Ancient Hindus

Symbolism of Ganga As the Purifier and Liberator

by Jayaram V

Note: This is next in series to the Symbolism of the Descent of Ganga (Gangavataran) in which I have explained the deeper symbolism hidden in the descent of the River Ganga from the highest heaven and its manifestation upon earth. Here I have explained the importance of the river as a purifier and liberator. I may keep improving this essay as the knowledge of the Ganga flows into my mind. Jayaram V

Those who are familiar with the beliefs and practices of Hinduism know that the River Ganga is the most sacred river for Hindus. People strive to make a pilgrimage to the banks of the river and immerse themselves in its water under the belief that whoever takes a dip in its waters will get rid of their sins and achieve liberation. Some of the oldest temples and pilgrim places of Hindus are located on its banks.

Symbolically Ganga also symbolizes purity and the power to purify. There is little doubt that Ganga is the mother of all purifiers. In the spiritual practices of Hinduism, purifiers occupy an important place. In Hinduism the mortal world is considered an impure place since it is infused with death, delusion, ignorance, desires and sinful karma, which envelop the souls like a dark cloud and bind them to the cycle of births and deaths. Since the minds and bodies are infused with them and subject to the modifications of Nature, they are also considered impure. Liberation is not possible unless the souls become purified and find an escape from them.

Hence, a great emphasis is placed in Hinduism upon the purification of the mind and body through transformative practices and techniques such as yoga and Tantra. Without cultivating purity, none can become enlightened or liberated. The waters of Ganga symbolize the power to purify mortal beings. Like the flow of water that never stagnates she purifies all that she touches.

Symbolic significance of River Ganga as a purifier

As the purifier and liberator of souls, the River Ganga symbolizes the following symbols and sacred objects of Hinduism.

1. Knowledge of the Vedas

Ganga symbolizes the spiritual knowledge of the Vedas. The knowledge eternally flows in the highest heaven, just as Ganga flows. That knowledge cannot be sustained by humans or directly transmitted to them without the intervention of a spiritual teacher (or guru), or an enlightened Brahman priest, who acts as the intermediary and translates it into human speech, just as Shiva acted as the shock absorber and transmitter in case of the descent of Ganga.

The knowledge of the Vedas thus transmitted not only brings peace and prosperity to the humans but also helps them in their liberation. Just like in case of Ganga, whoever come into contact with the Vedas become purified and cleansed of their sins. In fact, like the goddess Ganga, the Vedas offer an easier and popular path for those who are not privileged or who do not have the opportunity to study the Vedas and become liberated. To them, like Ganga, they provide an easier and less strenuous alternative of karma yoga or the yoga of obligatory duties and sacrificial ceremonies (karmakanda).

2. Breath

The ever flowing River Ganga symbolizes the ever flowing Prana or breath in the mortal body. Like Ganga, prana also descends from the highest heaven and enters the human body through the incoming breath. Just as Ganga splits into seven streams after falling upon the head of Shiva, Prana also splits into seven breaths1 after entering the human body. Thus, Ganga symbolizes the flowing and purifying power of breath. In the very name of Ganga is hidden its symbolic meaning of breath. “Ga,” means whatever that flows and “anga” means a bodily organ. Ganga literally means that which flows in the organs of the body, which is clearly a reference to Prana or breath. The Upanishads clearly identify Breath (Prana) as the lord of the organs and the highest deity in the sphere of the body because it is incorruptible. While all the organs in the body are susceptible to desires and evil thoughts, breath not only remains impervious to them but also destroys all evil thoughts as soon as they come into contact with it.

Just as the river nourishes the earth by carrying the life-giving water, breath nourishes all the organs in the body by carrying food to them. Thus in its function and significance Ganga clearly symbolizes Prana or breath as the one that moves (ga) in the organs (anga) and purifies them. Like Ganga, breath also liberates all the organs in the mortal body at the time of death by carrying them into the mid-region and letting them return to their respective spheres.

3. Ritual water

Water is invariably used in Hindu rituals, domestic worship, sacrificial ceremonies, and temple worship. Ganga symbolizes the ritual water (tirtham) or the water used on such occasions. In fact, water from the River Ganga itself is preferably used in many Hindu ceremonies. Water infused with the power of Vedic mantras and used in rituals as an offering is considered sacred just like the water from the river Ganga. It is sprinkled upon ritual places, people and objects to purify them and make them fit for worship. Worshippers sip the ritual water to purify their minds and bodies. During the ceremonies it is offered to the deities and poured into the sacrifices as an offering. The remaining water of that offering is also considered sacred.

Ganga symbolizes the ritual water both as an offering and the remains of an offering. Just as the ritual water is infused with the power of Brahman hidden in the Vedic chants, the water of Ganga that flows upon earth is infused with the power of Shiva from whose head it flows. Secondly, the water that flows from his head is but the remains of a sacrifice because in an act of self-sacrifice Ganga falls down from the heaven and enters the mortal world. Hence, it has the same sanctity and purifying power as the ritual water that is used in ritual worship as an offering and as the remainder of an offering.

4. The rain water or the waters of Ambhas

According to Hinduism, rains play an important role in the transmigration of souls and their liberation. Ganga symbolizes rains that fall from heaven, especially the rains that fall during the month of Asvin, which are considered sacred. They represent the waters of life upon earth. Just like Ganga they reside in the water laden heaven (ambhas) and descend to the earth to nourish it and purify it. Just as Ganga liberated the sons of Sagara stuck by the heat of Kapila’s penance, rain water liberates the parched earth from the heat of the sun and brings it back to life. Most importantly rain water facilitates the rebirth of souls and helps their parents to perform their obligatory duties and find salvation.

5. The waters of life

According to Vedic beliefs, when beings die, their embodied souls go to the ancestral heaven. After exhausting their karmas, they fall down from there to the earth through rains. From the earth they enter the plants through the same rain water. When men eat them, they enter their bodies, and through the water in the food they become part of their semen, which is symbolically considered in Vedic imagery as the life giving water. Thus, the rain water from heaven becomes the waters of life (semen) in the human body. Just as the River goddess Ganga uses the body of Shiva for her support, the rain water, having become the waters of life, uses the human body for its support to facilitate procreation, or the flow of life force (ganga or prana) from one body to another. This process is facilitated by a male sexual organ, which is literally a reference to Bhagiratha, which means the rider or the occupant of bhaga ( the female genital organ).

6. Fluids in the mother’s body

Upon sexual union, the semen is released into the womb of the mother. Just as the waters of Ganga that flow into the mortal world from heaven, the waters of Ambhas, having become semen in the male body (Shiva), flow into the womb. Symbolically, the mother is a reference to the earth since she is the bearer (dharitri) of the children (praja). Since the semen flows (ga) in the sexual organs (anga) of both male and female, it represents Ganga or Prana, or that which flows in the organs of the body. In the body of the mother it unites with the mother’s egg and becomes fetus, thereby bringing to life the lifeless womb (the lower world in the body) and sanctifying it, just as the River Ganga did at the time of her descent. In this context, Bhagiratha is a reference to both the father and the fetus. One is the rider of the bhaga (female genital organ) and the other is the occupant of bhaga (mother’s womb). Bhagiratha means both. Especially, in this context it is a reference to the fetus of the eldest son. According to Vedic beliefs a son purifies not only his father and mother by taking birth through them but also brings his ancestors back to life by facilitating their rebirth. By giving birth to a son, the mother (symbolically the earth) also become purified, as she discharges her karmic debt to both the father and the son, and the rest of the ancestors.

7. Devayana, the Path of Immortality

As stated before, Ganga symbolizes pure consciousness or the intelligence (prajna) of supreme Brahman. She flows in the heaven as the very essence of Brahman. When she descends into the humans (jivas) through an awakening, facilitated by their penance, intelligence (buddhi) and purity (sattva), she liberates them from mortality and helps the bound souls (jivatmas) to return to the world of Brahman through the path of gods, known as devayana. The path represents the ascent or return of Ganga from the earth back to the highest heaven. She descends into the mortal world through the Southern Path as rains and facilitates rebirth by becoming the waters of life in the body, and life nourishing water in the earth. She ascends and returns to the heaven through the Northern Path (Uttarayana), also known as the Path of Gods (Devayana) or the path to immortality, and carries with her all the liberated souls. In the process she comes to a full circle, like the infinity itself.

8. Brahman, creation and existence

From the above discussion we can see that in Hinduism the River Ganga carries a great significance, which only the Vedic seers knew and used a physical river upon earth to symbolize it. Ganga represents the eternal power of Brahman that gives life, nourishes life, purifies life, facilitates renewal and rebirth, and liberates life. In short, she symbolizes life (Prana) itself and all the movement (chaitanyam) that characterizes life and creation. With her roots in heaven and branches below, she even symbolizes the famous Asvattha Tree, or the Tree of Life, which is mentioned in the Upanishads as the tree that is upside down. Like Ganga, the Tree too has its roots in heaven and branches in the worlds below. In the ultimate sense, the River Ganga is not just a river and a flow of consciousness, but creation itself that originates from Brahman as a movement (ga) and descends into the mortal world, (which is but a limb (anga) of creation), through Isvara (Shiva), the lord of the universe, to release the bound souls from the previous cycle of creation and give them a chance to liberate themselves.

Hinduism

Hinduism- From the Beginning of the World

 

 

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Hinduism offers a bountiful choice of pilgrimage sites to its followers. The fortunate ones come back with their faith renewed; while the others live by their tales as they continue to pray.

Bright marigolds decorate the entrance of temples. Inside, a priest offers prayers to the idol at the sanctum sanctorum. He lights a diya (lamp) and places it next to the various sweets, and red hibiscus on a puja thali (a plate used for prayers). The whites of the jasmine flower garlands that adorn the gods, the pinks of the roses that lay at their feet, the orange of the priest’s attire, all make for a colourful, quintessential temple setting. Incense sticks placed next to the idols make the air light, crisp, and fragrant and the thin smoke that curls up from them makes for a meditative ambience.

Inside a Hindu temple in India, in the backdrop of a similar holy setting, countless gods and goddess are worshipped amidst extravagant rituals. While some pray to Shiva or Vishnu, others pray to the elephant god, Ganesha, or Krishna and some bow their heads before Goddess Vaishno.

Hindu religion, believed to be the oldest religion in India, and perhaps in the world, is the most widely practiced religion in India. The religion has about a billion followers in India; and about 95 pc of the world’s Hindus live in the country.

As per Hinduism, there are 330 billion of gods and goddesses, including the creators and organisers of this universe, and their many avatars, who had set foot on Earth over a span of the four yugas or ages (Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dvapara Yuga, Kali Yuga).

It is believed that Hinduism always existed on Earth and is the very foundation of life on the planet, with the various avatars first walking on the face of it in order to kill the demons and bring an end to ill.

There are thousands of marvellous tales that revolve around these gods, their avatars and their time in this world. Interestingly, there are also temples and shrines that give a visible and tangible edge to these tales also making the stories sound more real than mere myth.

At the Jwalaji Temple in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh, where there is no idol of the goddess Jwala Devi, flames mysteriously erupt from walls in the temple and cannot be extinguished by any means.

Although there are many Hindu temples across the length and breadth of India, that defy science, leaving visitors bewildered and devotees with a renewed faith, these five attract a distinguished footfall, perhaps also because they are accessible year round unlike some like the Amarnath cave temple, in which the sacred Shivalingam is formed naturally from ice every year.

Vaishno Devi, Jammu Kashmir

Located in the northernmost state of Jammu and Kashmir, the shrine of Goddess Vaishno is one of the most holy of places for Hindus. Residing in a cave that is situated in the folds of the three peaked mountain named Trikuta, Ma Vaishno Devi is a motherly figure for many. She is believed to be the one to full-fill the wishes of her children. The holy cave in which rest the pindis or the three natural rock formations, believed to be the goddesses, are situated at an altitude of about 1,600 metres. The devotees trek nearly 12 km from the base camp at Katra in Jammu up to the shrine. While most prefer to do the journey by foot, those who are unable to trek can ride up on horses or avail a helicopter facility. The temple is open throughout the year and is managed by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, the management of the shrine, which takes care of the pilgrims in this distant, cold land.

Ramanathaswamy Temple, Tamil Nadu

In the island town of Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu, the Ramanathaswamy temple is a major religious and tourist attraction. Standing tall, at over 38m, the towering temple dominates the view of its neighbourhood and has come to be symbolic to the state. It borrows its name from Hindu God Rama. As legend goes, after killing the 10-headed Ravana ( a Hindu mythological character) in a battle in Sri Lanka, Lord Rama returned to India with his wife Goddess Seeta and first stepped on the shores of Rameswaram. Ravana, a Brahmin, had abducted Goddess Seeta, and so in order to wash away the sin of killing a holy man, Lord Rama offered prayers to Lord Shiva. Since there was no temple dedicated to Shiva on the island, Lord Rama had a shrine built with the aid of his disciple Hanuman and wife Seeta. Housing the sacred Shivalingam, this temple is one of India’s holiest shrines. Dating mainly from the 16th-18th centuries, it’s notable for its 1000-pillar halls and 22 theerthams (temple tanks), in which pilgrims bathe before visiting the sanctum sanctorum.

Jagannath Temple, Odisha

Located at Puri in the state of Odisha, this 11th century temple is one of the char dhams, the four main Hindu pilgrimage sites. The Jagannath Temple is dedicated to Lord Jagannath-the lord of the universe, and to the lord’s siblings Subhadra and Balabhadra. The ebony hued idol that represents the revered deity is hugely popular among its followers. The Lord’s brother Balbhadra and sister Subhadra reside supreme in the central jagamohan (assembly hall). Idols of the three deities are dressed in new apparel and showered with flowers, daily by priests. Taking care of the idols keeps the priests busy all day as they change the gods’ dresses as per various daily ceremonies. As per reports, the temple employs about 6,000 men to perform the complicated rituals involved in caring for the gods. An estimated 20,000 people – divided into 36 orders and 97 classes – are dependent on Jagannath for their livelihood. The temple is also known for its chamber full of cockroaches, which are believed to be existing their as a form of god. A draw for devotees from across the world, the temple does not allow anyone except Hindus.

Flowers for offering to the lord being sold outside the Jagannath Temple in Odisha
Flowers for offering to the lord being sold outside the Jagannath Temple in Odisha

Somnath Temple, Gujarat

Located in the western state of Gujarat, the Somnath temple has its tales of myths, like most places of worship, but it’s best known for the frequent vandalisation and demolitions by Muslim invaders and its resurrections thereafter. The temple is believed to first have been built by the Moon God, Soma, who made it entirely in gold. It, however, did not survive and was then constructed again, this time by the Sun God Ravi, who made it out of silver. It had to be made again though, and Lord Krishna used wood to make it this time. In the 11th century, it was built in stone by the Solanki Rajputs; and the present temple, which is the seventh reconstruction on the original site, was built in 1951. Not just its reconstructions, it is also known for its riches, which have attracted a series of invasions and thus losses. However, as the history of the temple has it, it has always been saved. After every invasion the temple would be restored to its original glory by devout Hindu worshipers.

Constructed in the south Indian Chalukyan style, the temple’s imposing architecture includes intricate carvings, silver doors, an idol of the revered bull Nandi, and the holy Shivalinga. In its vast courtyard is the massive mandapa (prayer block), as well as the main shrine. Close to the Arabian coast and offering a view from the tip of the Saurashtra peninsula, the temple is kissed by nature, which immensely adds to its beauty and peaceful environs. From a side door, the view of the sea waves dancing to the rays of a setting sun catches the eyes of worshippers seeking solace. From a distance, once can see the tower called Deep Stambha, which is erected on an embankment. Atop the tower is an arrow pointing directly to the south pole and it is said that a line between here and the south pole crosses no landmass until the Antarctica. The temple is also known for it’s a four-day annual Kartik Purnima Fair, usually in October-November

Kamakhya Devi Temple, Assam

Located in Guwahati, the largest city in Assam, Maa Kamakhya Devalaya or Kamakhya Devi temple is considered to be one of the oldest temples in India. Also, one of the 51 in shakti peethas (significant shrines and pilgrimage destinations in Shaktism, a Hindu tradition of worshipping the powerful goddesses), it is thus also one of the most sacred. Maa Kamakhya is the said to be goddess of desire and this shrine of hers is completed with temples of 10 of her avatars. Just like any other religious place, there are various legends and myths associated with this temple. One of the earliest stories dates back to the temple’s creation. As legend has it, Goddess Parvati despite being forbade by her husband Lord Shiva, went to attend a yagna (a holy ceremony) performed by her father Prajapati Daksha.

Lord Shiva and the Goddess were not invited by Daksha; so after She reached the site of the yagna, Daksha started to insult Lord Shiva in front of everyone present. Unable to bear the insult, the Goddess took her life at the spot. When Lord Shiva, also known for his rage, came to know about the incident, he rested the lifeless body on his shoulders and started performing tandava (a dance associated with the lord, which he performed only in rage). While the other lords tried to calm Shiva, they failed. Lord Shiva then dismembered her body into 51 parts, which fell on different places that are now the shakti peethas.

 

THE FOUR YUGAS

According to Hinduism, the age of universe is divided into various yugas or eons; and as life is cyclical, the Yugas, too, complete a full circle and come back in the same order.

Satya Yuga: Also referred to as the golden age, it saw its people as being godly with an average life span of 100,000 years at the beginning of the yuga. It is also known as period when one would meditate through the course of their life.

Treta Yuga: Also called the silver age, it saw its people live an average 10,000 years with a decrease in their godly qualities. From meditation, people started deviating to the course of sacrifice.

Dvapara Yuga: Referred to as the Bronze Age, during this time, the godly qualities in people reduced dramatically again and so did the average life expectancy, which was now only 1,000 years. This is the age when people started to worship deities within temples.

Kali Yuga: Believed to be the current age, or the Iron Age. The Godly consciousness has nearly disappeared and life expectancy is less than 100 years. By now already 5,000 years (which is also the age of the Indian civilization) of Kali Yuga have passed and it is predicted that by the end it, human lifespan will not extend beyond 20 years and they will be forced to eat meat in the absence of any vegetation. People in this age pray by chanting holy names of lords.

News

Hindu Temple opens in Abilene Texas

 

A Hindu Temple has opened in Abilene (Texas).

 

Recently launched Abilene Hindu Temple (AHT), also known as Vishveshwara Swamy Temple, was reportedly built according to ancient Hindu scriptures and architecture. Main objective of AHT is “to propagate Hindu religion and to perform Hindu rituals”. “Devotees must be on strict vegetarian on visit”, its website states.

 

AHT opens daily at eight am, holds arthi twice everyday, and organizes weekly pujas to Hindu deities Vishnu, Rudra, Rama, Krishna, Durga, Ganapathi, etc. It performs various worship services, including “Annadanam” for $1000 and “Vahana (vehicle) Pooja” for $50. AHT also provides home visit priest services for devotees who wish to have worship services at home.

 

Meanwhile, Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, commended efforts of temple leaders and area community towards realizing this Hindu temple.

 

Rajan Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, further said that it was important to pass on Hindu spirituality, concepts and traditions to coming generations amidst so many distractions in the consumerist society and hoped that this temple would help in this direction. Zed stressed that instead of running after materialism; we should focus on inner search and realization of Self and work towards achieving moksh (liberation), which was the goal of Hinduism.

 

Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about 1.1 billion adherents. There are about three million Hindus in USA.

 

Abilene in West Texas, incorporated in 1881, is home to three lakes and seven colleges. Prominent people associated with Abilene include singer-actress Jessica Simpson, Olympic gold-medalist sprinter Bobby Morrow and country musician Lee Roy Parnell.

Hinduism

Hinglaj: An ancient Hindu pilgrimage in Pakistan.

Nani_ki_Mandir2

Hingol: a Hindu pilgrimage in Balochistan province of Pakistan.

Hingol Located along the banks of Hingol river, in Hinglaj town in Balochistan province of Pakistan, is Hinglaj Mata Mandir. Also, called Nani mandir or Hinglaj Devi or Hingula Devi.

640px-Nani_ki_MandirThe Express Tribune (Pak) | Karachi | April 20, 2016:: In the searing heat of Balochistan, Sunil Kumar climbs up the Chandergup volcano barefoot. Sweating profusely and out of breath, he treads slowly, his ascent interjected by chants of ‘Jai Mata Di’.

Sunil is among the hundreds of pilgrims making their way up to the summit of the 300-foot-high mud volcano of Hingol. Once on the top, he takes out a coconut from his side pocket and throws it in the gooey soup to thank the gods for granting his wish.

The steep trek to Chandergup’s rim is the first ritual of the Mata Hinglaj Yatra the holiest pilgrimage of Hindus in the world. After descending from the volcano with their faces plastered by its holy mud, the pilgrims will proceed to the main Hinglaj temple in the foothills of Kirthar mountains about 35km away.

A pre-Partition mandir and the struggle to protect it

The annual pilgrimage takes place every April in Hingol about 250km west of Karachi, from where the majority of people are coming. But most of them actually started out in Tharparkar.

The most devoted are on foot some coming from as far as Mithi and Umerkot about 550km away, taking 22 days to reach their destination. Others have hired cars and coasters. Built in 2007, the Makran Coastal Highway between Karachi and Gwadar has helped reduce the journey for many by days.

Veersi Malke Dewani, the general-secretary of Hinglaj Mata Welfare Trust, which has been organising the festival for the past 31 years, believes people from all over the world want to perform the pilgrimage but logistical problems keep them away.

Three-tier security

The shrine that attracts thousands of tourists throughout the year is declared out of bound for Muslims for the festival. Considering the recent bomb blast in Lahore on Easter Sunday, the security at the temple is unusual.

Balochistan Frontier Corps personnel guard the entrance route at three check-posts, checking the identity cards of all arriving pilgrims. Muslims are turned away if not accompanied by the pilgrimage organisers themselves.

This has not been the case. For years, Muslims have come to the yatra with some even terming it Nani Ka Hajj. Locals volunteer with regulating the parking of hundreds of buses, jeeps, cars and trolleys, arranging water for the pilgrims, operating electricity generators and providing food three times a day.

Sanjesh Dhanja, who runs the nonprofit Pakistan Hindu Seva, has taken up the responsibility of ensuring cleanliness at the site. This year, he has started an awareness campaign to educate the pilgrims not to create a mess and keep the temple clean.

Despite security concerns, Sanjesh says this year has seen the largest attendance of devotees, roughly estimated to be around 250,000.

Hinglaj Photos. Source-Various.

Splash of colours

Veersi says about 75,000 people were present on the second day alone considerably larger in number than last year.

On the way inside, the scene turns as eclectic as any Urs celebrations of Sufi saints across Pakistan. Buntings, red flags and welcoming banners adorn the place. Revellers dance to music. Some watch from the sidelines, some nap under the trees while many continue to walk towards the main temple.

Roadside stalls sell coconuts, incense sticks, statues of Hindu deities, garlands of rose and marigolds, CDs of bhajans, dry fruit and other food items for travellers.

It is no surprise Thari women, with their trademark embroidered dresses and arms full of bangles, are in majority at the Mata Hinglaj temple. The estimated population of Hindus in Pakistan is over three million with most of them living in Tharparkar.

The festivities go on for four days with the climax on the third day when high priests chant mantras, inviting gods to accept the offerings of the devotees and bring them peace.

The legend

According to Hindu beliefs, Sati, the spouse of Shiva, burnt herself to death after her father Daksha disrespected her and did not invite her partner to a feast.

This angered Shiva who went on a rampage in the world carrying along with him Sati’s body. Vishnu then intervened and used his powers to calm Shiva down. He then cut the body of Sati into 51 pieces, which fell to earth in different places.

Giyan Maharaj, a pundit in Khipro, says these 51 places are called Shakti Peethas and became sacred places. Hindus believe the head of the goddess fell in Hinglaj, thus making it the most revered place of pilgrimage.

Trip of a lifetime

All believers, Giyan says, have to go to Hinglaj, which is built in a cave along the bank of River Hingol. This trip along with good deeds elevates the soul, which eventually escapes the birth cycle and reaches god. The soul is then ready for reincarnation inside a new body.

Veersi of the Hinglaj organising committee says most Hindus have come to know about this holy place only recently since the arrival of social media. If visa conditions in coming to Pakistan are relaxed, thousands of Hindus from across the world will come to the place, he says.

For any Hindu, a visit to Hinglaj is the ultimate pilgrimage, but very few like to take the challenge.

…

Content provider: Asianet-Pakistan | Pic. Various | Courtesy: The Express Tribune (Pakistan).

*Republished in the interest of highlighting the cultural issues of the minorities in Pakistan. 

 

Hinduism

An Indigenous View Of The Hindu Identity

Hindu is the geographical, cultural and metaphysical identity of the people of the land. It’s neither a religion nor a nation-state.

The people of America are called as Americans, Japan as Japanese, and Brazil as Brazilian and so the people of India or Hindustan are called as Indians or Hindus. But whereas American-ism, Japan-ism or Brazilian-ism are not called as a religion, by what yardstick is Hinduism called and officially proclaimed by the Indian nation-state as a religion?

The word religion is rooted in the Latin word “religare” meaning “to bind.” Religion in its most pervasive meaning today is used to describe Christianity and Islam which are marked by being “bound” to One Book and One Prophet, and divides the world as believers and non-believers, thereby ostensibly seeking to “convert” one to another. Every other identity that is called as a religion is thus portrayed through this predominant world view.

Despite repeated attempts to drag the innocuous Hindu identity into this gambit, by no stretch of imagination it qualifies to be called as a religion of Hindu-ism. This is a gross infringement on the rights of the Hindus who constitute the native and indigenous people of the land or the adivasi.

It has been said that religion is akin to “panth” or “math” in the Hindu context, but that’s another gross distortion, when we compare them to either Christianity or Islam. Neither can “dharma,” which denotes a sense of duty and means “that which upholds,” be described as religion. There are attempts to “religion-ise” the Hindu identity through Hinduism or Hindutva by vested interests but only serve to defile and damage the Hindu identity, and cause grave harm to the ordinary people they claim to represent and defend.

The existence of malpractices and sociopathic behavior that crept into a society at some time has resulted in vitriolic being directed against those who profess Hinduism as a religion. Ambedkar states in his essay ‘Philosophy of Hinduism’:

“Inequality is the soul of Hinduism. The morality of Hinduism is only social. It is unmoral and inhuman to say the least. What is unmoral and inhuman easily becomes immoral, inhuman and infamous.” (Ref 2)

But if the Holocaust has not cast such an indelible shadow on German-ism, despite the fact that its Christian history of hatred against Jews had a lot to do with the rise of the Nazis and the cold-blooded killings of 20 million Jews; or the British genocide and brutal exploitation of its colonial subjects has not stigmatized British-ism and Turkish and Arabic genocides and brutalities has not blemished these identities forever, even as they happened explicitly in the garb of Islam, why should ordinary Hindus be haunted and bullied today for no fault of theirs, in their own land and elsewhere in the name of Hinduism.

The greater irony is that even scholarly bodies like the Hindu America Foundation make the same mistake of falsely denigrating the indigenous Hindu identity into a religious identity of Hinduism, in their limited and defective vision. They fail to see the powerful and growing tide of humanity that sees through the imperialist machinations of using religion as bait to “convert,” grab land from the indigenous people and which has penetrated academic circles with great deal of deceit and chicanery to show other competing religions in poor light.

Who are the real Hindus?

Hindus are neither religionists of Hinduism-As-A-Religion nor the jingoistic nationalism of Hindutva-vadis, against whom much of the ire and tirade of the “anti-Hindu” forces is directed. Hindus are ordinary people of the land. Over thousands of years of their known existence, the Hindus have heartily welcomed people and their opinion from all over the world with open arms because of their core beliefs in “World as a Village and Village as the World (वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम),” “Guest is God (अतिथि देवो भव)” and “Truth alone shall win (सत्यमेव जयते).”

Addressing the complexity and gravity of the Hindu situation must begin with diving deeper to the indigenous view of the Hindu identity rather than the exogenous view, despite the fact that the latter has far greater currency today and the former has been muted and subdued.

Why is Hindu not a sovereign “nation-state”?

Unraveling the indigenous Indian or Hindu identity could be the uniting principle for its diversity and at times conflicting ideologies and identities. For this we need to challenge and dissolve the imposition of Hindu as a religion and as a jingoistic nationalism as a modern nation-state. The brazen centralization of power by the nation-state is both anachronistic and against the interests and rights of its indigenous people, a right which is guaranteed and staunchly protected by the United Nations Declaration of Rights of Indigenous People, which came to effect since 2007. Article 3 of this epoch-making declaration clearly states that:

“Indigenous peoples have the right to self-determination. By virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development.” (Ref 1)

The sovereignty in the Hindu context rests with the indigenous forest dwelling communities (वनवासी), village dwellers (ग्रामवासी) and city dwellers (नगरवासी), with a symbiotic and synergistic relationship among the three. The political state had a limited role of regional governance and security for which it collected a percentage of the produce and was responsive to natural calamities.

The political boundaries and administration of these states kept changing to reflect people’s needs and aspirations.

After having experienced several hundreds of years of foreign occupation that continues up to the day in a covert fashion, we need to weigh the pros and cons of the status quo vis-a-vis the Hindu identity and its attendant indigenous systems and structures.

References:

1. http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/documents/DRIPS_en.pdf

2. http://kafila.org/2016/03/09/look-whos-calling-us-anti-national-the-pleasant-antecedents-of-sudhir-chaudhary-and-journalistic-ethics-of-ibn-7/

Hinduism, News

Illinois’ Rockford City Council to open with Hindu prayer for the first time in 164 years

Reciting
from Brahadaranyakopanishad,
Rajan Zed plans to say “Asato ma sad gamaya, Tamaso ma jyotir
gamaya, Mrtyor mamrtam gamaya”, which he will then translate as
“Lead me from the unreal to the real, lead me from darkness to
light, and lead me from death to immortality.” Reciting from
Bhagavad-Gita, he proposes to urge Aldermen to keep the welfare of
others always in mind.

Zed is a global
Hindu and interfaith leader, who besides taking up the cause of
religion worldwide, has also raised huge voice against the apartheid
conditions faced by about 15-million Roma (Gypsies) in Europe.
Bestowed with World Interfaith Leader Award; Zed is Senior Fellow and
Religious Advisor to Foundation for Religious Diplomacy, Spiritual
Advisor to National Association of Interchurch Interfaith
Families, and on Advisory Board of The Interfaith Peace Project, etc.

Hinduism, oldest
and third largest religion of the world, has about one billion
adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal. There are
about three million Hindus in USA.

Rockford,
chartered as a city in 1852, on the banks of the Rock River, is the
third largest city in Illinois. It is known for Phantom Regiment Drum
and Bugle Corps; Mendelssohn Club, claimed to be the oldest music
club in the nation; Cheap Trick rock band; etc. Lawrence J. Morrissey
is the Mayor.

Hinduism

Washington DC’s Smithsonian museum showcasing Hindu deity Shiva

Rajan Zed, who is President of
Universal Society of Hinduism, urged major art museums of the world, including
Musee du Louvre and Musee d’Orsay of Paris, Metropolitan Museum of Art in New
York, Los Angeles Getty Center, Uffizi Gallery of Florence (Italy), Art
Institute of Chicago, Tate Modern of London, Prado Museum of Madrid, National
Gallery of Art in Washington DC, etc., to frequently organize Hindu art focused
exhibitions, thus sharing the rich Hindu art heritage with the rest of the
world.

Founded in 1846, Smithsonian;
consisting of 19 museums and galleries, the National Zoological Park and nine
research facilities; has about 138 million objects/artifacts.  In 2015,
about 28 million people visited Smithsonian. David J. Skorton is the Secretary
of the Smithsonian Institution.

Hinduism, oldest and third
largest religion of the world, has about one billion adherents and moksh
(liberation) is its ultimate goal. There are about three million Hindus in USA.

Ancient Hindus, Hinduism

The Hindu Story of Creation: Which One?

Host Morgan Freeman searches for the stories of creation as part of his understanding of God and spiritual practices from various religions around the world, in the upcoming episode of “The Story of God,” airing Sunday, April 24 at 9 p.m. ET/PT, on the National Geographic Channel. 

His guide in India, scholar Binda Paranjpe, explains something that most people don’t realize: Hindus don’t have a single story of creation… There is no single scripture that starts with “In the Beginning,” that one can liken to the Book of Genesis that Christians have. During my first assignment when I studied in the Ecumenical Theological Seminary, I had to write about the story of creation. I was so overwhelmed by the various sources and multiple stories of creation that Hindus have, that I almost dropped out of the class! Soon after that, I was asked to write a piece for our local temple magazine to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin, and was able to leverage what I learned to explain how the Hindu stories of creation don’t conflict with the scientific theory of evolution. And Dr. Aseem Shukla, my fellow Board member at the Hindu American Foundation, took this particular issue to the mainstream, in the Washington Post/Newsweek’s “On Faith” column, explaining how “ancient Hinduism enlightens the modern notions of [creation and] evolution.”  

It has been interesting that in Christian-majority America, there has been a lot of debate around the compatibility of creation and evolution, in contrast to Hindu-majority India, where it has not been a contentious issue.  Classical Christian doctrine says God creates “ex nihilo, out of nothing,” but literal interpretations of the account of creation in Genesis have given rise to theories of creationism and intelligent design. Those who believe in the literal story of Genesis (which was actually written after other portions of the Bible) have strong objections to accepting Darwin’s theory of evolution. Many Hindu schools of thought do not treat scriptural creation myths/hymns literally. Often the creation stories themselves do not go into specific detail, so there is the possibility of incorporating at least some theories in support of evolution.

The central account of creation in Hinduism – the one that I think of first (“Sahasra sirsha purusha…”) – is found in the Rg Veda: the Purusha Suktam, the hymn of the Cosmic Man, Purusha, who was sacrificed by the Gods to create man. This sixteen-mantra poem is regarded as the oldest work on cosmic anatomy and ecology. It reveals that the universe is an infinite continuum of energy. Yet it describes this energy as a living force, with eyes, ears, arms, legs, hands and feet and heads watching over all of existence. Just as the universe guards the many limbs and energies of its infinite structure, so each of us is meant to become aware of the greater life force within us and its many aspects.

Further elaborations of the story of creation are told in the Puranas, Dharma Shastras, and other Hindu scriptures. The Hindu view of God’s creating the world from Himself is described in the Mundaka Upanishad 1.1.7: “As the spider sends forth and draws in its thread, as plants grow on the earth, as from every man hairs spring forth on the head and the body, thus does everything arise here from the Indestructible.” Manu Dharma Shastra 1.11-119, describes the creation of heaven and earth, of the soul, and of individual creatures. Manu, son of the first being, performed tapas, very difficult austerities, to create ten great sages who then created seven other Manus, who are progenitors of the human race in each age. Many scriptures talk of the creation as leela, a play of the divine. One couplet of the Dakshinamurthy Stotram – a hymn to Siva from the Advaita Vedanta tradition written by revered Hindu guru Adi Shankaracharya – refers to creation (viswam) itself “like a dream existing oneself or like a city seen in a mirror but appearing externally due to maya…” (viswam darpana drisya maana nagari tulyam…).

The conversation between Freeman and Paranjape closes with a dialogue and reference to the Nasadiya Sukta, from the Rg Veda (Ch. 10, Hymn 129, verses 1-7):

1 THEN was not non-existent nor existent: there was no realm of air, no sky beyond it.

What covered in, and where? and what gave shelter? Was water there, unfathomed depth of water?

2 Death was not then, nor was there aught immortal: no sign was there, the day’s and night’s divider.

That One Thing, breathless, breathed by its own nature: apart from it was nothing whatsoever.

3 Darkness there was: at first concealed in darkness this All was indiscriminated chaos.

All that existed then was void and form less: by the great power of Warmth was born that Unit.

4 Thereafter rose Desire in the beginning, Desire, the primal seed and germ of Spirit.

Sages who searched with their heart’s thought discovered the existent’s kinship in the non-existent.

5 Transversely was their severing line extended: what was above it then, and what below it?

There were begetters, there were mighty forces, free action here and energy up yonder

6 Who verily knows and who can here declare it, whence it was born and whence comes this creation?

The Gods are later than this world’s production. Who knows then whence it first came into being?

7 He, the first origin of this creation, whether he formed it all or did not form it,

Whose eye controls this world in highest heaven, he verily knows it, or perhaps he knows not.

The questions and the contrasting pronouncements that it contains allude to what Paranjape points out, that the story of Creation“is difficult to comprehend … [it’s] beyond us.” And Freeman takes it further: “Hindu philosophy is not to solve the riddle of creation that happened long ago – it’s to give thanks every day for the forces that allow us to be here, and continue to sustain us…. [Hindus believe that] the Gods weren’t even around at the original creation… even we if don’t share a common story of creation, all of us can share in one thing. The wonder and gratitude that we are here at all. Our beliefs have the power to unite us.”  

For more information regarding the National Geographic mini series The Story of God with Morgan Freeman be sure to check out the following links:

Website: http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/the-story-of-god-with-morgan-freeman/

What other Patheos Bloggers are saying about it: http://www.patheos.com/Topics/The-Story-of-God  

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Ancient Hindus, Hinduism

Are We A Hindu Rashtra?

Are We A Hindu Rashtra?

By Samuel Dhar

16 April, 2016
Countercurrents.org

Hinduism is not a religion. For that matter neither are Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikkhism and so on.

These are all COMMUNITIES.

Literal meaning of the Word, ‘Hindu’, coined by the Persians of the 7th century, is ‘universal’. By this definition, most of us who firmly believe in one Universal God, commonness of human kind and unity of social order, are true Hindus.

If screaming, ‘Bharat Mata ki Jae’ is the test of nationalism, many of us are not. India has always been a Patriarchal Community. Vedic folklore supposes Bharat, a male, to be the founder of the Nation known by his name.

A million dollar question is : “From where does the word ‘Mata’ get attached to Bharat?”

Our Bharat shall not become a Hindu Rashtra, simply by contorting and perverting its meaning and establishing an association with a so called religion.

As Guru Nanak said, “There is neither Hindu nor Mussulman (Muslim), but only man. So whose path shall I follow? I shall follow God’s path. God is neither Hindu nor Mussulman and the path which I follow is God’s.”

This is our heritage.

Many Holy Names for God, from many different traditions, are present in Sri Guru Granth Sahib. To name a few, ‘Hari’ appears 8344 times, ‘Ram’ 2533 times, Gopal 491 times, Gobind 475 times, Prabhu 1371 times and so on.

This is our heritage.

In the words of the Upanishads :

“Bala, darpa, kamam, moham, krodham, parigraham,
Nirmamah, Shanto Bhuae Kalpate.”

This is the true path of/to God; “Rid of the five sinful ways, born out of the five human indriyas, we can roam the entire ethereal space of the Universe, in peace; one with God”; I AM THAT I AM.

This too is our heritage.

By accepting the Rakhi sent by Rani Karnavati, Humayun gave birth to a new social order of a mixed culture.

This is our Heritage.

Are the ten Commandments only a Christian faith. Barring three of the first four, the other seven commandments are universal in nature :

Shall not take the LORD’s name in vain (Not swear).

Shall honour thy father and mother.

Shall not kill.

Shalt not commit adultery.

Shalt not steal.

Shalt not bear false witness.

Shalt not covet thy neighbor’s property, wife or servant.

Can all this too not be a part our heritage?

Recently, a circulated study report, painstakingly prepared by an esteemed fellow Indian, under the banner of Virat Hindu Sangam, found its way in my mail box, kind courtesy a fellow Veteran. The report lists thousands of Muslim shrines, mosques, mazars and dargahs, which were either built upon the ruins of or built with the materials of Hindu temples/shrines.

Even if the above report is taken on face value, most true Indians would not understand its purpose. What has the compiler tried to achieve?

How far in History do we go back? How much of distortion of History do we accept? At which point of time in History do we stop taking stock of edifices of a new order built on the ruins of an existing culture?

Extensive archaeological excavations have proved that before the Aryan migration into the ancient Indian subcontinent, IVC was a highly developed civilization on its frontiers, on the fertile flood plains of the Indus River and its vicinity. This civilization was attacked and annihilated. As the Vedic group advanced rapidly to the rest of the Indian Sub-Continent, the Dravidians retreated further East and South, till they had no were else to go. Poor Chaps!

The earliest evidence of religious practices of IVC date back approximately to 5500 BC; evidence suggests that the IVC had social conditions comparable to Sumeria and even superior to the contemporary Babylonians and Egyptians.

Whatever be the origin of the Aryans, it is an incontrovertible fact of history that the Aryans were not indigenous to India, were totally a different race than the Dravidians of IVC and that they completely destroyed the towns and cities of the latter civilization and established themselves atop its ruins.

Flying in the face of facts of both Archaeology and modern science, it has become fashionable for the Hindutva Brigade to state on authority, with the support of unverified arguments, that the Aryans were none other than those of IVC and were the original inhabitants of India,

Cristian Violatti, one of the editors of Ancient History Encyclopedia, has written, “Unlike the peace loving Dravidians of the IVC, Aryans in antiquity, were a nomadic war like tribe of cattle herders”.

This is borne by many an ancient account, a few of which are :

A number of key battles of Dasarajna’ or the ‘Dashradnya Yuddha’ or the Battle of the ten kings, spanning many years, described in the Rig Veda, resulted in the total destruction of the pre-Vedic culture and settlements.

Rig Veda also mentions the battles fought by the earlier Aryan King Devdosa, with non Aryan Dasa King Sambara, the death of the latter and the complete annihilation of 99 non Aryan cities.

Then of course, if any further proofs were required, we have our very own Mahabharat, through which the Vedic Philosophy was propounded in the Bhagwat Gita, the Upanishads and the Vedanta.

Who was the non-Aryan King Dasa and what was the non-Aryan civilization of the 99 cities completely destroyed by the Aryan King Devedosa?

Archaeological excavations of the IVC till date, carried out over almost 100 years, establish IVC’s flourishing and advanced nature, much beyond the competence of the nomadic Aryans of that period.

Some of us, who still wonder how such an advanced civilization like the IVC, suddenly vanished, have to look no further than the accounts in the Rig Veda, of wars waged by the Aryan King Devdosa as also the war of the ten Kings.

Archaeological excavations have uncovered a culture that had nothing in common with the culture of the Vedic Aryans. IVC people, unlike the Vedic Aryans of later years, were largely city bound and peaceful, followed no rituals but believed in philosophy, meditated, practised Yoga, reared or used no horses, had no iron tools/weapons, fought no wars, at least till the ones thrust upon them by the latter, had a language other than Sanskrit and had a script for writing on seals.

Much is made of by some private archaeologists and a handful of historians who have been trying to debunk the erstwhile established fact of the transmigration of the Aryans. I will recommend to these skeptics, the relevant web site of ASI for these latter day excavations http://asi.nic.in/asi_exca_imp_gujarat.asp. ASI which makes no such claims.

Whereas, copious written and Archaeological proofs of the existence of IVC spanning over three millenniums exist even today, there is not even a shred of similar proof of the legendary Vedic Aryan civilization which flourished thereafter; the unscripted literature, (For lack of a written script), is supposed to have survived orally for a millennium, before being reduced to writing around 600 BC.

A detailed study of the findings of the Archaeological sites will lead to the following conclusions :

(a) The IVC were not conversant with iron technology even as late as 1500 BC and were still using copper and bronze tools and making artifacts from these metals.

(b) The seals of the period were still being written in the same script as before.

(c) Carbon dating, firmly establishes the dating of excavated artifacts as between 3000 to 1500 BC.

(d) No mention of these sites are found in the Vedas or the Upanishads.

(e) IVC seals depict a creature we call unicorn bulls, mistaken as horses by some eager diggers, out to prove that Aryans were indigenous to India.

The word ‘Arya’ was used by the Indic people of the Vedic period in India. to refer to a geographic location known as Aryavarta, where Indo-Aryan culture flourished.
(Gopal Madan, 1990, ‘India through the ages’, Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. p. 70.).

The closely related Persian people used the same term as an ethnic label for themselves in the Avesta scriptures, and the word forms the etymological source of the country Iran. (Mallory 1991, p. 125).

It is difficult to understand how the word Hindu, coined by Persians in the 7th century BC, got hitched to a culture and oral literature at least a thousand years older ! Even if the existence of a Dravidian IVC culture is ignored, there is no Hindu connection to the origin of the Vedic Culture.

Given the mass of evidence, only a small part of which has been enumerated above, should one ask for the restoration of the Dravidian Institutions and culture of the IVC after destroying everything Vedic-Aryan? Preposterous? Yes, most definitely.

How logical is, then, the painstaking efforts of the Hindu Brigade under the encouragement of the Parivar, to reverse History, by listing destroyed so called Hindu shrines, with shrill calls for rebuilding all real or imaginary Hindu temples/shrines after destruction of the present Muslim monuments?

Samuel Dhar is an Army Engineer officer, who took premature retirement 28 years ago to practise as an engineering consultant, specialising in use of polymers in constructions. He has authored scores of Articles and book on philosophy, theology and Nationalism. He also has a collection of poetry. His Blog site, “Samuel’s World” as well as Sainik Darpan, has over 120 articles.

Ancient Hindus, Hinduism

Does unique geology make Hindu sacred sites marvellous?

By Pallava Bagla

NEW DELHI: What makes the Kailash Parbat, the Ram Setu and the Kedarnath temple such hallowed places? Scientists, believe it is the unique geological locations where they are situated that makes them stunning and worthy of veneration.

Kailash Parbat made of shale rocks resembles a Shiva Lingam; Ram Setu connects India to Sri Lanka and visible from space is a unique set of coral islands; while Kedarnath temple that withstood the 2013 flash floods sits on an unstable glacial moraine, where usually nothing would survive.

Interestingly scientists now also believe that pilgrimages to such diverse regions are a way of unification of the highly diverse cultures of India, which they think has ‘brought about a cross-fertilisation of thoughts’.

Writing about these unique sites, Kharag Singh Valdiya, a highly-regarded geologist and former vice chancellor of Kumoun University, Nanital, says, “Wandering sages and saints in ancient India (who) were unable to unravel the mystery of their origin and regarding them to be nature’s singular rather fantastic handiwork, imparted to them an altogether new meaning by investing them with the aura of divinity.”

When it is difficult to explain certain natural phenomenon with the existing knowledge humans often try to associate with divinity.

The much-venerated Om Parbat situated on the tri-junction of India-Tibet and Nepal when viewed from a distance gives the perfect impression of the letter ‘OM’ including the rightly placed dot.

Valdiya explains the Om Parbat is made up of “rocks folded twice in manner that the depressions within the arms of the overturned folds are filled round the year with ice and snow”, giving rise to geological calligraphy depicting the venerated Hindu word ‘OM’.

Incidentally, the 6,191-m-high peak, on whose face the letter ‘OM’ is etched, is made of rocks that bear lots of fossils, scientifically that means that millions of years ago the rocks were submerged under the sea, like most of the Himalayas were when the Indian plate was still drifting northwards.

The Amarnath cave in Jammu Kashmir, another big pilgrimage spot, houses a Shiva lingam made of ice, Valdiya says it is nothing but a “spectacular ice stalagmite”. This is very rare formation since water has to drip down from the roof and then freeze and the temperature has to be just right for a ‘lingam’ like structure to be formed. For most part of the year, the cave entrance is covered with snow.

Valdiya says “how can one not be impressed, if not awed by this geological marvel”. About 600,000 people visit this sacred site for the Hindus situated at an altitude of 3888 m even though the trek is arduous. It mesmerises the young and the old.

In southern India, the Ram Setu and the associated Rameshwaram Temple both are scared sites. The presence of a ‘Ram Setu’ which suggests a unified geology of India and the island of Sri Lanka. It is nothing but a unique set of coral islands that connect the two neighbours.

Legend has it that Lord Rama used this coral formation to cross over with his army when he invaded Lanka in search of his wife Sita who was abducted by Ravana.

Valdiya says this region is geologically singular, as “it is well known that corals grow in warm waters, shallow enough to be illuminated by sunlight. The sea-level rise brought submergence of the coral islands that once were close to the surface of sea and exposed to atmosphere”.

The Mount Kailash an imposing dome considered to be the abode of Lord Shiva is situated just north of the point where the massive Indian continental plate collides into the Eurasian plate.

The home of Lord Shiva has been formed it seems because the Indian plate has buckled up says Valdiya who adds that the lingam in the centre surrounded by the circular depression with a ring of hills resembling a ‘yoni’.

This constant pulling and tugging through plate tectonics or the movement of continents over geological times give this region a unique geological past and may be that is why sages of ancient times gave it a venerated status. The scenic beauty here is also stunning especially on a full moon night.

Writing in the latest issue of the best known Indian science journal Current Science Valdiya says “perusing through the map showing the locations of the 12 jyotirlings established in the ‘Purana’ times, two facts emerge, they are located in all parts of the Indian sub-continent, reaching out to all ethnic groups living in the country ‘Bharatvarsh’. Their situations happen to be of great geodynamic significance, particularly related to the Indian landmass”.

Valdiya summarises that the “leading lights of the society must have realised that only spectacular features, particularly located in in picturesque places can attract people, even those who are non-believers and agnostics. The geological marvels or wonders were thus chosen as seats (dham) of Lord Shiva, the most loved god of those times and even now”. From Somnath in the west to Badrinath in the north to Rameshwaram in the south, all are located at unique geological locations.

Unique flood plain geology is home to the Kumbh mela that takes place in Allahabad at the Sangam. It is believed the Kumbh mela is the single largest congregation of human beings on earth to take place at a single location.

In 2013 it was estimated that 120 million people gathered on the sandy banks where two mighty rivers Ganga and Yamuna meet, while legend has it that the mythical river Saraswati also mingles here making the waters highly venerated.

The Kumbh mela in times gone by offered people a specific venue at a time pre-decided 12 years ahead to plan their travel congregate, network and learn from each other. A modern day conference one could say.

Valdiya who now works at the top scientific institution the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru, says “one may dismiss the ‘Puranas’ and the epics such as Mahabharat as works of fiction. But one cannot deny that geological marvels regarded or designated as shrines are indeed located precisely where these ancient texts describe, the narratives perfectly matching with the reality”.

The role of undertaking pilgrimages has also been given a modern scientific rational by Valdiya in his analysis he says, “The idea behind the practice of visiting shrines was to persuade and spur pilgrims and travellers to know people who live in different terrains, have different lifestyles… who observed different socio-cultural practices. The pilgrims as they criss-crossed the country… presumably may have been a movement to promote the idea of one nation-one India.”

Indeed this mapping of spectacular geology with locations of scared Hindu sites offers a new understanding of what makes India so very accommodative and inclusive.

Hindu, Hinduism, Dharma, Hindu Culture