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The
Trading Community |
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Late 18th
Century marked the terrible persecution of the Konkanis at the
hands of the king of Cochin, Raja Rama Varma, popularly known as Saktan
Thampuran. Heavy fine was imposed on the merchants and many merchants
including Sri Devaresa Kini were massacred at the instance of the
Raja. Even though the Dutch waged a war against the king of Cochin, they
could not prevent him from looting the Tirumala temple.
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The persecuted
Konkanis fled southwards to Thuravoor and Alleppey in the state of Travancore
along with the idol of lord Venkatesvara and
presented their grievances to the king of Travancore.They were allowed
to settle at Alleppey and install their idol in a temple there near the
Alleppey canal with an assurance to bring about their return to Cochin
once better atmosphere prevailed. Alleppey prospered as a business centre
during the stay of Konkanis there and the prosperity was attributed to
the power of Lord Venkatesvara installed there.
The successor of Saktan Thanpuran, took keen interest to get back the idol of the Lord Venkatesvara to Cochin. He even requested Col. Munroe, the then British Resident, but the request was turned down at the instance of the king of Tranvancore as the presence of the Lord was considered to be intimately connected with the prosperity of the port of Alleppey. The desperate Konkanis planned to bring back the idol to Cochin by hook or crook and ultimately the idol was smuggled out and brought from Alleppey to Cochin. As it was found that the king of Cochin too was involved in this crime, fierce legal battle followed for decades between the Raja of Cochin and Travancore and in the end the Gauda Saraswat Brahmin community of Cochin won the case. The idol of the Lord was consecrated for the third time at the renovated temple in the year 1881. In the year 1876, Swami Bhuvanendra Thirtha, the 17th pontiff of Sree Kashi Mutt Samsthan laid down the rules and regulations for the administration of the temple. This document known as the "Chattapatram" or the compendium of rules and regulations is still the basic document which give guidance in the administration of the temple and community. The constitution divides the community into three classes for the administration of the temple. The three classes are Vaidiks or the priest & scholars, Adhikaris or the executive board of the management of the temple and the Mahajanam, the assembly of community members to enquire and give suggestion for the better management of the temple. Read on for more details. |
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