However much Tamil Hindus want to be secular in the real sense in the face of rising intolerance to Hindu culture and traditions, their patience is tested time again and an illusion of harmony is imposed upon them by the minorities and those who appease them.<\/p>\n
Our ancestors and royalties were benevolent to foreign religionists\/Abrahamics<\/strong>\u00a0even if they adopted ignoble methods to preach their principles and degraded Hindu Dharma, for which we are reaping the \u2018benefits\u2019 now. Serfoji\/Sarabhoji II Bhonsle of Thanjavur Maratha kingdom was one such ruler who supposedly built a CSI Church for a Danish preacher Rev. Schwartz near the great Brihadeshwara temple to express his gratitude towards the priest for being his mentor and negotiator in saving his kingdom from being usurped.<\/p>\n \u201cHe built the Swartz church near Shivaganga garden in memory of Rev. Swartz, the St. Peter\u2019s church in the land given at Manambuchavady and one diocese (bishopric) in Ammapettai. He also endowed them with grants of lands and cash payments.\u201d, says the\u00a0website<\/a>\u00a0maintained by the descendant of the Thanjavur Maratha royal family.<\/p>\n He was, like many other Dharmik kings, truly secular in nature for he contributed a lot for Dharmik activities as well. What he failed to foresee was that his benevolence would not be paid back in kind by refusing to let the deities of the great temple pass through the church to the temple pond for t\u012brttav\u0101ri (murtis of deities taking a dip in rivers and temple ponds).<\/p>\n After a week long celebration of Chithirai (Chaitra) festival with car processions, utsavams and special pujas, the deities were taken for t\u012brttav\u0101ri in Sivaganga pond that is believed to be constructed by Raja Raja Chola who built the Big Temple. Among administrative and financial specificities, he left elaborate\u00a0instructions<\/a>\u00a0about \u201cthe daily rituals to be performed for the Linga, the details of the offerings such as jewellery, flowers and textiles, the special worship to be performed, the particular days on which they should be performed, the monthly and annual festivals, and so on\u201d.<\/p>\n ATROCIOUS is an understatement!! Churches object to instrument music being played during #Tanjore<\/a> Brihadeehwara temple's car procession! Do they want to drive HINDUISM away from this land? pic.twitter.com\/RSHMUFMdAl<\/a><\/p>\n — Ethirajan Srinivasan (@Ethirajans) April 30, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n