(The Blog is reverently for all the seekers of truth,
lovers of wisdom and to share the Hindu Dharma with others on the
spiritual path and also this is purely a non-commercial blog)
Global Dharma
INDIA
Nataraja’s Priests Persevere
ON
THE MORNING OF JANUARY 6, 2014, India’s Supreme Court handed down its ruling
for the management of the ancient Nataraja temple in Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu. A
2009 Madras High Court decision had put the management in State hands. On
appeal, the Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the Podu Dikshitars, the
hereditary priesthood who have managed the temple for over 2,000 years. The
verdict was widely celebrated, as state control of temples—particularly one so
revered—is a disputed issue.
Back
in 1951, India passed a revised Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Act
(HR&CE) which permits state governments to assume control over any Hindu
temple deemed by them to be in need of such oversight. It allows management of
just about everything, from finances and priests to properties and pujas. Tamil
Nadu’s HR&CE department currently manages more than 36,000 temples
throughout the state.
In
the 2009 court case, which had removed the Podu Dikshitars from their
long-standing position, the HR&CE department contended that the temple was
being mismanaged—an unproven charge. The State also claimed that the Dikshitars
were not a legitimate religious organization, an official classification that
had protected their authority under India’s constitution ever since a 1952
Supreme Court ruling. The 2009 decision, by the lower court, favored the State,
which then took management of the temple, installed donation boxes and
attempted to regulate the temple finances. An appeal of the 2009 decision would
reach India’s Supreme Court just a few years later.
Late
last year, that court’s justices accepted the appeal filed by BJP leader
Subramanian Swamy on behalf of the Podu Dikshitars against the 2009 Madras High
Court verdict. Dr. Subramanian Swamy argued that the right of the Dikshitars to
manage the temple could not be taken away by the government. He said any claims
of financial impropriety could be dealt with under existing law without taking
over the temple’s management.
The
justices agreed, and ruled that the case, regarding the Dikshitars’ right to
manage the temple affairs, recognized by the Supreme Court in 1952, should not
have been reopened—let alone repealed—by the lower Madras Court.
Unlike
the US, India’s constitution does not rigidly separate church and state. In
theory, the idea is equal state treatment of all religions; but in practice,
only Hindu institutions are subject to government control. In some cases,
wealthy state-run temples receive only a part of their donations, with the rest
going to secular government coffers. Such a situation might put some devotees
on edge, not knowing if their donations to the temple will go to the Deity or
to the state.
This
landmark case could pave the way for reversing HR&CE-enacted control over
other temples.
USA
Ticket, Bags, Security... Yoga?
ANEW
AMENITY IS EMERGING at airports across the US—the yoga and meditation room. It
started in Terminal 2 at San Francisco International, an apt point of origin,
given yoga’s popularity in the Bay Area. The idea is to give stressed
travellers an oasis in which to relax and find their inner quiet.
Passengers
can now take a break from the rush of travel at similar rooms across the
country. They’ve opened already in the international airports at Burlington,
Dallas-Fort Worth, Albuquerque, Raleigh-Durham and Chicago O’Hare, with others
in the planning stages.
According
to an article in today.com,
O’Hare’s Terminal 3 yoga room is relatively small and features a bamboo wood
floor, tall mirrors on one wall and exercise mats.
Debby
McElroy of Airports Council International-North America told the New York Daily News in 2012, “I expect other airports will
be looking at whether a yoga room at their airport makes sense.” So next time
you fly, keep a lookout for a chance to look in.
NORWAY
Meatless Mondays
ACCORDING
TO A NOVEMBER article by Agence France Presse, the Norwegian military has
announced “Meatless Mondays” in an attempt to lessen the environmental impact
of meat consumption. As the name suggests, the military will observe a
completely vegetarian menu one day a week, though not necessarily on Mondays.
The
program has already been introduced to one of Norway’s main bases and is to be
implemented throughout the Norwegian army over the next year. Estimates are
that the program will cut some 330,000 pounds of meat from the army’s annual
diet. The plan is being praised by a local environmental organization which
hopes once-a-week veggies will spread nationwide. Local army spokesman Eystein
Kvarving told AFP, “It’s not about saving money, it’s about being more
concerned for our climate, more ecologically friendly and also healthier.”
Pal
Stenberg, a nutritionist and navy commander who heads up the army’s catering
division—in charge of feeding 10,000 Norwegian troops 35,000 meals per day—said
the soldiers have generally responded well.
BALI
Technology Helping Tradition
D ECEMBER 12 THROUGH 15,
2013, saw the first observance of a new IT festival in Bali. According to The Jakarta Post, the Denpasar Technology, Information and
Communication Festival included seminars, workshops, entertainment and
competitions for blogging and animation.
Among
the many innovators were more than a few university students who had created
culturally-based video games and applications. Many of their ideas were aimed
at preserving Balinese culture through an evolving technological age. Their
creations include games about Balinese classic masks, folklore and the making
of temple offerings.
For
one free, Android-based game, visit: bit.ly/dkala. You can also check out
another student’s tutorial to learn Balinese at BasaBali.org. What a fun way to keep culture
alive!
CAMBODIA
Repatriating Stolen Statues
IN
AN AGREEMENT SIGNED DECEMBER, 2013, an ancient statue of a Hindu warrior looted
from a temple in Cambodia will be returned to the country. The 10th-century
carving is valued at over $2 million.
According
to The New York Times, Sotheby’s auction house had come into possession of the
statue, but denied any knowledge of its having been stolen.
During
the 1970 civil war, many of Cambodia’s precious artifacts disappeared,
particularly those from the Koh Ker Hindu temple complex in the North. Many of
these artifacts eventually found their way to American museums. Just last year
the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York returned two similar sandstone
statues known as the Kneeling Attendants, pieces clearly related to the Hindu
warrior in style.
US
attorney Preet Bharara has affirmed, “The United States is not a market for
antiquities stolen from other nations, and we will continue to track down and
return any that are brought here illegally.” US officials are presently
assisting Cambodia in the search for its many missing artifacts.
SCIENCE
Hinduism’s Biological Benefits
SEVERAL RECENT SCIENTIFIC studies have delved
into some of the meditative and worshipful practices found in Hinduism. The
studies have produced fascinating medical findings about the rewards of these
practices when regularly performed, adding to the long list of benefits of
living a religious life.
Lord
Ganesha is always a good place to start. A recent study conducted by Yale
neurobiologist Dr. Eugenius Ang shows that an age-old greeting to Ganesha,
thoppukaranam, as it is known in Tamil,
has been proven to synchronize the right and left hemispheres of the brain. Ang
used EEG readings to measure the brain’s neuron firings, which were found to
become fully lateralized after five minutes of the practice.
This
ancient Hindu technique (touted now as “new”) involves squeezing your right
earlobe with the thumb and forefinger of your left hand, then crossing your
right hand over to grasp the other. You then bob your body up and down before
Ganesha, breathing in as you go down and out as you rise. This is commonly
prescribed by teachers in India for unruly behavior in classrooms, and
scientific studies have now shown it effectively creates mental balance.
Children with autism, attention deficit disorder and other behavioral problems
have been shown to benefit from the practice.
A
recent yalescientific.org article reports another
study, led by Dr. Judson Brewer of the Yale School of Medicine, which found undeniable
functional changes in the brains of experienced meditators. Brewer used fMRI
scanning to measure levels of concentrated oxygen in the brain—correlating to
brain activity. The study showed that compared with non-meditators, those who
meditated regularly had altered neural connections. The most prominently noted
was an unexpected bridging of two different brain regions, both crucial for
cognitive control. To Brewer’s surprise, this co-activation persisted during
non-meditative periods, showing that with regular practice, the brain reforms
itself deeper and deeper into a constant meditative state.
A
2012 study by Nobel Prize winner Elizabeth Blackburn and other scientists at
the University of California found that just twelve minutes of daily meditation
over a period of eight weeks increased telomerase activity by 43 percent.
Responsible for chromosomal upkeep, the telomerase enzyme is crucial for a
cell’s longevity, and therefore that of your body.
These
are just a few of the many intriguing studies creating a strong bridge between
the scientific community and the wisdom of the ancient past.
Briefly …
A FIVE-DAY WORKSHOP FOR HINDU
priests was held in Nadi, Fiji, in December, 2013. According to the Fiji Times, the classes, open to Nadi priests and the public, helped to improve and standardize their ritual knowledge. Dr. Meenakshi and Dr. Acharya Sharma, founders of the Sydney Sanskrit School, came to teach the workshop, which was organized by Yaadein Vision Australia.
THE CITY COUNCIL OF ADEJE
on Tenerife in the Canary Islands has recently approved the transfer of several acres of government land to the Hindu Cultural Center, free of charge. The Cultural Center’s plan is to use the land for the building of a temple and, according to one community leader, “to give a place for our children to meet and make sure they don’t lose their culture.”
NEW RULES HAVE BEEN
implemented at Batu Caves, the famous Malaysian pilgrimage site. Kavadi, the penance offered to Lord Murugan, is often accompanied by body piercings with small silver spears or hooks. In recent years many devotees have strayed from traditional standards, some flouting advertizing on their spears or hanging unconventional items from their piercings. Under the new rules, devotees cannot carry fancy kavadis bearing logos of their associations, favorite soccer clubs, movie stars and uncommon fruits and other non-traditional items. Visitors must refrain from wearing short pants or skirts, running at the premises, bringing pets, smoking and spitting. Those who do not follow the standards will not be allowed inside the temple.
ACCORDING NEW ZEALAND’S 2013
census, the Indian population has risen 48 percent since 2006, to 155,000 today, making it the second largest Asian ethnic group in the country. Census General Manager Sarah Minson stated, “It’s interesting to note that there are more ethnicities in New Zealand than there are countries in the world.”
IN THE INDIAN STATE OF JAMMU
and Kashmir, 550,000 trees have been planted at Trikuta Hills. The area houses the cave shrine of Mata Vaishnodevi, a popular pilgrimage site. The planting, which has continued over the last four years, is an effort to preserve the environment and make the area greener, especially along the heavily traveled route to the shrine.
Om Tat Sat
(Continued...)
(Continued...)
(My humble salutations to Sadguru Sri Sivaya Subramuniyaswami
ji, Satguru Bodhianatha Velayanswami ji, Hinduism
Today and Articles writers for the collection)
(The Blog is reverently for all the seekers of truth,
lovers of wisdom and to share the Hindu Dharma with others on the
spiritual path and also this is purely a non-commercial blog)
)
0 comments:
Post a Comment