Golden Temple, New Tourist Attraction @ Vellore

On Sunday I visited Vellore, my native place, where I was born. Heard a lot from my relatives living there about the Golden Temple in Vellore, wanting to go there, I made to Vellore after nearly five years that too after my Great Grand Mom’s death before five years. I stayed the night in my uncle’s place and wow what a cold during the early morning even in early march. Bit heavy cold in this session.

I started to temple by 9am from my uncle home and took a bus to the temple; the place is called as Sri Puram, earlier it was called by some other name (Freak cant recollect the name). The temple is around 6-7Km away from Vellore old bus stand or from Vellore Kotai. It takes about fifteen minutes to reach the place.

I can recollect my school days earlier (about 10 yrs back), when I once have visited this same place, but to the temple opposite to the golden temple. The older temple had the same goddess and the we used to have lunch after the yagna. These were things I was able to recollect. But still now i have no idea about what I I did in that temple during my childhood.

But now same person who used to conduct the yagana and used to tell some Kuri(Predicting the future), something like astrology practices, I the person behind this Golden temple. The person is called as Godman for the whole Golden temple.

Not much worrying about the money he raised for this temple, I wondered how he has designed an excellent business model for the temple. I entered the temple and found it was exactly an small model of Tirumula , Thirupathi. The had an small counter for free entry and another counter for 100 Rs tickets. Fortunately the boards mentioned that it will take another 4 Hours for Free Dharshan, and 2 Hours for 100 Rs counter. I dared to spend time for the free Dharshan. As I moved on I was put in a similar cell as u find in Thirumula, I was put into an cell equipped with chairs and with coffee stall in it. Then with in few minutes the cell was filled down and suddenly the guards opened the doors of the cell. It took was only few minutes to reach the temple doors where I was put for metal detector checking. People with mobile and other luggage are not allowed inside the temple.

The queue was made to move around the temple, where the saying form Gita and the personal saying of the Godman was put in both English and Tamil. Believe me the place was so gorgeous that I couldn’t believe that it was my Birth placed which is usually a dry town. It was an excellent architecture from the engineers and gold smith. The view has really pleased my heart.

But one thing for sure this place is not a place of worship for me but a good site visit and a must visit place for all. The temple was well designed to accompany large number devotees and I found an excellent business model from the temple. A big hotel was raised near the temple premises and charges were made for entry of vehicles, for Mobile and luggage surrender and for footwear’s.

Even people selling tender coconut, butter milk, cool drinks, ornaments and many more have priced more compared to the prices in the main town. Great few have got a new livelihood since this temple opening. But I had a gut feeling of some thing fishy on this temple, but I couldn’t explain this why?, cant digest a new creation in the name of God suddenly after this huge expenditure. Sure God has the answers, awaiting this from God.

People who like to visit this place; I appreciate if you visit this place as an tourist place but not as pilgrimage place. Don’t know why.