“The elements that make Tirupati the rich and powerful temple that it is are explained simply and clearly, including the fact that the Tirupati laddus are made from a secret recipe.”
NO MAJOR SPOILERS
Bhakti Mathur’s Amma Take Me To Tirupati continues the trend she set in Amma Take Me To The Golden Temple.
Amma and her two sons Veer and Shiv go to South India’s fabled Tirupati Temple this time and Amma tells the boys the story of how Vishnu took human form to live on the Tirumala hills as Venkatesh.
The story is one that will be new to many people, with the added twists of double incarnations, Vishnu as both boar and man and Lakshmi as both goddess and woman and the goddess cannot recognise her own avatar in the woman Padmavati, making the omniscience of deities somewhat suspect.
Amma introduces her boys to the ceremonies by which Vishnu is awakened before dawn and explains why people shave their heads when they come to Tirupati. The elements that make Tirupati the rich and powerful temple that it is are explained simply and clearly, including the fact that the Tirupati laddus are made from a secret recipe.
For children who need to an easy introduction to the centres of faith around the country, the books are a valuable resource and may tempt them to go with their parents on exploratory journeys of their own.
Reviewed by:
Anjana Basu
Added 22nd December 2017
