Dt: 29/10/18
How do we build the Hindu Community
Dr T.H.Chowdary*
There are several denominations among Christians - Methodists, Baptists, 7th Day Adventists, Anglicans, Catholics, Syrian Christians , Russian Orthodox etc., up to over eighty. Christians of each denomination go to their Church on Sunday, are harangued by a priest, pray together, receive the sacrament and fraternise with one another.
2. Among Muslims there are Sunnis, Shias, Ismailis, Ahmedias, Bohras. Followers go to their respective mosques on Fridays, pray together led by an Imam who delivers a sermon including comments on social and political affairs that affect Muslims .
3. Among us Hindus , some are devotees of Hanuman; Rama; Durga; Siva; Lord Venkateswara, Kali etc. Since Sunday is holiday for all, the devotees of Hanuman should go to the Hanuman temple; devotees of Balaji to Venkateswara temple, devotees of Siva to Siva temple and so on. There could be two congregations, morning and evening.
4. If there are several Hanuman/ Siva/ Balaji temples in a town / city, two/ three may be chosen for these congregations.
5. The service should start with a pravachan in the nature of exposition on Dharma; drawing from episodes in Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavata etc. We must train and remunerate Pravachan kars.
6. The pravachan should be followed by a Bhajan. We must train Bhajan Gurus and remunerate them. The Bhajan should be followed by distribution of Prasadam.
7. The present practice of individuals and families visiting temples on different days, at different times and having darshans and having pujas performed by Archakas may continue.
8. But in order to forge and foster the Hindu community to preserve, promote and defend Hindu dharma, Sunday congregations at temples of different deities ( Ishta Devatas) must be organised.
8. We may recall that the late Lokamanya Bala Gangadhar Tilak initiated and popularised community Ganeshotsavas precisely to build Hindu communities and forge solidarity among Hindus, transcending caste and language and hometown. Every day, during the festival, there used to be Chakri Vyakhyaanas - Round Table discussions conducted by leading intellectuals. Through and at these discussion,9 desabhakti (patriotism) along with Daivabhakti was promoted.
10.
The poet laureate Lord Tennyson of England wrote :
The old order changeth yielding place to new
Let one good custom should corrupt the entire world.
11. Hinduism is not a dogma; it is most rational and in tune with nature; that is why it is called dharma, that which upholds, keeps together.
12. Islamists and Christian evangelists are essentially in tolerant of each other and together, intolerant of Hindu – Buddhist-Jainism-Sikh. They are Internationally funded and motivated to convert Hindus . They find fissures (like caste, poverty, ignorance) among us and widen them. They are aided by resident, non-Indians- RNIs ( Marxists- Communists-left-liberals “secular” anti-Hindus). The historic means of exposition of Dharma like Harikathas, Melas, itinerant Haridasas and Swamis are dying; in any case they are inadequate in a fast urbanising society. That is why I am proposing the building of a vigorous Hindu community just like Christian and Muslim communities. Just as Churches and Mosques are centers of community solidarity, so should our temples become.
11. Finally, we may note that strong Hindu communities, transcending language and caste have emerged among Hindu emigrants in Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago; Mauritius and Fiji and even in South Africa. Temples there are called “Hindu Churches “ and Hindus visit these on Sundays, while Christians go to their different Churches . Ramacharita Manas of Tulsidas is their “Bible” and the “service” resembles that in Churches. This is how Hinduism is preserved despite the former colonial masters/ rulers’ patronage to Christianity . (592 words)
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