There is a group going around asking people to not donate to Batu Caves Murugan when visiting the temple. I think this advice is misguided & needs deeper introspection.
Lets be realistic, without money the temple (or any other temple) cannot be run & maintained. Nobody is asking you to donate 1000's or millions. Every devotee donating RM 1 or 2 to the Undiyal is will help the upkeep and more. Batu Caves Murugan temple is a nationally recognized Hindu landmark. We should be proud of it & maintain it. What we should ask for is proper public accountability from the temple committee the way it is traditionally done which is public counting of Hundiyal money & publicly released accounts of how the money was used. Hindus need to know that God's money is used wisely. The divine rays from Muruga's temple & Sakti Vel will illumine the minds of all humans to become better humans. This is worth protecting!
I would suggest that in order to help the poor students, please donate the money you would otherwise use for cigarettes or liquor, big expensive banquets that only lead to diabetes, avoid seeing the same movies 2 or more times in the theatre & buying expensive hand-phones when all you need can be obtained from a cheaper phone. In general, replace the bad habit with a good one. Don't replace one good habit with another good habit. Nandri Vanakkam!
SO MY REVISED CAPTION WOULD BE:
LETS FEED THE STOMACHS & THE SOULS OF THE POOR KIDS & DESERVING STUDENTS. LORD MURUGAN WILL BE HAPPY TO SEE THEM PRAYING SINCERELY AT HIS ALTAR, BECOMING BETTER HUMAN BEINGS AND BEING FED ANNADHAANAM AT HIS TEMPLE! AUM SARAVANABHAVA! VETRIVEL MURUGANUKKU!
