Cognitive Development in Temple Going Children

The following is an abstract of a paper which deals with effect of going to temples on children. Really interesting

Temple Ecology and Cognitive Development: A Report from South India

R. Muralidharan
Department of Educational Psychology, National Council of Educational Research and Training, New Delhi, India

Ashok K. Srivastava
Department of Psychology, National Council of Educational Research and Training, New Delhi, India

The impact of growing up in the vicinity of Hindu temples on cognitive development was studied in the southern part of India. Enrolled in Grades 1 and 4, the participating children (N-281) were drawn from three kinds of ecology, i.e., families intimately associated with temple, families that are religious but not so intimately associated with temple, and families in non-temple areas, using a cross-sectional design. NCERT School Readiness Scale and Das-Naglieri Cognitive Assessment System were used to assess their cognitive development. Children associated with temples emerged to be more cognitively competent than other two groups of children on both points of schooling. Sex differences and their interaction with ecology were not significant for most of the measures. Results point to the role of temple institutions in shaping development of children byproviding rich and variegated ecology.

Princeton University to hold “Hinduism in the 21st Century” week

A special week of events at Princeton will focus on Hinduism in 21st Century America. Princeton University’s Hindu Life Program and student group Princeton Hindu Satsangam are collaborating to host ten separate events packed into one week of celebration and awareness. The series of events - which range from lectures and discussions to performances and yoga demonstrations - will be held from Saturday, March 28, to Sunday April, 5.

The week explores the intersection of India’s ancient spiritual traditions with the modernity of American life. Organizers hope that the theme will not only resonate with members of Princeton’s Hindu community, but also serve as an impetus for those from the broader community to learn more about the faith.

“In presenting such a variety of programming, we wish to convey the diversity within Hinduism itself,” said Vineet Chander, Princeton’s Coordinator for Hindu Life and principal organizer of Hinduism in the 21st Century. “At the same time, we hope that each event will allow us to go deeper in exploring our theme, and gain insight into the faith as a fluid, living tradition faced with both challenges and opportunities in the modern world.”

Highlights of the week include a field trip to one of the first Hindu temples established in the United States, a panel discussion exploring the tensions between the academic and practitioner’s approaches to Hinduism, a coffee-house-style discussion about Hinduism’s take on the real-life struggles faced by American college students, and a student-driven arts festival. Hinduism in the 21st Century also pays homage to the popularity of yoga and spiritual vegetarianism - perhaps Hinduism’s biggest contributions to American pop-culture - with an interactive yoga class and a discussion of Hinduism and animal rights, held jointly with the Princeton Animal Welfare Society.

The week’s climax is a formal dinner, featuring a key-note address by Dr. Uma Mysorekar, president of the Hindu Temple Society of North America. Earlier this year, Dr. Mysorekar offered a Hindu benediction at President Obama’s inauguration–the first time in history that a Hindu prayer was offered at a presidential inauguration. Princeton’s Hindu Life program will also honor Dr. Mysorekar with its first annual Hindu-American Inspiration of the Year Award.

Source: HPI

Hindu Temples - What Happened to them?

Hindu Temples - What Happened to Them

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Religion & Spiritual Religion-Hinduism babri masjid

Dollars poured into India for Conversion

Each year, the Government of India's Ministry of Home Affairs releases a report (URL below) entitled, "Receipt of Foreign Contributions by Voluntary Associations.

Following are the Associations which receive the funds

Gospel Fellowship Trust India, USA -- $60,305,263

Gospel for Asia, USA -- $36,100,000

Plan International, UK -- $29,257,895

Foundation Vicent E Ferrer, Alicante, Spain -- $27,428,947

Christian Aid, UK -- $21,094,737

Miseror Mozartstrasse, Germany -- $20,457,895

Foundacion Vicente Ferrer, Madrid, Spain -- $20,118,421

Oxfam, UK -- $19,721,053

NOVIB, Netherlands -- $19,321,053

Deptt for International Devpt (DFID), UK -- $15,723,684

Kindemothilfe, Germany -- $14,318,421

Save the Children Fund, UK -- $13,594,737

Manos Unidas, Spain -- $13,050,000

Missio, Germany -- $12,900,000

Population Service International USA -- $12,826,316

Total funds sent to India: -- $336,218,421

Though the Focus and goal as a ministry is to reach the 2.7 billion people who have never heard about the love of God (proselytisation intent, what else?)In India alone, there are over 500,000 villages. Most of the donations go toward relief work, rural development, medicine and education. "Maintenance of priests/preachers/other religious functionaries" is 15th on the list of purposes, receiving $21 million dollars of all foreign funding. Of the fifteen top donor agencies given eight are Christian, seven are secular and none are Hindu.

Following are the examples of intent given by these organizations themselves. Gospel Missions of India (GMI), “stays abreast of the work of the missionaries and ministries in India to ensure that gifts are faithfully invested for the Lord's work". Gospel for Asia is a Texas-based Christian missionary organization whose, "Focus and goal as a ministry is to reach the 2.7 billion people in the 10/40 window who have never heard about the love of God. In India alone, there are over 500,000 villages with no Gospel witness." These paragraphs are self explanatory about the real intent which is proselytisation through use of these funds. It is not service for the sake of service as the ground reality in Bharat shows.

The report is available on http://mha.gov.in/fcra/annual/ar2005-06.pdf

Source: haindavakeralam.com

Ramayana most popular art in Islamic Bangladesh

In the green hinterland of Islamic Bangladesh, the Ramayana is the most popular performing art form, says a leading playwright of the country. The Indian epic exists in harmony with Sufism and a variety of indigenous folk arts. “At least eight versions of the Ramayana, mostly folklore-based performances, are enacted in the countryside of Bangladesh. It is one of the most popular epics in the country, surpassing even the Mahabharata in its ratings,” Saymon Zakaria told IANS.

In Agra to attend the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) Festival of Literature, Zakaria is an Islamic scholar who has written extensively about the Ramayana and the performances associated with it. “Ramayana in villages of Bangladesh is interpreted as a social comment exploring the model relationship between the husband, wife and the members of the family. References to Ramayana can often be found in local folklores that describe filial conduct codes and in domestic conservations,” Zakaria said.

Sita’s “Agni Pariksha” (test by fire), for example, was usually interpreted as the tribulations of the average Bangladeshi woman, who was subjected to tests both at her father’s home, in-laws’ house and in the conservative Islamic social mosaics of the villages that still frowned upon gender equality and freedom, explained the playwright.

The theatrical performance of “Ram Mangal”, the rural folk art form of Kishorganj, flourishes throughout the “bhakti” belt of Mymensingh district. “Ram Mangal is an invocation of Lord Rama, an incarnation of Vishnu, performed in the Bhakti (prayer songs) tradition,” Zakaria said. “Kushan Gaan”, the story of king Rama’s life, as narrated by his sons Luv and Kush, is enacted in villages of Korigram. “The script, full of music and dance, is a blend of the two versions of the epic written by seers Valmiki and Krittivas,” Zakaria explained.

Bangladesh also pays its tribute to Sita, the princess of Mithila and the queen of Ayodhya, through the “Chandravati Ramayan”, a 16th century version of the epic scripted by Bengal’s first known poetess, Chandravati. “Ram takes a back seat in this version of Ramayana and Sita is the leading light. Sita, in Chandravati Ramayan, is Ravana’s daughter who is cast off in childhood after an astrologer predicts that she will destroy her father,” Zakaria said.

For full article visit: www.sindhtoday.net

Shri Kannadasan's Arthamulla Hindu Madham

The following is the speech by Shri Kannadasan on "Arthamulla Hindu Madam" (Meaningful Hinduism). There are totally 14 videos. Here we showcase only one video, make sure that you listen to all the 14 videos.

Frescos, wall paintings in temples disappearing

A number of old temples containing beautiful frescos and wall paintings are fast disappearing thanks to indifferent approach of its caretakers and absence of government policy to preserve art. The city is replete with temples containing frescos and wall paintings with subjects taken from Hindu mythology.

Located at Nawa Kot, Radha-Krishan temple has beautiful frescos painted on the upper portion inside the sanctum sanctorum. However, in an utter ignorance towards heritage, bottom portion of the walls have been covered with tiles. A glance over the beautiful paintings on the upper portion revealed that careless preservation has devoid the posterity of the heritage.

According to Ravi Kumar, owner of a shop running from the temple premises, the temple was about two-century old. He said regularly a priest came to conduct prayers. Private management of the temple had conducted its repair with its limited resources. The publicity material written on the outer wall of the structure is a big eyesore.

The Amritsar chapter of the Indian National Trust for Art and Culture (INTACH) had already documented about 300 buildings in the walled city, most of which are facing “slow death” due to indifferent attitude of the authorities. Experts do not hold back their apprehensions that many of these buildings would disappear if the state government failed to amend the law to preserve heritage sites.

Nobody cared to preserve frescoes of Teja Singh Thakur Dwara built by a distant relative of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Located in the narrow lanes of the city, the temple was dedicated to Rasha-Krishan. Sky scrapping top of sanctum sanctorum was a landmark and its construction was typical of medieval temple architecture.

Building of Veerbhan Da Shivala, dedicated to Lord Shiva, dates back to the period of Maharaja Ranjit Singh Singh. Its frescoes evoke devotion among people.

Experts are of the view that haphazard and unplanned development of the city over a period of time posed a serious threat to heritage. With migratory trends from rural areas to the city, the city is growing to the status of the most vibrant city and metropolitan centre. However, in the frenzy of competing with modern cities its planners forgot to secure its enormous wealth in the shape of heritage.

Rapidly changing city profile, misuse of built space, uncontrolled traffic and unauthorised building activities had damaged the very sanctity of the heritage areas.

Source: www.punjabheritage.org

Pakistani Hindus Flee to India

In May 2008, Pakistan's tribal province of Orakzai was in the news. The majority Muslims did not allow the Hindus to cremate their dead at the place that had been the designated crematorium for over a century.

The next month, the Pakistan government signed a peace treaty with the Taliban. It was among many other such treaties and not much was made of it, especially since the latter agreed that it would recognise the writ of the government. But in the next couple of months, the few Hindu families began facing the heat.

"It was like the smoke before the fire. The Taliban's presence was not very evident in the following two months. But things were becoming obvious. A group of locals who supported the Taliban gave us the distinct feeling that we were not wanted there," says Jagdish Lal Sharma, who says he is a Pandit from the region.

Though there were no direct threats, the Hindu families were never left in any doubt about their minority status. Sometimes it would be a warning not to stare at Muslim women for long, at other times, it would be the subtle coercion of the local administrators to sell their land when the situation was still normal. The families were weighing their options until October when they were asked to wear a red patch in their pagadis (turban).

"We were told Hindus are not supposed to wish a Muslim even inadvertently and that is why, in order to make it obvious for a passing Muslim that we were Hindus, we ought to have some element of red in our headgear," Hardwari Lal, who is now in Amritsar with his family of 13, says.

In Amrtisar, they found Surinder Kumar Billa, a local religious leader at the Durgaina temple in Amritsar, who has promised to help them get Indian citizenship.

Source: http://specials.rediff.com/news/2009/mar/18sld1-hindu-families-face-the-heat.htm

Applying Meaning to Management With Ancient Hindu Mythology

Following is an excerpt from an article that appeared in The Washington Post about Managing business using concepts from Indian culture. In fact, there is a rise of Indian management techniques in the West (though not sure about "westernised" India). The Bhagavad Gita has replaced the Chinese "Art of War", said the Business Week few years ago in one of its articles. Will Indians rise to glory by picking a leaf out of their own valuable backyard?

NEW DELHI -- Fifteen young managers with a top Indian retail company met in their office basement recently to sip coffee and listen to a talk about their specialty: brand building. The speaker, renowned mythology expert Devdutt Pattanaik, is also the company's "chief belief officer."

The ancient Hindu tales that Pattanaik, 38, tells his corporate audiences are full of fallible kings, stoically suffering queens, demons enticing the gods into lawless jungles, gods with rivers sprouting from their dreadlocks, and goddesses riding elephants.

But the round-faced, bespectacled author, who graduated from medical school and has worked as a business strategist for the consulting firm Ernst & Young, says he is not like the wise old grandmother who sits under a banyan tree telling stories. Instead, he says, he is helping to create a set of management principles that are steeped in Indian culture. He calls it the "3-B" model: belief, behavior and business.

"Indians are led by emotions, unlike people in the West, who are driven by reason," said Kishore Biyani, chairman of the Future Group, who chose Pattanaik to head this program four months ago. "Not all the Western management models of standard operating procedure fit us. How do we create management practices that are grounded in our rich repository of stories and rituals?"

He writes a column titled Management Mythos for the Indian financial daily the Economic Times, examining corporate behavior in the light of mythic narratives. For example, he gives the name of the mythological character Narada to those who play office politics. The customer is Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. He likens layoffs to the slaughter of cows, which Hindus revere as symbolizing life.

A week ago, Biyani urged his employees to greet each other and customers with the Hindi greeting "Namaste," meaning "I bow to the god in you," instead of the usual "Good morning" or "Hello." "Saying 'Namaste' is not fake drama," Pattanaik told 60 store managers recently. "It is acknowledging the other person's potential to grow. Can you measure that on the Excel sheet?" ...................

For complete article visit
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/25/AR2009012502106.html

Tirupathi Temple's Golden Plans

TIRUMALA, ANDRHRA PRADESH, INDIA, March 14, 2009: The long-anticipated project of providing gold plating to the famous hill temple of Lord Venkateswara began on a grand note on an auspicious hour Friday, as temple priests conducted special pujas to the golden Lakshmi image near the main sanctum.

The project, which will convert the entire temple and its precincts into a golden complex, is expected to require at least 100 kilos of gold. The management decided to fund the project by inviting donations from philanthropists rather than burdening the TTD coffers. The response from devotees has been overwhelming. Over 20kg of gold were received just on October 1, 2008, the day of the announcement. To date, according to temple sources, the management has received over 60kg of gold and hundreds of thousands of rupees.

TTD Chairman D. K. Audikesavulu said precautions have been initiated to preserve the inscriptions on the temple walls. Earlier, the temple management digitized the inscriptions. Audikesavulu was confident that the project would be completed within 12 months. When the outer wall is covered with gold sheets, it will also cover up ancient inscriptions found on the wall. To save the centuries old inscriptions, TTD and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) are planning to preserve the inscriptions and digitize it and upload on a website.

Sadhu Subrahmanya Sastry, the TTD’s former epigraphist-cum-archaeologist, copied 1,150 of the inscriptions in 1922 making sketches. These included 640 inscriptions in the area that will be covered up. But the ASI’s Mysore-based epigraphy wing, equipped to deal with such work, recently completed taking estampages of the Tamil, Telugu and Kannada inscriptions. This was done by pasting litho paper on the wet wall and running rollers over it after spreading an adhesive paste made of lamp black and Indian ink.

While most of the inscriptions copied from the ‘Jagati’, ‘Kumudam’ and ‘Patti’ (floor level) areas of the northern wall pertain to the Vijayanagara era (13th century) including from the Sangama, Saluva, Thuluva and Araveedu dynasties, a few relate to the Chola, Pandya and Pallava periods.

Source: The Hindu

O Indian Hindus, Learn from your Bali brethren

ENPASAR, Indonesia — A weeklong international festival celebrating the pan-religious practice of yoga here on the island of Bali is wrapping up peacefully despite a recent religious ruling condemning the practice from the top Muslim authority in Indonesia. .

It is the second time in recent months that Bali, a predominantly Hindu island in the world’s most populous Muslim country, has openly opposed rulings by the Ulema Council, the quasi-governmental body that issued the yoga edict.

In October, after the Indonesia Parliament passed broad antipornography legislation, which was first championed by the Ulema Council and included limits on dancing and dress, Balinese erupted in anger, fearing many of their traditional rituals would be considered illegal. Thousands marched through the streets and Bali’s governor, Made Mangku Pastika, declared that he would not enforce the law.

Though about 90 percent of Indonesians are Muslim, the country is made up of hundreds of distinct ethnic and cultural groups. Islam itself comes in many different forms here. The religious and governmental authorities in Jakarta, on the island of Java, Indonesia’s most populous island and the country’s center of power, are often accused of being insensitive to these differing cultures.

When the Balinese, along with people in Sulawesi and Papua, protested the pornography bill last year, they held signs calling for increased autonomy from the central government in Jakarta.

The Muslim Council’s yoga ruling came in a package of fatwas issued in January. The council deemed the ancient Indian poses and exercises incorporating Hindu chanting or rituals a sin for Muslims. Similar fatwas have been issued in Egypt and Malaysia. In all three countries, the religious leaders said they were concerned that practicing yoga could cause Muslims to deviate from Islamic teachings.

The festival was originally organized as a means of promoting spiritual tourism on Bali, before the fatwa was released. But the organizers said it provided an opportunity to respond publicly to the council’s edict. More than 600 people, including Bali’s governor, attended the festival’s opening ceremony. Several Islamic scholars participated during the week.

The festival’s sponsor, the Bali-India Foundation, has about 350 students, many of them Muslim, said its director, Somvir. Across Indonesia, the group estimates, some 10 million people practice yoga in one form or another. “Yoga is a strong concept, we are not afraid or concerned about the fatwa,” Mr. Somvir said in an interview at the festival, which ends Tuesday. “Yoga’s very meaning is ‘unity’ and it is open to all faiths.”

Still, he said he was encouraging his Muslim students to hum when meditating instead of the more traditional “om,” which has Hindu origins and could run counter to the Ulema Council’s edict.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/10/world/asia/10bali.html?_r=1

Museum highlighting Hindu History in Pakistan

Archaeology Department is setting up a museum at Katasraj near Chakwal to highlight the culture and history of this fine historical treasure. A team consisting of ex- perts and a few Punjab University Archaeology Department students is working on the site these days looking for archeological fragments found in and around Katas.

The researchers are also working on the architecture in the area and will record their findings in a report. The site is famous for its temples, the most famous among them the one dedicated to Shiva. It has existed since the days of Mahabharata and the Pandava brothers spent a substantial part of their exile here.

Punjab Archaeology Department Director Shahbaz Khan says the museum would have a pictorial gallery in which Hindu mythology will be highlighted through historical refer- ences. Another gallery would he on architecture in which fragmented pieces found from Katas will be put on display Other exhibition areas will also be estab- lished in the museum.

Haveli located inside Katas and has been conserved or at the Bayragi House. The work is being doneon the finalisation of the location for museum, he added. The temples were abandoned by local Hindus when they migrated to India in 1947. It has always been the site of holy pilgrimage for people of various faiths. Even today, worshippers from all faiths perform pilgrimages to the temple every year and bathe in the sacred pool here.

Source: http://blog.travel-culture.com/2009/03/museum-to-be-opened-at-katasraj/

Sri Malleshwara Swamy Gets Golden Entrance

Movie Moghul Dr. RamaNaidu recently gifted over 26kgs of Silver worth Rs.7 lakhs, towards the plating of entrance doors to the sanctum sanctorum of Sri Malleshwara Swamy Temple situated on the Indra Keeladri in Vijayawada.

Executive Officer Chandrakumar received the gift of molded plates bearing the idols of deities in the presence of temple authorities. R Srinivas Sastry, member of Vedic Committee and Kota Srinivas organized and presided over the special pooja which was conducted before fixing the plates on the temple doors. Koteshwar Rao, PV SaiBabu and CC Subrahmanyam graced the event.

Artisans from Tenali district, famous for carvings and sculptures have worked to carve the temple deities in the silver plating.

Dr Rama Naidu is an active participant of various social service proposals, funding old age homes, educational institutions and for devotional services. He gifted 40kgs of silver plating to be engraved in the famous Kanaka Durga Temple at Indra Keeladri.

Dr Rama Naidu is a role model for all the prominent personalities and his activities are inspiring a few people to come forward to help uplift the state of under privileged.

Source:http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/telugu/article/45452.html

Learn Daily Samskritam Conversations

Sanskrit Daily Conversation

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C.V. Raman and Sanskrit

The following news article appeared in the Hindu newspaper dated February 28, 1957.

The Sanskrit Commission, at its sittings in Bangalore, interviewed Dr. C.V. Raman, who expressed the view that the people were rooted in Sanskrit. It was truly the national language. It was wrong to say that it was dead; it was very much alive and "it embodies everything we call ours." He could not imagine a day, Dr. Raman said, when they could give up English. The sooner they recognised this fact, the better it was. After English, came Sanskrit, in which was embodied all the culture of the country. No Indian could fail to be stirred by Sanskrit, an essential element in the education of every Indian. Everyone should be made to read, write and speak in Sanskrit.

Source:
http://www.hindu.com/2007/02/28/stories/2007022800800902.htm

Ancient Hindu kingdom discovered in Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur, March 6 (ANI): Archaeologists in Malaysia have discovered the main site of an ancient kingdom that predates the Angkor temples of Cambodia and could be the oldest civilization in the region.

According to a report in Taipei Times, archeological team leader professor Mokhtar Saidin said the find, which could lead to a rewriting of history books on the region, was made in two palm oil plantations in northern Kedah State last month.

He said that buildings found at the site indicate it was part of the ancient Hindu kingdom of Bujang which existed in the area some time in the third century, predating the Angkor civilization of Cambodia which flourished from the 12th to 14th centuries.

“We have dated artifacts from what we believe are an administration building and an iron smelter to 1,700 BP (250AD), which sets the Bujang civilization between the third and fourth century AD,” Saidin said.

“We have only one date so far so we can say it is one of the earliest civilizations in the region, but with more dates, we will be able to verify whether it is the oldest civilization in the region,” he added.

Mokhtar said the iron smelter was a surprise find as it showed that such an early civilization was already quite advanced technologically. “We have 30 more mounds at the site that have to be excavated and we are hoping to also find the port area for the kingdom as it was near the sea,” he said.

“This will give us a clue to how the civilization was trading and influenced by China and India, who would have been the two main powers back then to have influenced development in this region,” he added.

Malaysian archeologists last month also announced the discovery of stone tools they believe are more than 1.8 million years old and the earliest evidence of human ancestors in Southeast Asia. The stone hand-axes were discovered last year in the historical site of Lenggong in northern Perak State, embedded in a type of rock formed by meteorites. (ANI)

Source: http://www.duniyalive.com/?p=4935

Siddha medicine from Siddhars

Source: http://www.indiadivine.org/

Govinda Dwadashi on March 8

Gobinda Dwadasi, or Govinda Dwadashi, is an auspicious day which falls on the 12th day during the waxing phase of the moon in Phalguna or Falgun month. Gobind Dwadasi is considered highly auspicious by Vishnu devotees. In 2009, Gobinda Dwadasi is of great significance at the Puri Jagannath Temple. A rare combination of calculations as per Hindu astrology and almanac taking place after 48 years provides the opportunity to take holy dip at the Mahodadhi Teerth on Puri coast. In 2009, the date of Gobinda Dwadasi is March 8.

Such a rare combination in Hindu Almanac associated with Gobinda Dwadai at Puri Jagannath Temple had last happened in 1961. The chance to take a holy dip at Mahodadhi Teerth and visit Jagannath Temple is happening after 48 years. Mahodadhi Tirth is a six kilometer long stretch of the Puri Seacoast from Chakra Tirth to Swargdwar.

It is expected that more than half-a-million devotees will take a dip at Puri Jagannath Temple seacoast on the auspicious day of Gobinda Dwadasi Buda.

The Ekadasi on March 7 is known as Papanashini Ekadasi in Orissa due to the Pushya Nakshatra on March 8.

Source: www.hindu-blog.com

A documentary on the priests of Chidambaram

Click here to watch a 30 minute video documentary on the priests of the ancient Chidambaram Nataraja temple in Tamil Nadu. This will be able to provide a right perspective of the issue after the recent take over of the temple by the HR&CE. Happy watching!

Where heaven meets hell

An article by TR Jawahar of Newstoday....
Oscar awardee, Resul Pookutty’s acceptance comment was quite telling: ‘I come from a civilisation that gave the world ‘Om’, the word before and after silence ....’ Indeed, it is quite heartening to hear India being referred to as a civilisation of yore than as a mere political and geographic nation-state born on August 15 1947. Also, that the primal sound ‘Om’ of vedic vintage has found resonance even with the whizkids of modern music is no mean matter either. But howsoever exalted and elated one may feel about Bharath’s civilisational moorings, the all too visible realities of present day India are by no means elevating. Really, this country though a millionaire in terms of inherited wisdom and spirituality remains a slumdog by many mortal and material standards.

A chance visit last weekend to Rishikesh at the foothills of the Himalayas was most revealing of this glaring dichotomy. Haridwar again seemed to enhance this divide. Kashi skipped my itenerary but visuals of it in a recent Tamil movie threw up ample evidence of the reigning trend. Indeed, the unholy state of many of our holy towns are ample proof of how spirituality and squalor reside cheek by jowl. And that is no comfort for a country laying claim to civilisational credentials of unmatched superiority. Really, whither divinity when desperation and depravity are what you see all around?

Truth, it is said, lies in the eyes of the beholder. An episode in Mahabharatha amplifies this, er, truism. Dhuryodhana and Yudhishtra who visit Krishna’s Dwaraka had different stories to tell their kin on return to their respective lairs. While the Kaurava king had only tales of woes to narrate, the son of Pandu overflowed with the glory of the same Dwaraka. Clearly, their eyes only saw what their minds wanted to which in turn was tuned to their own disposition to life. Indeed, every one of us has a D and Y within, but take a drive through Holy India, particularly in Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal, and you can bet the D’Yodhana in you to win hands down. Or for that matter, even on a boating ride downstream the holy Ganga which is fast turning into the holiest gutter in the world. But more on the holy G later.

India’s, and Hindus’, apathy towards their sacred towns is apalling. And this has nothing to do with secularism, or for that matter, pseudo-secularism. But it has got everything to do with pseudo-worship. Sure, a die-hard devotee should think of nothing other than the Shivalinga that he had set out to see in his pursuit of the divine. But that does not absolve him of the sin of despoiling god’s own vicinities with garbage. The easiest place to identify even in huge temples is the sanctum sanctorum. For, litter leads the way, that is, if you have not engaged one of those ubiquitous and prsistent touts, who claim exclusive rights to the passage to God. Vedic verses and rituals lay much store by hygiene, cleanliness and purification procedures of not just self and soul but the sorroundings too. There is however little to prove that the scriptures have been lived by. While we do not have video footages of these places, say during the reigns of Mauryas or Guptas, one can safely assume that the modern mess that these ancient towns have turned out to be are the handiwork of recent times when we are supposed to be more civilised. The helpless Gods would bear witness.

But the devotees’ disdain for the domains of their deities pales before official indifference. The Gods, it would seem, have been let down by the Governments too. The civic administration in most of these places appear to have taken off on heavenly sojourns and left the almighty to fend for Himself on the wretched earth. In fact, one can even bump into Him but there’s nary a sign of the government. These towns that house several shining shrines of spirituality are also shameful symbols of systemic failure. The land of Ganga is bereft of potable water. Public sanitation is virtually non-existent where people throng in millions. Dilapidated buildings and haywire traffic can beat the Gods in granting instant Moksha. Festivals like Mahasivarathri are actually mega nightmares. If despite all this, devotees and devotion survive, there must surely be a God doing daily duty! Incidentally most of these holy abodes are in Uttaranchal which is ruled by the BJP, the party that claims to champion the cause of Gods. Aah, if only gods can vote ...

Mayawati’s Uttar Pradesh through which much of my journey figured is a world apart. Having been let down by both Government and Gods, the gullible masses of this God forsaken land are a cursed lot. Even neighbouring Bihar seems to be making some headway, in the absence of Lalu, clan and cattle, but UP looks down and out. This State is truly the new benchmark of all things nasty, despite throwing up the most number of PMs, past and prospective, besides scores of MPs. As the highway meanders through dead towns, all you see is dirt, dust, deprivation and despair. But the critical D-word, development, is confined to Ambedkar statues and Mayawati’s cutouts. True to the Hindu scriptures, here everything is a maya. And Maya is everything too. Call the latter Devil’s scriptures!

A save-Ganga campaign is gaining momentum, but so do the silt and sewage in it. The great river, in all pristine glory, squeezes its way through the valleys of the Shivalik range and crawls on to the lap of Rishikesh, after passing under Ram and Lakshman Jhulas (hanging bridges). But once it hits the plains, the human havoc starts. At holy Haridwar, its waters are rationed by dams, sluices and canals to suit the various festival seasons and the attendent crowds. The bathing ghats that dot its banks are collection points of sins as well as sewage! But there is scope for the Yudhishthira in you to surface too. There are quite a few enchanting spots if you have the desire for real peace that the sages down the ages had sought. Swami Dayananda Saraswati’s ashram is one such oasis. The Ganga here is a sangfroid and serene spectacle as it rustles over the rocks and whispers to the winds. The ashram itself and the Swamiji’s satsang session a sort of Q &A ... no, not the gameshow of slumdog genre) were as soothing. Is not spirituality the default setting whenever the fatigued mind falls to the futilities, fears and frustrations of material pursuits?

There was much talk about Prarabdha Karma and how humans have to inevitably reckon with it. But what are we, when PK does not seem to spare even the Ganga and the Gods?

Source: http://newstodaynet.com/col.php?section=20&catid=30

National status for Attukal temple?

Kerala Government has decided to seek national pilgrim centre status for the famous Attukal Bhagavathi temple here, known for its annual 'Pongala' festival that attracts thousands of women on a single day.

State Home and Tourism Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan had agreed to take up the demand with Union Tourism and Cultural Ministry, temple administration sources said.

The 'Pongala,' falling on March 10 this year, has already entered the Guinness Book of World Records as a unique religious event that attracts largest women congregation on a single day. The number of devotees turning up to participate in the event had been going up steadily and this year the turn-out is expected to be around 2.5 million.

The temple was also known as 'Women's Sabarimala' as the pongala is all-woman event like the Sabarimala pilgrimage meant mainly for men and where women in the age group of 10-50 are not allowed to enter the hill shrine.

The 'pongala' ritual comprises preparation of sweetened rice on bricken hearths to be offered to the Goddess seeking her divine blessings. All arrangements are in place for the festival beginning tomorrow with hoisting of temple flag and culminating in the 'pongala' ritual on March 10, sources said. This year the event will also be webcast on the temple website www.attukal.org, the sources said.

Source: PTI

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Hindu Hampi in danger

When the whole of South India was overrun by the Muslim invasion, Hinduism was at stake during 13-14 century AD. At this juncture, Vijayanagara Empire with its capital at Hampi was established in 1336 AD with the sole aim of protecting Hinduism. “But for Vijayanagar, Hinduism would have been reduced to a shadow and a mockery” says Dr. P B Desai, a famous historian.

Paes, a contemporary visitor described Hampi as “the best provided city in the world”, and mentioned that it was “as big as Rome”. Abdul Razzak (1443 A.D) says that it was a city “such that eyes have not seen or ear heard, of any place resembling it upon the earth”. With the fall of Vijayanagar Empire, Hampi was completely destroyed by Muslims in 1565 AD. The area is now full of Temple ruins, defaced idols, fort walls etc.

Hampi is now a world famous tourist centre with a rich cultural background. Situated on the bank of Tungabhadra River, it is the abode of the Lord Virupaksheshwara, the presiding deity of the area, which attracts thousands of devotees. During the historical period, Virupaksha was considered almighty wherein no human king or ruler had any power.

The Unesco has recognised it as a great historical place and has listed it under the World Heritage Series. It is even now a place of pilgrimage visited by thousands of devotees everyday.

Such an area is now wantonly defaced by Muslims; a repetition of what was done in 1565 AD. Many ruined Temples have been converted into Dargas. The Eeranna or Virabhadras Temple near the holy Purandara Mantap has been convered into Honnursabi Darga. The Santana Naga Temple is now Sayyad Bagdad Shah Darga. More than fifty Dargas have appeared in Hanumapada valley. Besides Muslims have begun to perform Namaz illegally in places like Hajara Rama Temple and Maranavami Dibba.

Besides thousands of Hippies who flock to Hampi have converted Hampi into a place of amusement and sexual activities. Liquor and other intoxicating materials are for sale in the area. The resorts cater to their needs. In this area, a Kashmir Muslim youth had a sexual union with a cow a few years ago. The Yoga Bhumi of Hampi has been converted into Bhoga Bhumi by these elements.

Neither the Hampi World Heritage Management authority nor the Deputy Commissioner have taken any action to stop such illegal, immoral activities in a sacred place like Hampi.

Source: http://rajeev2004.blogspot.com/2009/03/after-christian-tirupati-it-is-muslim.html