I shot the sheriff…

Periyar ‘shot at the sheriff’ [due apologies to Eric Clapton]. That’s his monumental blunder.
Irrelevance of an idol god is high level philosophy that only evolved souls can grasp. In that sense, one can argue that Shankara ‘shot the sheriff’ with advaita. Normal people need a working philosophy that allows for a god to be present at temples, and ready and willing to be pleased through ritualistic prayers.
Periyar sought to destroy ritualism without giving an alternative. That was indeed a tall ney an impossible calling for the feeble witted DK crowd. Only followers of a Shankara or a Ramana would even contemplate living without the support mechanism of rites and rituals.
After decades, Periyar has been reduced to a pitiable monument pointing his hand at Sri Ranganatha. ‘The moving finger writes and having writ’ has moved on to witness millions of Dravidians piercing the tongue with arrows and walking on fire in a never before frenzy.
Recently, there has been en effort to prop up this failed legacy of warped atheism through the cinema medium. If it succeeds, I forecast a decade of double digit CAGR for platform temples and job opportunities for priests.
Sporting a “kudumi’ may not be just fashion but also make sound business sense!