Buoyed by Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s temple hopping, initially in Gujarat and now in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) appears to be embarking on a temple run in Kerala.
Along with its campaign for protection of faith against the backdrop of the controversy related to women’s entry into the Sabarimala temple, the Congress is embarking on a mission to make the Kaipathy temple in the district, also known as Emur Bhagavathy Temple , a part of its contemporary history
The Congress party’s hand symbol, it is claimed, was chosen by the then party president Indira Gandhi in the late 1970s after hearing about a temple on the outskirts of Palakkad, where the idol is two hands, believed to be those of Goddess Parvarthy.
The hands symbolised Parvarthy’s seeking of help after jumping into the waters of a local river fearing attack from demons.
Lord Shiva rescued her from the river after seeing her hands.
Mullapally to lead rally
On October 31, newly appointed Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Mullapally Ramachandran and party leaders will reach the temple to take part in a rally that will culminate at the Fort Maidan here.
The aim is to make the temple part of the party history.
“It was the then Supreme Court judge P.S. Kailasam and his Tamil poet wife Soundara Kailasam who narrated the story of the Kaipathy temple or hand temple at Kallekulangara to Indira Gandhi in the post-Emergency days, when the party had been routed in the elections under the cow and calf symbol,” Palakkad District Congress Committee president V.K. Sreekandan said.
“One of the hands symbolised Parvathy’s fearlessness while the other represented her immense faith in the rescue capabilities of Shiva. Moved by the legend, Indira Gandhi consulted party strongman K. Karunakaran and one of the hands was selected as the party symbol,” he says.
In those days, Indira Gandhi was in search of a suitable symbol as the cow and calf symbol had been put on hold by the election commission on a request of a rival faction led by Devraj Urs.
Made permanent in 1980
After winning a set of by-elections under the hand symbol in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, Indira Gandhi made it the permanent party symbol since the general elections in 1980.
“On December 13, 1982 Indira Gandhi visited the temple for thanksgiving,” says Mr Sreekandan.
Meanwhile, the Congress’s attempt to appropriate the legacy of the temple has invited an angry response from the Bharatiya Janata Party.
“It is twisting facts to exploit religious sentiments. Indira Gandhi visited the temple long after the open palm became the Congress party symbol. In fact, she came to Palakkad to inaugurate an irrigation project linked to the Malampuzha dam. She expressed interest to visit Kallekulangara after Karunakaran told her about the temple where hands were worshipped from time immemorial,” says BJP leader Soman Kuruppath.