Revealed: Did Swamy Ayyappan give this devotee his voice back?
- A video of a mute man reciting ‘Swamiye…’ had gone viral.
- Some believers of Lord Sabarimala Sree Ayyappan claimed it was a miracle.
- A newspaper report confirmed the news of the ‘miracle’ and was widely shared across social media platforms.
FollowSanthosh, a 38-year-old construction worker from Mambram in Malappuram, has never missed his annual pilgrimage to Sabarimala Sree Ayappa Temple in the past three decades. But this year's visit to the temple created quite a buzz on social media platforms when a video showed him reciting 'Swamiye....' loud and clear.
What prompted the debate was the fact that Santhosh is deaf and dumb by birth. A few netizens claimed that the devotee got back his ability to speak after visiting the forest shrine. The video was widely shared among Ayyappa devotees. A newspaper also carried report confirming the rumours and it was instantly termed a miracle! The report also claimed that Santhosh was responding to every question after he miraculously started speaking.
KK Radhakrishnan, the Malappuram district secretary of Kerala Yukthivadi Sangham, a rationalist group in Kerala, made a field enquiry after the news of miracle raised a debate. He collected information from friends and relatives of Santhosh and found that there was nothing miraculous in the whole episode.
Santhosh, a construction worker, living with his wife and two children in a small house at Mambram, is a left-leaning person, but an ardent devotee of Lord Ayyappan, Radhakrishnan told . He was deaf and dumb from childhood.
"He has been performing Sabarimala pilgrimage for the past 30 years and 'Swamiye' is the only word he can utter," Radhakrishnan said. "It is the only sound exercise Santhosh has been doing for years now. He can vaguely pronounce the names of some friends too," he added.
It has nothing to do with Sabarimala and it is not a miracle. Santhosh has been going to the temple for years now and every time he would recite the name of his beloved deity. He also dismissed the reports that Santhosh is now clearly answering questions.
Radhakrishnan also said that it his relatives had always felt that Santhosh could speak if he undergoes an expert speech therapy.Now, with the mystery wafting into thin air, it is time to give him a good therapy. If he could call his lord clearly, he might speak to his dear ones also.
