reddy stated that the tender process for ghee suppliers is stringent and that products are rejected if they do not meet quality standards. Andhra Minister Nara Lokesh assured that action would be taken and that the Chief Minister would announce a policy to prevent such issues in the future.
Doubts Revealed
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar -: Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is a famous spiritual leader from India. He started the Art of Living Foundation, which teaches people how to live a peaceful and happy life.
Spiritual Oversight -: Spiritual oversight means having spiritual leaders or gurus look after and manage the activities and practices in temples to ensure they are done properly.
Food Adulteration -: Food adulteration is when bad or harmful things are added to food to make it look better or last longer. This is dangerous and can make people sick.
Andhra Pradesh -: Andhra Pradesh is a state in the southern part of India. It is known for its rich culture and famous temples like the one in Tirupati.
CM N Chandrababu Naidu -: N Chandrababu Naidu is a politician who was the Chief Minister (CM) of Andhra Pradesh. The Chief Minister is like the head of the state government.
Tirupati laddoo prasadam -: Tirupati laddoo prasadam is a special sweet given to devotees at the Tirupati temple. It is considered very holy and is made with great care.
Political controversy -: A political controversy is when politicians argue or fight over an issue. In this case, they are arguing about the purity of the Tirupati laddoo prasadam.
Jagan Mohan Reddy -: Jagan Mohan Reddy is another politician in Andhra Pradesh. He was also a Chief Minister and is known for his strong opinions.
TDP -: TDP stands for Telugu Desam Party, a political party in Andhra Pradesh. It was founded by N T Rama Rao and is one of the major parties in the state.
Nara Lokesh -: Nara Lokesh is a politician and the son of N Chandrababu Naidu. He is also a member of the TDP and has held various positions in the government.