Mangaluru: Karnataka Tulu Sahitya Academy president A.C. Bhandary has requested the Tirupati and Sabarimala Temple administrations to make announcements in Tulu language. “I request you to consider our request for the public announcements in Tulu language in the temple premises for the benefit of lakhs of Tulu speaking devotees who visit the temple as part of rituals in Tulu culture," Mr Bhandary stated in the letter written to both the temples in a letter dated August 7. Every year thousands of Tuluvas visit Sabarimala and Tirupati Temple. People of the coastal region have been visiting these two temples since centuries and in recent years, the numbers have seen a steep increase. It is a tradition among the Tuluvas to offer 'Mudipu,' to Lord Venkateshwara every year at their houses. They go to Tirupati to offer the money in the 'Hundi,' offered as 'Mudipu.' Scholars also say that the famous Vijayanagara King Tuluva Krishnadevaraya who had greatly contributed to Tirupati temple, had his roots in Tulunadu.
Famous seers of the region like Sri Vadirajaru and Vyasarajaru too had close bonds with Tirupati temple.
Similarly thousands of Tuluvas visit Sabarimala every year. There are many who visit the temple to perform 'vrita.'
"Many of the Tulu speaking people from the rural areas of Karnataka are not able to understand languages like Kannada, Telugu, English or Hindi due to which we have heard and read in newspapers that devotees who visit Tirumala and Sabarimala from Tulu region have gone missing and this has become a cause of worry to their family members," he stated.
"We have made efforts by writing a letter to these two temples. If needed, we will also personally meet the temple administration," Mr Bhandary told Deccan Chronicle. He also stated that Tulu is an important language of the Dravidian family and is primarily spoken by the people of the coastal region of Karnataka and also in the northern part of Kerala.
