On August 15, Sivadasan Pillai will celebrate the third anniversary of his temple dedicated to the Indian Constitution. Known locally as the Bharanaghatana Kshetram (Constitution Temple), the non-descript building is located on three cents of land near Kudappanakkunnu in Thiruvananthapuram.
An open copy of the Constitution is on display inside a glass case on the porch of the building. A lamp shines on it, 24x7. All around it are messages culled from the Preamble and Articles of the Constitution. Painted images of BR Ambedkar, Jyotiba Phule, Thycaud Ayyavu Guru, Vinoba Bhave, Ayyankali, Chattambi Swami, Sri Narayana Guru, Gandhiji, and so on adorn the walls inside and outside the building. Sivadasan explains, as he applies vibhuti on my forehead, that this is to instill in people the idea that this is no less than a place of worship.
