Take a look at the article printed in the Financial Express.
"Amidst the row sparked by Kannada actress Jaimala's confession that she had once touched the idol of Lord Ayyappa at Sabarimala, Kerala government on Thursday said it will not interfere in the customs followed by the temple, including its ban on women in the 10-50 age group from praying at the hill shrine. It was for the temple authorities and institutions like Travancore Devaswom Board to decide on issues concerning customs followed by the temple for centuries and the government did not intend to interfere in them, Devaswom Minister G Sudhakaran told the State Assembly. CPI MLA N Aniruddhan had sought to know from the minister whether the practice of not allowing women to visit Sabarimala did not amount to gender discrimination. The minister however, evaded a direct reply to supplementaries on the Jaimala incident. While some of the members sought to drag the minister into the Jaimala episode, he said it was better to skip a debate on the issue, as the main question being considered by the house was the master plan for the development of Sabarimala.
Meanwhile, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad demanded a comprehensive inquiry into Jaimala's claim that she had not only visited the temple in her youth but also touched the idol of the deity after being pushed into the sanctum sanctorum by the heavy rush of pilgrims.
"The actress's claim has created grave anxiety in the minds of devotees. They have the right to know whether that version is true or just a concocted story. It is necessary to bring out the truth through a thorough probe," VHP state organising secretary Kummanam Rajasekharan said in a statement. If Jaimala's claim proved to be true, it would amount to breach of the temple's traditions. In such an event, those responsible for defilement and encroachment should be punished, he said."
I have long held the view that any creation of man that seeks to divide the human race is detrimental to its very creators...caste, creed, and religion fall under this umbrella and I therefore would rather they didn't exist. The world fights and spills blood over the above mentioned. India seems to have its own troubles as the article above reinforces. You think I'm being simplistic? Perhaps...
The purpose of religion was spiritual enlightenment and worldly wisdom, started I'm sure, with peace, harmony and prosperity as its goal. We are taught, 'God is everywhere', 'God lies in action', 'God lies within us'. We must therefore kill, murder, maim, rape, burn, wound and destroy, all in his name. The VHP secretary wants a probe, apparently. Joker. Like all things change and adapt to keep pace with time, religion too needs to evolve to remain relevant and generally to make the world a better place...(very 'We are the world' ish, but whatever). Idol worship, superstition and caste system are somethings I would rather not be part of the religion that coming generations embrace. They will have their problems I'm sure, but they will not have ours. I do not want my children's blood spilled over cries of, "MY God Strooongestt!!" We fail to see the futility in spending eons of time and negative energy in brick, stone, colour of skin and status, instead of diverting that into positive action...wait, isn't that what all religion advocates in anycase?? What I want to see is the removal of the dead weight and the forging of a more relevant and meaningful 'religion'. Enforce the philosphy, the ends, and not the superstitious manifestations. Walking around a stone 11 times will not cure your troubles, my friend, having faith in oneself and going about fighting them might help though (and in doing that, you find God)...also, slaughtering a cow or killing 'infidels' and 'heathens' will not get you too far either. Lets the keep the positives and restrict the negatives, the things that are driven by fanatics, superstition, apprehension and fear. I am not saying stop believing in God. You feel free to have your concept of God...but whatever it is, it shouldn't be worth killing for. I don't care if a girl touched the shrine. I care if the print space devoted to the article could have been devoted to something more important like lack of education, poverty, and corruption and what action has been taken against them. Only through positive action will we be happier, more content and at peace with ourselves.
I have taken a stance. I wish the rest of you would follow. There are gaps in my philosophy, I'm sure. I have my God. I am at peace with Him. He lies not in the confines of walls which cannot be touched by a woman. He lies inside me. He lies everywhere.
Cheers!
Abhishek.
"Amidst the row sparked by Kannada actress Jaimala's confession that she had once touched the idol of Lord Ayyappa at Sabarimala, Kerala government on Thursday said it will not interfere in the customs followed by the temple, including its ban on women in the 10-50 age group from praying at the hill shrine. It was for the temple authorities and institutions like Travancore Devaswom Board to decide on issues concerning customs followed by the temple for centuries and the government did not intend to interfere in them, Devaswom Minister G Sudhakaran told the State Assembly. CPI MLA N Aniruddhan had sought to know from the minister whether the practice of not allowing women to visit Sabarimala did not amount to gender discrimination. The minister however, evaded a direct reply to supplementaries on the Jaimala incident. While some of the members sought to drag the minister into the Jaimala episode, he said it was better to skip a debate on the issue, as the main question being considered by the house was the master plan for the development of Sabarimala.
Meanwhile, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad demanded a comprehensive inquiry into Jaimala's claim that she had not only visited the temple in her youth but also touched the idol of the deity after being pushed into the sanctum sanctorum by the heavy rush of pilgrims.
"The actress's claim has created grave anxiety in the minds of devotees. They have the right to know whether that version is true or just a concocted story. It is necessary to bring out the truth through a thorough probe," VHP state organising secretary Kummanam Rajasekharan said in a statement. If Jaimala's claim proved to be true, it would amount to breach of the temple's traditions. In such an event, those responsible for defilement and encroachment should be punished, he said."
I have long held the view that any creation of man that seeks to divide the human race is detrimental to its very creators...caste, creed, and religion fall under this umbrella and I therefore would rather they didn't exist. The world fights and spills blood over the above mentioned. India seems to have its own troubles as the article above reinforces. You think I'm being simplistic? Perhaps...
The purpose of religion was spiritual enlightenment and worldly wisdom, started I'm sure, with peace, harmony and prosperity as its goal. We are taught, 'God is everywhere', 'God lies in action', 'God lies within us'. We must therefore kill, murder, maim, rape, burn, wound and destroy, all in his name. The VHP secretary wants a probe, apparently. Joker. Like all things change and adapt to keep pace with time, religion too needs to evolve to remain relevant and generally to make the world a better place...(very 'We are the world' ish, but whatever). Idol worship, superstition and caste system are somethings I would rather not be part of the religion that coming generations embrace. They will have their problems I'm sure, but they will not have ours. I do not want my children's blood spilled over cries of, "MY God Strooongestt!!" We fail to see the futility in spending eons of time and negative energy in brick, stone, colour of skin and status, instead of diverting that into positive action...wait, isn't that what all religion advocates in anycase?? What I want to see is the removal of the dead weight and the forging of a more relevant and meaningful 'religion'. Enforce the philosphy, the ends, and not the superstitious manifestations. Walking around a stone 11 times will not cure your troubles, my friend, having faith in oneself and going about fighting them might help though (and in doing that, you find God)...also, slaughtering a cow or killing 'infidels' and 'heathens' will not get you too far either. Lets the keep the positives and restrict the negatives, the things that are driven by fanatics, superstition, apprehension and fear. I am not saying stop believing in God. You feel free to have your concept of God...but whatever it is, it shouldn't be worth killing for. I don't care if a girl touched the shrine. I care if the print space devoted to the article could have been devoted to something more important like lack of education, poverty, and corruption and what action has been taken against them. Only through positive action will we be happier, more content and at peace with ourselves.
I have taken a stance. I wish the rest of you would follow. There are gaps in my philosophy, I'm sure. I have my God. I am at peace with Him. He lies not in the confines of walls which cannot be touched by a woman. He lies inside me. He lies everywhere.
Cheers!
Abhishek.
8 comments:
On the religious issue, I stand somewhere between an agnostic and an atheist. Religion is a matter of choice.The religion/temple has as much freedom to enforce rules and expect people to conform to it as much as the choice as we have to reject going there.
If the Govt is funding the temple, then its discrimination because its taxpayer's money , else , its a matter of pure choice.If the former PM of India wasn't allowed inside the temple on caste grounds, where are the mere actresses ?
Point taken………very aptly put…….but while I agree with most of what you say, one bit I differ slightly is where you mentioned idol worship, etc. Ya, people should not fight in the name of God, but there are some who draw inner strength by just standing and praying in front of idols….just that 'piece of stone' may serve a source of immense power and self-control for many, and i’ve actually seen that happen. so that is something which i think should be “each to his own”…….so long as, like you rightly said, there isn’t "blood spilled over cries of, MY God Strooongestt!!"
Sir, aapke josh bhare posting ko pad ke shaer arz hai:
"tujhe kaun janta tha meri dosti se pahle,
tera husn kuch nahi tha meri ashiqui se pahle.
meri kadr kar khudaya tujhe maine khuda banaya,
tujhe kaun poojta tha meri bandagi se pahle.
koi sheikh ban gaya hai koi ban gaya brahman,
har shaskh aadmi tha teri bandagi se pahle"
cogito and stuti - if it was each to his own, my friends, the world would not be where it is today...
gaurav - wah wah!
Hey,
This is the one of those irritating news we hear which just dont seem to make sense!!
Firstly dont understand why something that happened yrs agi had to be bought up now!!!
Secondly why cant we look at it as a mistake and move on!!..Why are we commercialising god for our benefit!
Man thats a power packed blog.
All I have to say is that the male's ego is playing up again. I really don't think the issue is about the idol or the tradition. Rather its about Jaimala - a 'woman' intruding into a territory considered exclusive to the male species.
Cheers!!!
anand , ashok - great to hear your points of view guys...this is something society as a whole must form an opinion on and move forward with...enough with godmen...
there is a line somewhere i read which goes something like this ... to protect my right to free speech i have to accept the right to free speech of a fundamentalist.
sure i consider it trivial and not worth print space about but someone else might not... so as long as nobody forces me to act as i dont like i cant force anyone to act as i like ... agree with the earlier comment that if the govt is funding the temple they should not be allowed to do so but if it merely a private thing they should be allowed to do as they please bcoz in that right also lies my right to do wht i want
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