''Election Perumal'' of Sri Vaikunta perumal temple, Uttiramerur, TN - politicians turn to God for victory?

Uttiramerur vaikunta Perumal temple, TN. en.wikipedia.org

World over ''Politics of Election'' during the election time is a forbidden world of infighting, rat race and intrigues inside the party's arena and outside of it, it is a battle of wits, manipulation  and accusations  among the contesting parties. Their aim: to win and hold on to the corridors of power. 

Decades ago in India the honest and upright netas (politicians/ arasialvathis), when contesting the Assembly  or Parliament elections, as much as possible, they used to visit their constituencies,  meet the people and elaborate them what improvements they would make for the people and the constituency if got elected. In many places they would hold public meetings  and impress on the people with their oratorical skills to expose the weakness of their opponents.  In the 1960s parties like the DMK had leaders who were bestowed with public-speaking skill- gift of the gab. Parties like INC lacked it. 

 Common people hate long-drawn monotonous and numbing political  orations full of fury with no substance.  But, to day the political campaigns are different, they depend on the  media - news papers and TVs, and election consultants who formulate various strategies, using  modern technologies for them and in return they get a hefty sum running into  40 or 50 million dollars.   Politicians in the foray  have to surge forward against the barrage of  en masse diffusion  of divisive propaganda and false news, besides smearing Champaign of their bona fides  by deliberate use of skill and artifice from the other side.

The  village of Uthiramerur about 85 km from Chennai is more than 1000 years old and was  once known as Chaturvedi mangalam It is said to have been   developed on the basis of  the agama texts, 

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credit - Deccan Chronicle 

credit - Deccan Chronicle 

Can you believe that the First Democratic Election was held here more than   1000 years ago in the assembly hall of the temple? After the 13th century CE the democratic system of voting, for unknown reasons, became unpopular and fell out of the way. But as far as this village is concerned  during the state election time, Vaikunta perumal temple gets much importance  due to push of political probaganda  and pull of  “temple of democracy”. Netas - political leaders aspiring to win the election  in large number flock to this place of worship to  get elected to serve the people. Regardless of of their campaign skill and sass, they seek refuge in the almighty for his divine blessings to come out of the tough contest victorious. 

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vaikuntha perumal, Uttiramerur, inscriptions pragyata.com

Among the temples here dedicated to Vishnu and Shiva, Vaikunta Perumal Koil is popular not only among the devotees, but also among the Netas - local politicians. In the state assembly elections, whichever party wins here will form the government at Chennai - state legislature in Ft.St. George founded by the English company.  For two reasons this temple is referred to as ''Election Perumal.'' (God of Election).

01. It was here during the reign of powerful Chola ruler  Parantaka Chola  (907–955 CE) democratic system of election was  held using the assembly hall of the Perumal temple as the venue. The mantab is a big one covering 2500 square feet - good enough to conduct election and carry out other processes like voting, meeting, etc.,  according to the innumerable stone inscriptions in the temple written in Grantham and Tamil Brahmi.  According to eminent archaeologist  Dr. Nagaswamy  “It [the inscription] gives astonishing details about the constitution of wards, the qualification of candidates standing for elections, the disqualification norms, the mode of election, the constitution of committees with elected members, the functions of [those] committees, the power to remove the wrong-doer, etc.

02. Candidates contesting in the  election here never fail to visit this temple to win the rat race. Residents of  of Uthiramerur, say during the  election time the temple will become a hive of activities as   candidates from all political parties make a trip to this temple and pray with reverence to get blessed by the divine power so that he can sit in the State Assembly as an MLA in Chennai with dignity and political clout.

When the Congress party in Tamil nadu was headed by  late K. Kamaraj (former CM) till   Till 1967, the Congress government in Tamil Nadu was in power and  Uthiramerur returned a Congress candidate. In that year, when one  KM Rajagopal of DMK won the seat in Uthiramerur late CN Anna Durai (former CM) came to power  for the first time. Quite amazing is the fact  in the state assembly elections which are nothing but sea saw battles of good stump speeches on the campaign trails and strategies this village never made  a winner of the assembly election sit on the opposition bench. The election result of this village will decide which party will form the ministry in the next five years.

About the temple stone inscriptions and the local elections held centuries ago, Dr. Nagaswamy is of the view, ''It is a veritable written Constitution of the village assembly that functioned 1,000 years ago,” Dr. Nagaswamy 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaikunda_Perumal_Temple,_Uthiramerur

https://kaminidandapani.typepad.com/my_weblog/2020/03/a-millennium-in-the-life-of-uthiramerur.html

https://travel.bhushavali.com/2013/08/uthiramerur-political-inscriptions.html

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2008/07/11/stories/2008071151250300.html