Shravan Shukla 10 Vik Samvat 2070. Yugabda 5115: August 16, 2013

1. FESTIVALS: Sri Ganesh Chaturthi Bhadrapad Shukla 4, September 9 this year, is the birthday (rebirth) of Ganesha, the son of Shiva and Parvati. Ganesha, recreated by Bhagwan Shiva after beheading him by putting an elephant head on his trunk,  is worshipped as the god of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune and traditionally invoked at the beginning of any new venture or at the start of travel. The festival is observed for 10 days from Bhadrapad shukla 4 to Ananat Chaturdashi i.e. Shukla 14.

In houses, a small clay idol is worshipped, sweets offered and aartis are performed before it is taken to river or sea for Visarjan. The festival has also taken a public form where tall ganesh statues are placed in huge pandals, decorations made, cultural programs organized and lakhs participate in Visarjan processions.

It is celebrated all over Bharat, more predominantly in Maharashtra, TamilNadu, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Odisha and Chhattisgarh. Outside Bharat, it is celebrated widely in Nepal and by Hindus in the United States, Canada, Mauritius UK Thailand, Burma, Fiji, Trinidad & Tobago, and Guyana etc.

2. RASHTRAPATI PRANAB MUKHERJEE’S ADDRESS ON THE EVE OF 67^TH INDEPENDENCE DAY (Excerpts): Democracy breathes through a vibrant Parliament, an independent judiciary, a responsible media, a vigilant civil society, and a bureaucracy committed to integrity and hard work. It survives through accountability, not profligacy. We need a Parliament that debates, discusses and decides. We need a judiciary that gives justice without delays. We need leadership that is committed to the nation and those values that made us a great civilization. Takshashila, Nalanda, Vikramashila, Valabhi, Somapura and Odantapuri comprised the ancient university system that dominated the world for eighteen hundred years beginning Sixth Century BC. A university is the banyan tree whose roots lie in basic education; we have to invest in every part of this knowledge tree, from seed, root and branch to the highest leaf.

Corruption has become a major challenge. The precious resources of the nation are being wasted through indolence and indifference. We have to rapidly empower the local bodies with functions, functionaries and finances to improve their performance.

The last decade has seen India emerge as one of the fastest growing nations in the world. In a globalized world, with increasing economic complexities, we have to learn to cope better with adversities, both external and domestic.          Our highest priority has to be the elimination of poverty. In our race for development, we must be careful not to disturb the balance between man and nature. Our commitment to peace is unfailing but even our patience has limits.

Rashtrapatiji called upon people to elect a stable government in the next general elections which will ensure security and economic development.

3. BHARAT LAUNCHES INS VIKRANT: Bharat launched its first indigenously-built aircraft carrier on August 12, a landmark moment in the $5 billion project that seeks to project the country's power and check the rising influence of China.When the INS Vikrant comes into full service in 2018, Bharat will become the fifth nation to have designed and built its own aircraft carrier, pushing ahead of China to join an elite club that includes Britain, France, Russia and the United States. The ship, which will be fitted with weaponary and machinery and then tested over the next four years, is a major advance for a country competing for influence in Asia, analysts say.

4. ‘Cultural nationalism- The Bharatiya perspective’: Delivering the valedictory address of a 2-day National Seminar organised by India Foundation and Center for Study of Religion and Society (CSRS), New Delhi along with The Mythic Society, Bangalore on ‘Cultural Nationalism: The Bharatiya Perspective’ on 8^th August, 2013 at Bangalore, RSS Sah-Sarakaryavah Dattatreya Hosbale said that ‘Vedic Rashtra’ was not born out of wars and clashes but was born out of similar cultures. In Bharat, the Vedas, our rishis and people came together to form a nation. Rashtra may have a geographical boundary but it also has a spiritual and ethical connotation to it. The meaning of Rashtra may encompass the whole world. Our idea of a Rashtra is for spiritual emancipation whereas nation is for a political purpose.

Bharat was one before 1947 but now it has been divided into three states. I had once met a Bangladeshi citizen who when born was a Bharatiya. He belonged to Bharatiya nation. After 1947, East Pakistan was formed and he became a citizen of Pakistan. Again in 1971 Bangladesh was formed and he became a Bangladeshi Citizen. What we may observe here is that his state had changed but not his nationality. Nation is a Socio-Political concept whereas ‘Rashtra’ is a Socio-Cultural concept.

I had once asked a Jewish diplomat that since the Jews were spread all over the world for about 2000 years and in the meanwhile they would have intermingled and married across other cultures and religions and yet how could they claim that they are one nation still and what formed the basis of their nationalism even after these 2000 years. He said two things formed the basis of their nation even after these 2000 years of disparate existence. They are culture and religion. He said wherever we Jews lived, we followed our culture and religion. At conscious level we always felt as one nation. Common history, common traditions, common feelings form a nation. 

As one writer said, nation is a soul. In our nation, the national consciousness has been carried over various generations. Once Annadurai, former CM of Tamilnadu, in the Lok Sabha spoke of protecting our Himalayas during China war. Later many asked him as to why was he concerned about protecting the Himalayas which had no border with his state and was separated by thousands on kilometers. Annadurai answered that they belonged to one culture and shared the same history. This is cultural consciousness.

We also need to look into the role of proverbs in our nation. Where ever we go to any part of our nation, we get to hear the same proverb albeit in different languages. For example when a person whom we were talking about arrives, we wish him a hundred years. Even while I was at a remotest place like Demchuk, a local man quoted the same proverb when met with similar situation. One more example is ‘Namaste’. ‘Namaste’ is the same all over our nation. Even ‘Tilak’ on the forehead is a common symbol.

Cultural nationalism is something we are living but has been forgotten due to current political discourses. We need to understand it in right perspective. Cultural nationalism is not just a subject for the academia.” Kennedy once said, “Geography has made us neighbors. History has made us friends. Economics has made us partners, and necessity has made us allies”. Similarly, Geography has made us a country, our history has made us a nation. Cultural nationalism is part and parcel of our life and we live it in our daily lives.” – Report by Prashanth Vaidyaraj for VSK, Karnataka.

5. Be the change to change the society: Mohan Bhagwat: “If you want to bring change in your favour, you be the change,” said Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Sarsanghachalak Shri Mohan Bhagwat in Nagpur on July 25. He was addressing the closely packed audience gathered at Vasantrao Deshpande Hall to commemorate the 87th anniversary of famous Marathi daily Tarun Bharat published from Nagpur since 1926. Stressing the role of media and newspapers in awakening the masses, Bhagwat praised Tarun Bharat for devoting itself to this mission since its first issue. Tarun Bharat, he said, “is not just another newspaper, but is a thought that inspires everybody in the society”.

Ashutosh, Managing Editor, IBN 7 Channel said that the media has emerged as a powerful tool that has brought the change in the society changing its time and space both. Recalling the sayings and observations of Swami Vivekananda, Ashutosh said we must remove the fear of the new and face the change boldly if we have to survive and make our nation a world leader.

Earlier, a short documentary on the journey of Tarun Bharat was screened. All the living former editors including MG Vaidya, DB alias Mamasaheb Ghumre, LT Joshi, Wamanrao Telang and Sudhir Pathak were felicitated.

6. Bharat Parikrama Yatra Completes ONE YEAR: It began with the sole aim to uplift rural Bharatiya life; RSS former Seva Pramukh Sitaram Kedilaya led Bharat Parikrama Yatra reached Badanor Village of Bhilawada district in Rajasthan, on its 365th day, marking the completion of a successful year.

Last year on August 09, 2012 the Bharat Parikrama Yatra was launched from Kanyakumari. On August 08, 2013 it completed successful 365 days traversing nearly 400 villages of 7 states, covering approximately 4000 Kilometers of journey. On July 03, 2013 Rajasthan became the 7th state to receive ‘Bharat Parikrama Yatra’, which entered the state on July 3rd from neighboring Gujarat. Yatra will continue in Rajasthan till September 25, 2013.

7. Congress Mukt Bharat is the best tribute to Bharat: Narendra Modi: “Today the atmosphere is of a Congress Mukt Bharat. I appeal to all parties here. What can be the best tribute to Bharat? It is a Congress Mukt Bharat”, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi said in a big round of applause, addreesing the mega public meeting-Nava Bharat Yuva Bheri" (New Bharat's Youth Conclave) in Hyderabad on August 11. It was Modi’s first mega public speech after being appointed as a chairperson of election campaign of BJP.

Attacking Congress led UPA government, Modi said, “One family has ruled for decades but they have failed to do anything for the common man.” No food, clothing, shelter is the doing of the Congress. To change this we need to walk on path of development, he added. Advocating inclusive development he said that development is the only way ahead. In development lies solution to all problems.

Thousands of people turned up at the stadium to hear Modi. The stadium, in the heart of the city, was filled to its capacity by 2 p.m, two hours before he reached the venue.

8. Project Nirman, Bilaspur: An instrument of social change: Vanvasi Vikas Samiti is a social voluntary organization working in Chattisgarh state. VVS is running Project Nirman at Bilaspur which is a free coaching centre for Janjati youths. Nirman provides coaching for competitive exams for youths who come from educationally backward remote villages. This project is being run for the last three years.

This year students of project Nirman appeared for various exams and 55 students successfully got through the exams. Students secured jobs in the field of Banking, Railway, Police, Veterinary, Education and income tax services. Felicitation programme of successful students was organized on 21 July at Ram Mandir auditorium in Bilaspur.

9. YOGA EDUCATION MADE COMPULSORY IN MADHYA PRADESH: Yoga education will be made compulsory in schools of the state from class 1 to V. Addressing a meeting of Madhya Pradesh Yoga Parishad, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan directed to prepare course for practical and theory for Yoga education. Chouhan said that Yoga education should be imparted from childhood so that its foundation is strengthened. About availability of Yoga teachers, Chouhan said that initially, master trainers should be raised. These trainers will train teachers. Chouhan directed School Education Department to prepare Yoga education course and outlines for teachers' training within a month.

It is noteworthy that Yoga education is being imparted to students of class VI to VIII in the state. Under it, teaching and reading material has been provided for Yoga introduction, Yogic postures, Surya Namaskar, aasan, pranayam, mudras and meditation. At the meeting, issues pertaining to Yoga education's training and availability of Yoga teachers were also discussed.

10.   Ram Madhav on Face BOOK ON 5 August: One of our Pracharaks, in early 40s, met with a tragic train accident and died two days ago. He was a very gentle and lovable guy. Thousands turned up at his funeral.

His elder brother performed the last rites. What he and his wife said after the funeral was really inspiring and touching. 'My brother dedicated his life to the RSS. There should be at least one Pracharak in our family. ‘If my brother is no more today, my son will fill that gap and become a Pracharak soon'.

What a dedication! His son is still a young boy in studies. Pracharaks in RSS are dedicated full time activists who remain unmarried and work for the society without any personal gain.

In fact, it is the dedicated brothers like the one above who are the real strength of the RSS and support for the Pracharaks.

11. Dalai Lama opens Tibetan Pavilion at FACT Museum: “We as human beings create problems by our wrong doings and then seek God’s interference in resolving them. This is absolutely absurd because even God is helpless in solving the issues we create”, the Tibetan spiritual leader stressed emphasizing the need to find out solutions to the problems created by “our own” actions.

The Tibetan leader was speaking after inaugurating the Tibetan Pavilion at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Museum of Indian History at Wadgaon Shinde near Lohegaon on July 28. The pavilion showcases an exhibition of text and photographs depicting the trials and travails of Tibetan community over the last six decades. FACT- Foundation Against Continuing Terrorism, started by Francois Gautier a French journalist settled in Bharat, undertakes awareness campaigns, conferences, exhibitions films and papers on Art, Culture, History, and Human Rights abuses. Fact India’s objective is to bring attention to these forgotten and neglected issues and to pressure the governments and international organizations to take corrective actions.

12. Hinduism is very much alive: “Mahatma Gandhi used the concepts of Sattva and Ahimsa (non-violence) and packaged them in such a way that they could be used in the political field. A number of leaders such as Aung San Suu Kyi, Nelson Mandela draw inspiration from him and his principles. Even at the Oval office in the White House, Obama pays his tribute to Gandhi every day,” said Dr Shaunaka Rishi Das, an Irish, of the Oxford Centre of Hindu Studies, speaking at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru on August 11, on the long philosophical traditions of Hinduism, its contemporary relevance and the challenges it is facing.

Quoting from the Rig Veda and the Upanishads, Das spoke about certain profound questions relating to Kama (desire), Sattva (goodness) and Atma (soul) that have been asked in these texts and hold an universal and contemporary appeal. These ideas have also recently seen their influence in the Middle East in the form of the Arab Spring. One cannot, however, characterise these essentially as Hindu or of Hinduism due to its universal nature which was the beauty of the religion.

13.   Hindus Celebrate New Temple In Virginia, US: Several white marble statues were installed at the BAPS temple in Salem, the second such temple in the Roanoke Valley, after a Shobha Yatra in downtown area, on August 4. Roanoke's and Salem's mayors, Virginia lawmakers, national Hindu leaders and about 800 religious followers traveled from as far away as New Jersey to take part in the centuries-old tradition of installing a new temple. The temple will serve as a hub for the Roanoke Valley's Hindu community, which is made up of about 400 families. "It will help people who immigrated from Bharat - first, second-generation kids - it will help them understand the culture, the religion, what we do," Dharmendra Patel, an active member of the BAPS denomination and a Salem business owner said. Coming from an Irish Catholic background, Roanoke Mayor David Bowers said he didn't understand everything he saw, but he enjoyed the opportunity to learn about a different religion.

14. GURUDAKSHINA IN KATHMANDU: Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh Nepal, Kathmandu Mahanagar organised Guru Dakshina on July 27, presided by Ma. Om Prakash Khandelwal, Mahanagar Sanghachalak. Sunil Ambekar, National Secretary, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad graced the occasion as chief guest.

"In spite of availability of various ways of learning, the students today are going astray due to lack of proper guidance from the teacher. In such a situation, the sole way to provide students with proper guidance towards right direction is through the implementation of the sacred Guru-Shishya tradition in today's educational system too," said Sunil Ambekar.

"Sangh has regarded the most sacred Bhagwa Dhwaj as the Guru instead of any particular individual. The Bhagva Dhwaj is a symbol of one of the basic human values 'sacrifice'. It teaches us to sacrifice our selfish motives for the service of the society," he added. About 200 Karyakartas from Mahanagar Sakha worshipped the Dhwaj and offered Guru Dakshina.

15.   PIO to head SA hospital that did 1^st heart transplant: A Bharatiya-origin doctor has taken over as the first woman CEO of a hospital globally renowned for carrying out the world’s first heart transplant. Dr. Bhavna Patel took charge of the Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, where Dr. Chris Barnard had carried out the first ever heart transplant in 1967. Patel was chief operating officer of the medical facility for two years before taking up her new position.

16. Green cards for Bharatiyas soar six-fold: In 2012, as many as 35,472 Bharatiyas with H-1B visas got green cards, up from 6,000 in 2011 — accounting for more than 50% of all green cards issued to H-1B holders for all countries in the year. The data from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) comes in the wake of a new Bill that focuses on attracting knowledge workers to the US by providing them citizenship.

Clearly, the US wants to retain its competitive edge and accelerate R&D. "They need people with specialized skills who can substantially contribute to the knowledge economy. The large base of Bharatiyas with advanced degrees and domain expertise is highly sought after and given preferential treatment," said Rakesh Prabhu, partner, immigration practice, ALMT Legal.

17. PIO Rumi Verjee made a lord: Multimillionaire Rumi Verjee, who brought the Dominos pizza chain to Britain, has now become Lord Verjee. A well known donor to the Liberal Democrat party, he is among the 30 new peers announced by British Prime Minister David Cameron on August 1. Verjee is a Uganda-born Bharatiya entrepreneur and is believed to be worth an estimated 125 million.

Verjee is a highly successful entrepreneur and the proprietor and chairman of Thomas Goode & Co, based in Londons Mayfair. He founded Dominos Pizza in the UK. A fourth generation Bharatiya born in Uganda, much of the Verjee family’s assets were seized by the Idi Amin regime. After the expulsion of the Asian population from Uganda, he made the United Kingdom his home.

18.   No. of PIOs with overseas Indian citizenship card soars 10 fold: Over two lakh people of Bharatiya origin have opted for the Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) card every year since 2010 while one lakh cards have been given out in the last 5 months. The largest group of overseas citizens of Bharat is in the US, which boasts of 5.2 lakh card holders, followed by the UK with 3.1 lakh people. Other countries that have a significant number of OCI card holders are Australia with 1.3 lakh people and Canada with 1.1 lakh. This means that roughly four out of every five OCI card holders live in one of these four countries. The number of OCI card holders increased from 1.12 lakh in 2006-2007 to 12.52 lakh as on February 2013, growing more than 10-fold in seven years. Between February and July this year, the number has gone up to 13.72 lakh.

19. NAVY LOSES TOP SUB: In the biggest peacetime disaster to hit the Bharatiya Navy, its Kilo-class submarine INS Sindhurakshak docked off the Mumbai coast sank August 13 night after two massive blasts set off a raging fire. All 18 crew on board, including the warship’s second-in-command, are feared dead.

20. Sun, sand and citizenship: Soon, cricket may not be the only connection Bharatiyas have with the Caribbean. Countries like St Kitts & Nevis, Dominica and Antigua have rolled out attractive cash-for-citizenship programs to woo Bharatiya immigrants.

The latest to launch a citizenship-by-investment (CIP) program is Antigua & Barbuda, a tiny independent Commonwealth state in the eastern Caribbean which will open up its borders to other nationals in a month. It is giving full citizenship for an investment of at least $400,000 (about Rs 2.4 crore) in an approved real estate project. A St Kitts citizenship, too, comes for $400,000 while tiny tropical Dominica is even cheaper at $100,000 (Rs 60,70,000). Both countries have set their sights on wealthy Chinese as well as Bharatiya immigrants. Since the program was announced in March, we have had a number of inquiries from Bharatiya  citizens. Most of them view it as a lifestyle investment, says Jason Taylor, CEO, Janik Partners, an Antigua-based company that specializes in CIP. So what are the advantages of an Antigua and Barbuda passport besides the tropical breeze, swaying palm trees and white sand beaches, of course An Antigua passport can get you visa-free travel to 126 countries including Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore, the UK and Europe. St Kitts gets you over 100 countries. A Bharatiya passport only gets you 55 countries.

As a Commonwealth citizen, one also receives certain preferential treatment in the UK. For example, your children may enter the UK to study without first having to apply for student visas. After studying, they may work there for two years without a work permit.

21. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas: Shri Saumitra Gokhale samyojak Vishwa Vibhag returned to USA after weeklong tour to Jamaica. Shri Ravikumar sahsamyojak returned Bharat from Srilanka tour. Dr. Ram Vaidya sah samyojak will be visiting Caribbean countries of Guyana, Suriname and Trinidad. Visitors: Virendrakumar Harit – France, BS Deshmukh – Japan,

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: An aggregate or a congregation of men does not make a nation, nor do the geographical area and duration of time qualify a society to be known as a nation. A government formed on such basis can be called a state, but not a nation. It is common goal or mission that makes a nation. All the constituents strive collectively for something noble… Service with a spiritual orientation results in man making which is invariably and inseparably connected with nation building. It is the core of all our thoughts behind this organisation (Vivekanand Kendra). – Eknathji Ranade.

JAI SHREE RAM

Gujarat shows how to go green

Nilesh Shukla

Gujarat is a pioneer in social forestry. The State was first in the country to initiate social forestry activities in 1970. Then learning a lesson from Gujarat, the first national seminar on social forestry was organised in Gandhinagar in 1976. After four decades, a second national seminar on social forestry was organised in February 2011, once again, in Gandhinagar.

In the last decade, social forestry initiatives have been intensified and new dimensions added across the State. The Van Mahotsav programme especially has made a significant contribution. Even though Gujarat’s forest cover is less, the State is now a leader in tree coverage. Nationally, about 2.77 per cent of the area is under tree cover but in Gujarat that number is over 4.0 per cent, according to a 2011 report of the Forest Survey of India.

Also, the number of trees outside the forest area increased from about 25.1 crore in 2003 to 26.9 crore in 2009 to 3014.14 crore this year. That’s an impressive 19.2 per cent increase in a decade. Gujarat’s tree density of 16 trees/ha in the non forest areas is also higher than that of the national average.

This year, the 64th State-level Van Mahotsav was celebrated at Nageshwar village of Dwarka in Jamnagar district where Chief Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 10th Sanskritik Van. In fact, it was Mr Modi who conceived the idea of a Sanskritik Van during the 2004 Van Mahotsav.

That idea was first executed in the form of Punit Van and, thereafter, a total of 10 Sanskritik Vans were successfully established across the State. The objective of a Sanskritik Van or Cultural Forest is to increase the participation of the people and create awareness among them. This has both increased the number of trees in the State and generated employment. Indeed, these ‘Trees Outside Forest’ contribute over Rs5,000 crore to the State economy annually.

The concept of a Sanskritik Van is rooted in ancient Indian texts such as the Vedas, Puranas, and Upanishads that reflect upon the relationship between humans and their environment. But it also incorporates the fact that till date, people have great regard for astrology and the Ayurvedic system of medicine. Therefore, plantations are planned accordingly — such as Navgraha Van, Nakashatra Van, Rashi Van, Panchvati, Trithankar, Saptarshi, Shriparni and Arogya Van — and gain popularity among the Gujaratis .

According to Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Social Forestry) HS Singh, the Gujarat Forest Department manages a ‘Social Forestry Programme’ for planting trees on non-forest lands which has greatly improved the State’s green cover.

The objectives of the programme were to increase the number of trees in the State, promote the participation of people and institutions to plant trees and put unproductive land to productive use. According to the National Forest Policy of 1988, one-third of the geographical area of the country should be maintained as forest and tree cover. As per the State of Forest Report (2009), Gujarat has only 9.83 per cent of its geographical area declared as forest, which is much below the national average. Forest and tree cover is only to the extent of 11.74 per cent (7.46 per cent forest cover and four per cent tree cover outside forest) of its geographical area.

This is because more than half of the population of the State resides in rural areas, which is directly dependent on forest resources. Consequently, it has become imperative for the Government to regenerate green cover and maintain the productivity level of non-forest lands, particularly the common lands so that it can meet increasing rural needs. Promotion of tree planting on non-forest land, through the Social Forestry Programme has, therefore, been considered to be the only answer to improve the State’s green cover.

Gujarat’s success in the field of social forestry has been globally acclaimed and is considered to be among the best conservation stories around the world. And this is despite the fact that a major part of Gujarat falls in semi-arid and arid zones. It is no wonder then that the Gujarat model in social forestry is being replicated all over the country. – The Pioneer, 07 August 2013

My Visit to RSS and Sewa Projects in Mangalore

After attending shaka in the United States for the past decade, I had always wanted to see what it was like to attend shaka in India and get to know more about the Sewa projects in my native state of Karnataka. This year, from June 30th to July 3rd, I received the opportunity to visit an RSS base establishment and help out with two Sewa Bharati projects in Mangalore.

On the Saturday afternoon of June 30th, I took a bus from the town of Udupi to the city of Mangalore to stay at an RSS base called Sanghaniketan. At Sanghaniketan, I met two local karyakartas, Pradeep ji and Sachin Bhat ji, who helped me with all of my activities in Mangalore. After settling down, I went to shaka at the Sanghaniketan hall and met many people. Interestingly, all of the activities were the same as conducted in a regular family shaka in the U.S. except for the prarthana and the method of communication (Kannada). Later on Sunday, I attended another shaka that consisted mostly of bachelors. That night after dinner, I befriended several college age students who resided at Sanghaniketan and struck conversation until after midnight.

The next day, after waking up to prayer at 5:30 in the morning, I attended another shaka at Sanghaniketan and met several important karyakartas in the Mangalore area. After shaka, I visited two schools run by Sewa Bharati: Chetana Child Development Centre and the Roman and Catherine Lobo School for the Blind. At the Chetana School, I learned more about students affected by Autism and Cerebral Palsy after discussing with several experts in the field. I also visited the Pediatric Physiotherapy unit and observed many physiotherapists helping out children with cerebral palsy. Soon afterwards, I visited the School for the Blind and met with two teachers who taught blind students in Braille. In the evening, after relaxing with friends for some time, many of the shaka karyakartas played three short rounds of cricket. After my first full day in Mangalore, I was thrilled after having an amazing day meeting many new people at the Sewa Bharati schools and making many new friends in India.

On Monday, I had started off with the same morning routine of prayer and shaka as the day before. For breakfast, I went to Sachin ji’s house and met his whole family. Like any other cultured Hindu family, all the members of his family gave me a very warm welcome. A while later, I went back to Chetana school and visited several school teachers who taught elementary age students the subjects of Mathematics, English, and Computer Basics. To my luck, the teachers allowed me to aid the students who were mentally challenged. After a couple hours, I understood how difficult it was to teach even the most basic concepts in Math and English to third and four grade students. It was great to see how dedicated and passionate the teachers were to helping students overcome their difficulties and become better individuals in life.

The following day, Sachin ji and I first visited the Blind School. Since this school was more formal than the Chetana School and followed the state curriculum, I was not able to directly interact with students and teachers but I was allowed to watch the teachers teach students various subjects ranging from Sciences and Technology to Poetry and Linguistics. At this school, the students were very proud and passionate of learning and aimed to perform their very best to excel in their academics. Later in the afternoon, I went back to the Chetana School and went to the school workshop for adult students where disabled students hand-made bags, envelopes, and many other items. Although the work seemed a bit mundane for regular people, it was an activity that bonded students very well. Many of the students got very excited to see visitors and several kept asking me if I would come back to work with them the next day. This day, I was able to not only see how happy these students were but also understand that even though they faced many difficulties, they were still able to overcome their hurdles and make it seem as if their life was perfect.

Finally, on the last day of my five day stay at Mangalore, I made my last visit to the Chetana School. Although it was a quite sad since my stay in Mangalore was so short, I was glad to have met many wonderful people in RSS and Sewa Bharati who dedicated their lives to uplift humanity. It was a great opportunity to get to know more about the activities going on in the Mangalore area and spend time with students my age. Thus, after my short five day stay, I would recommend students and youth to volunteer for the Yuva for Sewa internship program if possible or at the very least spend time in their native area to do RSS and or Sewa work.( Vinay Nayak – USA )

Shravan Krishna 10 Vik Samvat 2070. Yugabda 5115: August 1, 2013

1. FESTIVALS: Krishna Janmashtami or Gokulashtami is the annual commemoration of the birth of Bhagwan Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu. The festival is celebrated on Bhadrapad Krishna Ashtami, which is August 28 this year. It is celebrated in the form of Rasa Lila, enactments of the life of Krishna in Mathura and Vrindavan, and in Manipur; while the Dahi Handi in Maharashtra depicts God's playful and mischievous side, where teams of young men form human towers to reach a high-hanging pot of butter and break it. This tradition, also known as uriadi, is a major event in Tamil Nadu on Gokulashtami.
People celebrate Janmashtami by fasting and staying up until midnight, the time when Krishna is believed to have been born. Images of Bal Krishna are placed in swings and cradles in temples and homes.
On Janmashthami, which is a national holiday in Bangladesh, a procession starts from Dhakeshwari Temple in Dhaka, and then proceeds through the streets of Old Dhaka.

2. THOUGHTFUL CONSTRUCTION STYLE SAVED KEDARNATH FROM SERIOUS DAMAGE: The thoughtful construction style of the Kedarnath temple in Uttarakhand saved the 11th century structure from any serious damage during last month's devastating floods, says an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) official, adding that a barrier would be constructed to protect the shrine from any future calamity.
"The safety of the structure despite this calamity is because of its orientation and style of construction. The domes of the temple are interlocked with each other using iron clamps; that is why they are intact. Only loose and cracked stones of the temple have come out," B.R. Mani, ASI additional director general, said in an interview.
"Another aspect of this temple is its North-South orientation. Mostly temples face East or West. But this temple is facing south, which is a rare phenomenon. It may be possible that in the 11th century the people had thought of the stones rolling down from the North or such calamity; hence they structured it like this," he added.
Standing majestically tall at an altitude of 13,000 feet above sea level, the Kedarnath temple has been built in the Rekha-Sikhara style with three different horizontal divisions.

3. ODISHA FOLK DANCERS LIGHT UP RETURN RATH YATRA: Ghumura dance by Brindaban Sanskrutika Anustan – an organisation promoting dying folk arts of Odisha – was the cynosure of all eyes at the return rath yatra, popular as Bahuda Yatra organised by Utkal Sanskrutika Samaj on July 18 at Vishakhapatnam.
A 20-member troupe from Kesinga of Kalahandi showcased their talent in dancing and playing with traditional instruments generating war music. According to ‘Chandi Puran,’ when Goddess Durga asked all the Gods and Goddesses in the heaven to hand over their weapons to kill demon king Mahisasur, one of the musical instruments received was Ghumura.
The dance troupe entertained the crowds as the chariot carrying the deities of Lord Jagannath, his elder brother Lord Balabhadra and sister Subhadra was pulled by the devotees from the Gundicha Ghar in Lawson’s Bay Colony to the main temple located on Daspalla Hills. Earlier, Lal Saheb Pramod Chandra Deo Bhanj belonging to Daspalla royal family performed chhera pahanra – the sweeping of the floor with a golden broom.

4. LEADER WANTED TO MAKE BHARAT SUPERPOWER: MOHAN BHAGWAT: Addressing a pre-Guru Purnima gathering of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) rank and file, also attended by top Bihar BJP leaders, in Patna on July 21, Sarasanghachalak Shri Bhagwat said this ‘leader’ need not be 'sarvagun sampanna (having all the attributes and qualities of a good leader)', but he should be capable of leading the people whose ancient credo regarding ‘unified identity’ has been ‘unity in diversity’ that accommodated even the ‘mutthi bhar’ of invaders. Bhagwat said, "Hindutva is the basis of our unity. Hindutva is the identity of all peoples who live in Bharat."

5. BHARAT LAUNCHES ADVANCED WEATHER SATELLITE: Bharat’s advanced weather satellite Insat-3D was launched early Friday, July 26 onboard Ariane-5 rocket from Kourou in French Guiana off the Pacific coast. "After a perfect lift-off at 01:24 a.m., the two-tonne advanced weather satellite was placed in the geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) 32 minutes later, about 36,000 km above from earth," the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said.
The four instruments onboard the spacecraft are Imager, Sounder, Data Relay Transponder and Satellite Aided Search & Rescue. The six channel imager can take weather pictures of the earth and has improved features compared to the instrument in Kalpana-1 and Insat-3A, the two Bharatiya geostationary satellites, which have been providing weather services over the past decade.

6. DESI IT CREATES MORE JOBS IN US THAN AMERICAN PEERS: Bharatiya IT companies have a better track record of creating jobs in the US over the past several years compared to their American peers like IBM and Accenture. In the last 7 years, Bharatiya IT companies are estimated to have added 30,000-40,000 jobs in the US, excluding green card holders. IBM's US headcount is estimated at 91,000 down sharply from 133,789 in this period while it added 1 lakh people overseas. Its headcount in Bharat rose from 36,000 to 135,000.
While Accenture's US headcount grew from 32,318 to just 38,000 in last 4 years JP Morgan estimates that Bharatiya IT added 38,000 locals to its US workforce in last 5 years.

7. SMALL BUT IMPORTANT: Bhutan is India’s friend. Let’s keep it that way - Bhutan may be one of the world's youngest democracies but this past Saturday (July 13) as it elected a new Government, the tiny Himalayan nation made clear that it has firmly established itself in the democratic mould. This was the country's second general election since 2008, when Bhutan's ‘Dragon King' voluntarily ceded absolute powers and made way for a representative Government. Saturday's polling, which saw an impressive 66.1 per cent turnout, marked the end of a two phase process that began in May, eliminated two of four political parties in the fray and prepared the ground for a run-off between the ruling Druk Phuensum Tshogpa and the opposition People's Democratic Party. Interestingly, while the former performed better in the first round, the latter eventually swept the election, winning 32 of the 47 National Assembly seats. The PDP's leader and now Prime Minister-elect Tshering Tobgay captured the people's imagination with his dynamic personality, while his record as a strong and articulate Opposition leader helped him fight off persistent worries that his party was composed of political newbies. The former civil servant's staunch criticism of the incumbent regime's claims to Gross National Happiness as a hollow electoral slogan also struck a cord with the electorate. Allegations of graft levelled at the DPT Government seem to have led to the regime’s undoing as well.
In the days running up to the election, however, it was India's decision to cut fuel subsidy to Bhutan that usurped the campaign narratives. The Tobgay camp portrayed the decision as the DPT Government's failure to effectively manage Bhutan's foreign policy with India — an important neighbour upon whom it is dependent for its economic and security needs. The blame was laid squarely at Prime Minister Jigme Thinley's doorstep whose dalliances with the Chinese were believed to have irked the mandarins in New Delhi. So potentially damaging were these accusations that Prime Minister Thinley had to clarify live on national television.
While there is no way to quantify the impact India's subsidy cut may have had on the election in Bhutan, one thing is for sure: It's announcement was badly timed by New Delhi. There have some been reports that the decision was directly communicated to Bhutanese officials by Indian oil companies, without the knowledge of the Ministry of External Affairs, after an agreement lapsed on June 30. Even if this was the case, it still points to mismanagement on the Indian side. New Delhi's decision to cut fuel subsidies, which adversely impacted the Bhutanese poor on the eve of a general election, has already led to talk in Thimphu of South Block picking favourites and playing big brother — the same accusations that have been hurled by Kathmandu as well. New Delhi must proceed with caution. Not only does Bhutan need India's assistance, India too needs Bhutan particularly to supplement its energy sources. Also, because Bhutan is the last of the Asian nations where China does not have a toe-hold, Beijing is working to change that. It remains to be seen if New Delhi will be able to hold its position in Thimphu or it will fritter away the traditional support that India has enjoyed there. It has already lost valuable leverage in Kathmandu, Colombo, Male and even Dhaka.-- Tuesday, 16 July 2013 | Pioneer | Editorial.

8. BHARAT SECOND LARGEST INVESTOR IN LONDON: Software services firm Infosys leads the charge of inward foreign direct investment (FDI) made by a total of 28 Bharatiya companies, which generated 429 additional jobs for the British economy in the last year alone, according to latest government figures released in London. "India is a very important market for us and these are fantastic results. The Olympics provided the perfect opportunity for Indians to come and experience London and resulted in more Indian companies setting up here," Gordon Innes, the CEO of London and Partners (L&P) and the Mayor of London's business and promotional organisation, said.

9. EXCELLENCE IN SANSKRIT: THAILAND SHOWS THE WAY: Visiting the sprawling Campus of Sanskrit Studies Centre under Silpakorn University, Thailand was just awesome. It would not be exaggeration to state that this might be the largest Sanskrit Buildings in the world. What was surprising was its location not in Bharat but in Thailand. This Centre blessed by His Majesty the King of Thailand Rama IX Bhumibol Adulyadej whose Chaipattana Foundation provided royal charter for the land. Equally supportive has been Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, who has done her Masters in Sanskrit Epigraphy, who gladly accepted to be the Patron for the SSC.
A brief meeting with its Founder Director Dr. Chirapat Prapandvidya and the incumbent Director Dr. Samniang Leurmsai was pleasant and refreshing one to listen to their plans for promotion of Sanskrit related studies in Thailand. The towering five storeyed building is looking forward to equip with all the modern facilities for learning Sanskrit. It is expected that this Centre would get about 200 students under several programmes in the coming academic year. With an initial financial support from Bharatiya government and generous grant from Thai govt, the center plans to give the final touch to its class rooms, constructing the Auditorium of a capacity of 300, and developing its landscape around the Building.
The Sanskrit Studies Centre would be hosting the 16th World Sanskrit Conference in June-July 2015. (Based on a report by Shyam ji Parande on his recent visit to Bangkok)

10. KALAM SLAMS AMARTYA SEN: Former Rashtrapati APJ Abdul Kalam's letter, which he sent to Foreign Minister S M Krishna in July last year, has now come into public domain, slamming Nobel Laureate economist Amartya Sen for forcing him out of his brainchild project of the Nalanda University in Bihar as its first visitor.
Kalam wrote how sad he was at everything going wrong in his dream of reviving a great seat of learning in the Buddhist philosophy and statecraft, as perhaps the first residential international educational institution from 5th to 12th century off Patna, is besmirched with controversies even before it starts any academic courses.
Kalam felt frustrated with the people at the helm of affairs and his resignation was a rebuff to Sen and his protégé Dr Gopa Sabharwal, 'smuggled' in as the vice chancellor-designate without his knowledge.
"Having been involved in various academic and administrative proceedings of the Nalanda University since August 2007, I believe that the candidates to be selected /appointed to the post of chancellor and vice chancellor should be of extraordinary intellect with academic and management expertise."
"Both the chancellor and vice chancellor have to personally involve themselves full-time in Bihar, so that a robust and strong international institution is built," two paragraphs of the letter read.
Having been at Oxford, Cambridge and Harvard, Sen viewed Nalanda University through that prism, while Dr Kalam felt sad at finding no efforts to re-enact the glory of ancient Nalanda University in which students from all over East Asia came for studies and had Pandits such as Arya Dev, Silabhadra, Dharmapala, Santarakshita and Chandragomin who spent their lives for the sake of the institution.

11. THE LOST TEMPLES OF BHARAT: In ‘The Lost Temples of India’, a Discovery Channel documentary of the three-part series, and ‘The Mysteries of Asia’, a Discovery Channel’s documentary of the three-part video series, historians and others examine temples built in southern Bharat’s 1,000-year- old temples adorned with intricate and beautiful sculptures. We learn how the kings used large herds of trained elephants to drag the millions of stone blocks into place and how these temples are virtually unknown and unvisited by Western tourists. Truth or fiction, the stories of Mysteries of Asia will amaze and delight. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzPW6_i1EGQ&list=PL32872F2ECDF45DA9

12. BIRSA NETRALAYA – A FRIEND IN NEED: Jharkhand is a janjati majority state of Central Bharat. Earlier it was part of Bihar. Oram, Munda, Kherwar janjati communities are inhabited in this state. Lohardaga is small district township in Jharkhand. Four decades ago Vanvasi Kalyan Kendra started a small medical centre at Lohardaga to cater the basic need of health facilities. Initially Dr Shrikant Shiledar and Shmti Dr shilpa Shiledar rendered their valuable services for few years. Then Dr Shriram Pathak, Dr Pankaj Bhatia, Dr Surendra Sharma offered their services. Vanvasi Kalyan Kendra started Village health Workers (VHW) activity under the guidance of Dr Surendra Sharma in the nearby villages. Then in the year 2000 a small hospital started under the banner of Birsa Seva Sadan. Birsa Munda was a Bharatiya freedom fighter form Bihar (Jharkhand).
In the year 2010 the hospital was converted into an eye hospital naming Birasa Netralay. Bhansali Charitable Trust extended hand of cooperation to fully equip the hospital. Cataract is a common problem of villagers of Lohardaga area. Dr Nanda Prasad Singh is the in-charge of the hospital. In the last one year total 2853 eye patients were treated and 822 cataract operations were conducted. Eye operations are conducted every month. Ophthalmic surgeons Dr Rahul Prasad, Dr Alok Kumar and Dr Deepak Lakda conduct the operations. On 23rd June, 42 operations were carried out by Dr Deepak Lakda and his team. Ramagya Kumar is working as a technical assistant.
Apart from eye operations last year 22 Hydrosil and 4 Hernia operations were conducted. Birasa Seva Sadan is friend in need of the society. All the activities of Vanvasi kalyan Kendra are carried out by social donations.

13. BALESHWARJI WAS A KARMAYOGI: Veteran BJP leader Shri LK Advani and Janata Party president Dr Subramanian Swamy released a book on the late Baleshwar Agrawal, Karmayogi Baleshwar Agrawal, Vyakti aur Vichar, in New Delhi on July 17, the 93rd birth anniversary of Baleshwarji by the Antar Rashtriya Sahyog Parishad (ARSP). Shri Advani said on the occasion: “He was a karmayogi. Values of people like Baleshwarji, Nanaji, Kushabhau Thackeray, Pt Deendayal Upadhyaya etc still hold a place in the RSS and society.” Dr Subramanian Swamy recounted his memories with Baleshwarji and said that he was instrumental in strengthening ties with Bharatiyas spread all over the world.

14. THERE SOULD BE NO GOVERNMENT CONTROL OF BHARAT'S HINDU TEMPLES: At a day-long symposium on "Government Control Of Temples- Constitutional Issues," organized by the Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha (HDAS) at India International Centre, New Delhi on July 14th, 2013, Swami Dayananda Saraswati, Convener, HDAS, said: "Each temple had a unique Deity and it is the Deity who owns the property endowed. The Deity in the Chidambaram Siva Temple is Nataraja; in Thiruvaraur, the Deity is Thyagaraja; in Mannargudi, it's Lord Vishnu as Rajagopala. Each temple therefore has a unique Deity and set of practices, and they are the repository of our culture. Swamiji maintained that Hindus should unite to take back control of Hindu temples from the government.
Sitting Rajya Sabha member Rama Jois, Supreme Court advocates Aman Lekhi and Dr. Subramaniam Swamy were among the speakers.

15. FOUR BHARATIYA-AMERICANS WIN AWARDS: Four Bharatiya-American professors are among 13 mathematicians, theoretical physicists and theoretical computer scientists selected for the Simons Investigators awards for their cutting-edge research. Kannan Soundararajan, Rajeev Alur, Salil P. Vadhan and Senthil Todadri will receive $1,00,000 a year for five years for long-term research.

16. 100 YEARS OF SIKH ARRIVAL IN US: The US has acknowledged immense contribution of the Sikh community in its socio-economic fabric and cultural milieu as it celebrated the 100 years of the arrival of Bhagat Singh Thind, who led a lifelong battle for the rights of Bharatiyas to gain American citizenship . Thind, who arrived in the US in July 1913 from Amritsar, was the first turbaned Sikh to fight in the American armed forces and fighting a legal battle to obtain citizenship for him and many others.
"The goal of this event is to acknowledge the contributions this community has made to the country, celebrate 100 years of achievement , the immigrant success story in America and also to acknowledge the horrible tragedy of Oak Creek last year," said Paul Monteiro, associate director of the White House office of public engagement .

17. PIO’S PORTRAIT PART OF SHOW ON GREAT WOMEN SCIENTISTS: Sunetra Gupta, a Bharat-born chemist and physicist, has joined the big league of female scientists like Marie Curie in an art exhibihition at the prestigious Royal Society in London. Gupta who was born in Kolkata and is now a professor at Oxford University, is among an exclusive group as part of the ‘Women in Science’ portrait exhibition, which will feature the greatest female fellows of the Royal Society, together with newly-commissioned drawings of Royal Society Research Fellows. Gupta is a professor of theoretical epidemiology at the University of Oxford’s department of zoology, working on infectious diseases. Her main area of interest is the evolution of diversity in pathogens, with particular reference to the infectious agents that are responsible for malaria and influenza.

18. MALAYSIA COURT QUASHES HINDU KIDS' CONVERSION TO ISLAM: A high court in the Northern city of Ipoh, on July 25 ruled against the 2009 conversion of three Hindu children to Islam without their mother's knowledge, a verdict welcomed by non-Muslim groups. The court declared the conversion of Indira Gandhi's children, now aged five, 15 and 16, by their father to be unconstitutional. The judge ruled that the father had failed to take the mother and children to Islamic authorities for their consent to the conversion, in a rare verdict in the multiracial but Muslim-majority nation. It is the first time ever that a child's conversion certificate has been quashed by a high court.
Religious groups welcomed the verdict. "We are very happy about that decision. But it must be accepted by all the Islamic and other government agencies," said Mohan Shan, an official with the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism.

19. OBAMA NAMES PIO AS CALIFORNIA JUDGE: Close on the heels of his appointment of Srikant “Sri” Srinivasan as a top appellate court judge in Washington, President Barack Obama has named yet another leading Bharatiya-American attorney, Vince Girdhari Chhabria, for the key post of US District Judge for Northern California.
Chhabria, who received his JD from Boalt Hall School of Law at the University of California, Berkeley, is currently Deputy City Attorney for Government Litigation in San Francisco.

20. ‘CHINA INFLUENCING BHARATIYA INTELLECTUALS’: India Policy Foundation (IPF) organised a talk on July 13 on apparent threat from across the border of China. Speaking on the occasion, Pramit Pal Chaudhuri said China is only afraid from Bharatiya media and it is also trying to deal with it in its own way. It is trying to influence intellectuals by inviting them to China and investing money by institutional means.
Dr Rajiv Nayan said, “We have been objecting to the term threat from China which is a reality in my opinion.” IPF Hon. Director Rakesh Sinha said that during the time of cold war, the US and the USSR were balanced by KGB and the CIA but in the post cold war era, China is playing the game with intellectuals for its benefit.

21. HINDUS, SHIAS, OTHER MINORITIES WORSE OFF IN PAKISTAN: US REPORT: The already poor religious freedom environment for Christians, Ahmadis and Hindus has continued to deteriorate in Pakistan over the last eighteen months, according to a US body that monitors violations of religious freedom abroad. Releasing the findings of its Pakistan religious violence project on July 17, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) said it had tracked 203 publicly-reported incidents of sectarian violence resulting in more than 1,800 casualties, including over 700 deaths. The Shia Muslim community has borne the brunt of attacks (77) from militants and terrorist organizations, with some of the deadliest attacks occurring during holy months and pilgrimages. The report noted that between January 2012 and June 2013, there were 16 attacks against Hindus and 3 attacks against Sikhs resulting in the death of two Hindus and one Sikh.

22. RAJNATH RAKES UP RIGHTS VIOLATION IN GILGIT–BALTISTAN: "Bharat and Afghanistan have traditionally been tied together by the Silk Route. If Bharat does not share a land border of 106 kms with Afghanistan today, it is because of Pakistan's illegal occupation of this historical part of the state of Jammu and Kashmir since 1948," Bharatiya Janata Party president Rajnath Singh said in a keynote address at a conference on Afghanistan held at the Capitol Hill, during his five-day visit to US. The conference was jointly organised by the Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies; US India Political Action Committee and American Foreign Policy Council.

23. AZIM PREMJI BAGS ASIAN BUSINESS LEADERS AWARD: Wipro chairman Azim Premji has been awarded the Asian Business Leaders Award 2013 for his "impressive business credentials" and service to society by London-based Asia House. The award will be presented at a gala ceremony in London on October 14.
Premji, 68, founder and chairman of Wipro- Bharat's leading global information technology, consulting and outsourcing company - is known for his business acumen as well as philanthropy.

24. MADHYA PRADESH ANTI-CONVERSION LAW: Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Bill 2013, passed on July 10, 2013 is to prevent religious conversions by adopting fraudulent means or allurements. The bill makes prior permission mandatory for those who want to change their religion or faith. It also makes a provision for stringent jail term for those resorting to conversion by offering inducements or using fraudulent means. The bill amends the existing Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religions Act, 1968. The 2013 bill seeks to increase the period of incarceration from one to three years for those violating the law.

25. NATIONAL SEMINAR OF AKHIL BHARATIYA SAHITYA PARISHAD: Noted writer DR SL Bhairappa inaugurated a two-day national seminar on ‘Contribution of Historial Lectures in Creating Social Awarness’ in Varanasi on July 21. The seminar, organised by the Akhil Bharatiya Sahitya Parishad, was attended by about 100 select intellectuals. Lakshmikanth Sharma, Minister for Culture and Higher Education, Madhya Pradesh was the chief guest. Nawaung Samthen Kulapati, Vice Chancellor of Tibetan Studies at University of Sarnath presided over the seminar.

26. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas: Shri Ravikumar sahsamyojak Vishwa Vibhag is on a tour to Srilanka. Shri Shyam Parande Secretary Sewa International returned from his tour to Thailand. Visitors: Ma Jaiprakash Goel – HongKong, Mahesh Kalla - USA

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Truth cannot be suppressed and always is the ultimate victor. So we should tread the righteous path. - Yajur Veda

JAI SHREE RAM 

BEHIND CHINA’S HINDU TEMPLES,
A FORGOTTEN HISTORY
Ananth Krishnan

Li San Long, a resident of Chedian village, offers prayers at the village shrine, which houses a deity that is believed to be one of the goddesses that the Tamil community in Quanzhou worshipped in the 13th century. In and around Quanzhou, a bustling industrial city, there are shrines that historians believe may have been part of a network of more than a dozen Hindu temples and shrines. For the residents of Chedian, a few thousand-year-old village of muddy by-lanes and old stone courtyard houses, she is just another form of Guanyin, the female Bodhisattva who is venerated in many parts of China. But the goddess that the residents of this village pray to every morning, as they light incense sticks and chant prayers, is quite unlike any deity one might find elsewhere in China. Sitting cross-legged, the four-armed goddess smiles benignly, flanked by two attendants, with an apparently vanquished demon lying at her feet. Local scholars are still unsure about her identity, but what they do know is that this shrine’s unique roots lie not in China, but in far away south Bharat. The deity, they say, was either brought to Quanzhou — a thriving port city that was at the centre of the region’s maritime commerce a few centuries ago — by Tamil traders who worked here some 800 years ago, or perhaps more likely, crafted by local sculptors at their behest.
“This is possibly the only temple in China where we are still praying to a Hindu God,” says Li San Long, a Chedian resident, with a smile. “Even though most of the villagers still think she is Guanyin!” Li said the village temple collapsed some 500 years ago, but villagers dug through the rubble, saved the deity and rebuilt the temple, believing that the goddess brought them good fortune — a belief that some, at least, still adhere to.
The Chedian shrine is just one of what historians believe may have been a network of more than a dozen Hindu temples or shrines, including two grand big temples, built in Quanzhou and surrounding villages by a community of Tamil traders who lived here during the Song (960-1279) and Yuan (1279-1368) dynasties. At the time, this port city was among the busiest in the world and was a thriving centre of regional maritime commerce.
The history of Quanzhou’s temples and Tamil links was largely forgotten until the 1930s, when dozens of stones showing perfectly rendered images of the god Narasimha — the man-lion avatar of Vishnu — were unearthed by a Quanzhou archaeologist called Wu Wenliang. Elephant statues and images narrating mythological stories related to Vishnu and Shiva were also found, bearing a style and pattern that was almost identical to what was evident in the temples of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh from a similar period. Wu’s discoveries received little attention at the time as his country was slowly emerging from the turmoil of the Japanese occupation, the Second World War and the civil war. It took more than a decade after the Communists came to power in 1949 for the stones and statues to even be placed in a museum, known today as the Quanzhou Maritime Museum.
“It is difficult to say how many temples there were, and how many were destroyed or fell to ruin,” the museum’s vice curator Wang Liming said. “But we have found them spread across so many different sites that we are very possibly talking about many temples that were built across Quanzhou.”
Today, most of the sculptures and statues are on display in the museum, which also showcases a map that leaves little doubt about the remarkable spread of the discoveries. The sites stretch across more than a dozen locations located all over the city and in the surrounding county. The most recent discoveries were made in the 1980s, and it is possible, says Ms. Wang, that there are old sites yet to be discovered.
The Maritime Museum has now opened a special exhibit showcasing Quanzhou’s south Indian links. Ms. Wang says there is a renewed interest — and financial backing — from the local government to do more to showcase what she describes as the city’s “1000-year-old history with south Bharat,” which has been largely forgotten, not only in China but also in Bharat.
“There is still a lot we don't know about this period,” she says, “so if we can get any help from Bharatiya scholars, we would really welcome it as this is something we need to study together. Most of the stones come from the 13th century Yuan Dynasty, which developed close trade links with the kingdoms of southern Bharat. We believe that the designs were brought by the traders, but the work was probably done by Chinese workers.”
Ms. Wang says the earliest record of a Bharatiya residing in Quanzhou dates back to the 6th century. An inscription found on the Yanfu temple from the Song Dynasty describes how the monk Gunaratna, known in China as Liang Putong, translated sutras from Sanskrit. Trade particularly flourished in the 13th century Yuan Dynasty. In 1271, a visiting Italian merchant recorded that the Bharatiya traders “were recognised easily.”
“These rich Bharatiya men and women mainly live on vegetables, milk and rice,” he wrote, unlike the Chinese “who eat meat and fish.” The most striking legacy of this period of history is still on public display in a hidden corner of the 7th century Kaiyuan Buddhist Temple, which is today Quanzhou’s biggest temple and is located in the centre of the old town. A popular attraction for Chinese Buddhists, the temple receives a few thousand visitors every day. In a corner behind the temple, there are at least half a dozen pillars displaying an extraordinary variety of inscriptions from Hindu mythology. A panel of inscriptions depicting the god Narasimha also adorns the steps leading up to the main shrine, which houses a Buddha statue. Huang Yishan, a temple caretaker whose family has, for generations, owned the land on which the temple was built, says the inscriptions are perhaps the most unique part of the temple, although he laments that most of his compatriots are unaware of this chapter of history. On a recent afternoon, as a stream of visitors walked up the steps to offer incense sticks as they prayed to Buddha, none spared a glance at the panel of inscriptions. Other indicators from Quanzhou’s rich but forgotten past lie scattered through what is now a modern and bustling industrial city, albeit a town that today lies in the shadow of the provincial capital Xiamen and the more prosperous port city of Guangzhou to the far south.
A few kilometres from the Kaiyuan temple stands a striking several metre-high Shiva lingam in the centre of the popular Bamboo Stone Park. To the city’s residents, however, the lingam is merely known as a rather unusually shaped “bamboo stone,” another symbol of history that still stays hidden in plain sight. -- The Hindu, July 19, 2013