Who is CS Rangarajan, the head priest of Chilkur Balaji temple?

Rangarajan actively works to create a just society and bring social change. His belief in equality and humanity is reflected in his exemplary actions and fearless attitude

Hyderabad: CS Rangarajan, the head priest of the famous Chilkur Balaji temple, who was attacked over religious issues a few days ago, is known for his proactive and progressive stance.

Videos showing him being attacked went viral. Many across the country have condemned the incident.

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Rangarajan actively works to create a just society and bring social change. His belief in equality and humanity is reflected in his exemplary actions and fearless attitude.

For example, a few years ago he carried a Dalit youth, Aditya Parasri, on his shoulders into the sanctum sanctorum of the Sri Ranganatha temple amid chants by several other priests.

“This is the re-enactment of a 2,700-year-old incident. It is being done to re-establish the greatness of Sanatana Dharma and to propagate equality among all sections of society. This act is enacted as a means to stop the oppression of Dalits and promote universal brotherhood among different sections,” he had told Telangana Today.

The gesture won him accolades from none other than the Buddhist preacher the Dalai Lama.

In another, he gifted a bull to a Muslim farmer in Hyderabad who lost the animal due to an electric shock and was in financial distress.

The head priest regularly attends the annual blood donation camps held in mosques and also takes part in other religious programmes to promote equality and secularism, while encouraging others to participate in such events.

Rangarajan belongs to the family of hereditary ‘archaka’ and trustees of the Chilkur Balaji temple. He completed his engineering graduation in 1988 from Osmania University. He was educated in Agama Sastras and passed the Archaka Pravesha Exam in 1995. After a stint in IT companies, and started serving the temple at the age of 35.

Rangarajan has also voiced his concern over growing atrocities against women and children. The temple, under him, has formed ‘Jatayu Sena’ where men from all castes, religions and regions can join to protect girls and women.

Apart from social service, he has also taken up issues plaguing the priest community across the country and strives for the revival of ancient temples, especially in villages.

Recently, he met with Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and urged him to solve the pending problems of the priest in the State. Rangarajan, who argues for religious freedom and preserving traditional systems, as his X bio reads, has opposed government control over temples. Chilkur Balaji temple is one of the few temples in India which treats all devotees equally and has no privileges for VIPs.

He also strongly condemned the Tirupati laddu row last year and urged the temple management to protect the authenticity of the hill shrine.