\Samvad

Kartika Shukla 8 Vik. Samvat 2079, Yugabda 5124 : 1 November, 2022:SM 4015 (For Private Circulation only)


1. FESTIVALS: KARTIKA PURNIMA 2. RSS AKHIL BHARATIYA KARYAKARI MANDAL BAITHAK
3. UK PARLIAMENT IN LONDON CELEBRATES DIWALI 4. WHITE HOUSE HOSTS BIGGEST DIWALI CELEBRATION EVER
5. UAE PRESIDENT EXTENDS DIWALI WISHES IN HINDI 6. DIWALI CELEBRATIONS AT MATUA NGARU SCHOOL, NZ
7. LEICESTER'S DIWALI CELEBRATIONS DRAWS HUGE CROWDS 8. DIWALI AT TIMES SQUARE
9. SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE ILLUMINATES IN DIWALI 10. SEWADIWALI - USA
11. BAPS CHARITIES HOLDS BLOOD DRIVES IN US AND CANADA 12. SEWA BHARATI HONOURS PHILANTHROPISTS
13. ‘HINDU HERITAGE MONTH’ CELEBRATIONS BEGIN IN USA 14. LARGEST, TALLEST TEMPLE IN NORTH AMERICA OPENS
15. UK GETS ITS FIRST BHARATIYA-ORIGIN PM RISHI SUNAK 16. ‘LIVING IN STATE OF FEAR’: OPEN LETTER TO UK PM BY 180 HINDU ORGANISATIONS IN UK
17. AYODHYA DEEPOTSAV WORLD RECORD 18. 6TH INTERNATIONAL RAMAYANA FESTIVAL BY ICCR
19. ISRO SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHES FIRST DEDICATED COMMERCIAL MISSION 20. US RESTORED 307 ANTIQUITIES TO BHARAT
21. BHARAT’S DONATION OF MEDICINES DURING COVID-19 INCREASED ITS IMPACT ON INTERNATIONAL STAGE: UN CHIEF 22. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN & FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Article: RESTORATION OF TEMPLES; AWAKENING COUNTRY TO ITS DHARMIC HERITAGE


1. FESTIVALS: KARTIKA PURNIMA: Kartika Purnima (November 8 this year) is a five-day festival that is celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains. The festival celebrates Bhagwan Shiva’s victory over the demon Tripurasuara and on this day Bhagwan Vishnu incarnated as Matsya - the first avatar.

In Odisha, devotees celebrate Boita Bandana on Kartika Purnima by setting afloat miniature boats made from coconut sticks and banana stems.
In Tamil Nadu, the festival is called Karthikai Deepam and devotees celebrate the festival by lighting rows of lamps in their houses. Jains celebrate the festival by undertaking Shri Shantrunjay Teerth Yatra that covers 216 kms of rough terrain in Palitana.
The birth anniversary of the first Sikh guru, Guru Nanak Dev is also celebrated on Kartika Purnima as Guru Nanak Dev Gurpurab, also known as Guru Nanak Dev's Prakash Utsav and Guru Nanak Dev Jayanti. -GoTop

2. RSS AKHIL BHARATIYA KARYAKARI MANDAL BAITHAK: The four-day baithak of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s Akhil Bhartiya Karyakari Mandal began in Prayagraj on October 16. The baithak was held at Vatsalya Institute in Gauhania and concluded on October 19.
On October 15, Akhil Bhartiya Prachar Pramukh of RSS Shri Sunil Ambekar briefed the media persons before the meeting and informed that currently there were 55000 shakhas in the country.
The four-day meeting reviewed progress on the annual working plan which was formulated in the Akhil Bhartiya Pratinidhi Sabha organised in the month of March this year.
The meeting also took stock of the expansion of the organisational work and Sangh Shiksha Varg and discussed important contemporary issues of the country.
Besides, the meeting discussed ways and means to follow up the important issues that were raised by Sarsanghachalak Dr. Mohan Bhagwat in his speech on the occasion of Vijayadashami. Furthermore, RSS will be completing its hundred years in 2025, and therefore, the meeting considered plans to expand the number of shakhas across the country.
While talking to reporters on the concluding day of the Akhil Bhartiya Karyakari Mandal Baithak of RSS in Prayagraj, Sarakaryavah Shri Dattatreya Hosabale said that religious conversions are leading to population imbalance in the country. Shri Hosabale said that due to conversions, the population of Hindus decreased in many places and its consequences have been witnessed too. Hosabale further said that those who changed their religion should not get the benefit of reservation. He referred to the committee formed under former Chief Justice of Bharat KG Balakrishnan to examine whether communities that adopted other religions should get the Scheduled Caste status.
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3. UK PARLIAMENT IN LONDON CELEBRATES DIWALI: On October 17, prayers for peace recited by priests from the Hare Krishna Mandir and the lighting of candles marked Diwali celebrations in the Houses of Parliament complex in London. The celebration was held in the State Rooms of the Speaker's House, described as the grandest residence within the Palace of Westminster. It marked the largest Diwali event of its kind in the Parliament complex, which brought together cross-party parliamentarians, diplomats, community leaders and International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) representatives.
A parliamentarian quoted a recent figure to say that British Bharatiyas make up around 2 percent of the population, however, they contribute almost 8 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The diplomatic presence at the Diwali celebration included Deputy High Commissioner of Bharat to the UK Sujit Ghosh, High Commissioner of Nepal Gyan Chandra Acharya and Ugandan High Commissioner Nimisha Madhvani.
On October 26, the newly appointed United Kingdom Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, shared Diwali wishes from his official residence in London after he attended a Diwali reception at 10 Downing Street. Sunak extended Diwali wishes to everyone and pledged to do "everything I can in this job to build a Britain where our children and our grandchildren can light their Diyas."
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4. WHITE HOUSE HOSTS BIGGEST DIWALI CELEBRATION EVER: On October 24, White House hosted the biggest Diwali reception ever, which also saw the presence of several Bharatiya Americans from the Biden administration.
Wishing a happy Diwali to more than one billion Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists celebrating this Festival of Lights in the United States, Bharat and around the world, Biden thanked the Asian American community in the US for making the Diwali celebration a joyous part of American culture.
He also thanked the optimism, courage and empathy demonstrated by the incredible South Asian community all across America.
US vice-president Kamala Harris said that the US administration joins over 1 billion people around the world to light the ‘Diya’ and celebrate the fight for good over evil, knowledge over ignorance and light over darkness .
First Lady Jill Biden praised the Asian American community in the US for “helping us light our way forward.”
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5. UAE PRESIDENT EXTENDS DIWALI WISHES IN HINDI: On October 24, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan wished peace and prosperity to people celebrating Diwali in three different languages including Hindi.
“Congratulations to all of those in the UAE and around the world celebrating Diwali, the festival of lights, and may the year ahead be one of peace, prosperity and happiness for you and your families,” the UAE President tweeted.
Besides the UAE President, several other world leaders and heads of state including UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Israel Prime Minister Yair Lapid and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau extended their Diwali greetings.
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6. DIWALI CELEBRATIONS AT MATUA NGARU SCHOOL, NZ: On October 21, Diwali was celebrated at Matua Ngaru School in New Zealand. The program was supported by Durga Shakha and Auckland Northwest Nagar karyakartas of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh HSS NZ, along with few other parents.
The event was organized like a mela. The hall was decorated with artifacts created by school students. Stalls were set up for diya decoration, Pin the Diya, Photobooth, fun food race, Bharatnatyam dance display, rangoli and Mehendi. The children came to school in traditional attire.
Around 400 school students attended the event. In a teachers meeting later in the day, the importance of teachers in the life of kids was reinforced. The event concluded with School Principal Michelle Holly thanking the Bharatiya community and volunteers for the first Diwali event at the school and she hoped it would grow year on year.
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7. LEICESTER'S DIWALI CELEBRATIONS DRAWS HUGE CROWDS: On October 24, the Diwali celebrations in Leicester concluded with a spectacular light show. The city's famous Golden Mile lit up as the lights were joined by a vast array of fairground rides and food stalls.
The celebrations, which began on October 9, were held at Cossington Street Recreation Ground and massive crowds converged to the Belgrave area of the city to witness it. Those attending this year said it was brilliant to have Diwali back in all its glory.
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8. DIWALI AT TIMES SQUARE: On October 15. New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Senator from NY Charles E. Schumer, and NY State Assemblywoman Jennifer Rajkumar along with Bharat’s Consul General in New York Randhir Jaiswal took part in Diwali celebrations at New York’s Times Square.
Times Square witnessed huge participation by the Bharatiya American community, Americans and others. Many of them were dressed up in traditional outfits from different states of Bharat, showcasing Bharat’s rich art, culture, and diversity. The Diwali Bazaar provided a variety of traditional Bharatiya cuisine, sweets and merchandise for Diwali festivities. Renowned oncologist Padma Shree Dr. Dattatreyadu Nori was recognized and honored by Mayor Adams for his lifetime of excellent services to health and medicine.
In a press conference on October 20, Mayor Adams announced plans to include Diwali as a holiday in the public school schedule. State assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar and Department of Education chancellor David Banks were present on the occasion. Legislators swapped out Anniversary Day, traditionally celebrated on the first Thursday in June, for Diwali. Rajkumar, who introduced the legislation to recognize Diwali said that the time has come to recognize over 200,000 New Yorkers who celebrate Diwali.
During the conference, Adams called the decision a “long overdue” acknowledgment of Hindu, Sikh, Jain and Buddhist communities.
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9. SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE ILLUMINATES IN DIWALI: On the auspicious occasion of Diwali, Sydney Opera House lit up on October 23 after several world leaders including Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wished Happy Diwali to everyone celebrating the festival across the world.
In his public statement Albanese called Diwali "A season of reflection and renewal".
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10. SEWADIWALI - USA: SewaDiwali is an initiative by Dharmic communities, individuals and organizations who believe in Sewa Dharma, i.e. Service to Humanity is Service to Divinity. Around Diwali, they organize food collection drives in the USA and donate it to local food banks.
Hindu YUVA at Iowa State University started the food drive during the celebration of Universal Oneness Week in October and it will continue until November 15.
The Town of Yorktown has partnered with the SewaDiwali Food Drive to collect food donations at Town Hall & the John C. Hart Memorial Library.
On October 25, Mayor John E. McCormac of Woodbridge Township, New Jersey, presented the Diwali proclamation and thanked SewaDiwali for participating and sharing the efforts to collect thousands of pounds of food for Aurora food pantries.
On October 23, around 20 children went door to door, distributed flyers and appealed to the community to participate in SewaDiwali food drive at Pine Mill Ranch Community in Houston. 430 pounds of food was collected.
Similar efforts of food collection are undergoing in various cities of the USA in the months of October-November.
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11. BAPS CHARITIES HOLDS BLOOD DRIVES IN US AND CANADA: BAPS Charities organized a record-breaking 100 blood drives across North America in partnership with local blood banks. These drives helped collect 4,000 pints of blood to potentially save 12,000 lives (one pint can save up to three lives).
The blood donation drives were organized to commemorate the centennial celebrations of Pramukh Swami Maharaj. The nationwide campaign to donate blood came during the worst blood shortage crisis in over a decade due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Hurricane Ian. Anna Feltham, Account Manager, American Red Cross Blood Services in Chicago said that the blood collected will go a long way towards replenishing blood supplies and, ultimately, saving lives.
BAPS Charities also launched the ‘In the Joy of Others Blood Donation Campaign’ across Canada in partnership with Canadian Blood Services. The blood donation campaign will run in 14 cities across Canada throughout 2022 with a goal to collect more than 1,000 units of blood, plasma, and stem cells to serve thousands of people in need in hospitals across Canada. The launch took place in the presence of Hon. Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario, Ken Mayhew, President & CEO of the William Osler Health System Foundation, and hundreds of community members.
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12. SEWA BHARATI HONOURS PHILANTHROPISTS: Along with other philanthropists, chairman of TATA Sons Ratan Tata, Amul CEO RS Sodhi and several other social activists were awarded ‘Sewa Ratna’ by the Sewa Bharati for their contribution to the field of philanthropy. In a statement, Sewa Bharati said that the awards were given on the basis of ‘priceless contribution in social work or providing funds for social development’.
On this occasion, Uttrakhand Governor Lt General Gurmeet Singh said that service work is the biggest work for humanity. RSS Akhil Bharatiya Sewa Pramukh Shri Parag Abhyankar said that Bharateeyata gives us inspiration for service and culture and service brings change in society.
Around 500 selected people who work for the betterment of the society attended the event.
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13. ‘HINDU HERITAGE MONTH’ CELEBRATIONS BEGIN IN USA: Hindu Heritage Month (HHM) - started in 2013 - is a global coming together of Hindus every year during the month of October to celebrate their rich heritage and foster unity among diverse communities.
In Chicago, Hindus came together to organize a ‘Shobha Yatra’ on October 8. Members of the diaspora from around the Chicago area gathered at Swami Vivekanand Marg, near the Art Institute of Chicago where Swami Vivekananda delivered his famous speech at the World’s Parliament of Religions in 1893 on what being a Hindu means.
Processions, melas, exhibitions, and events are being organised in more than 32 states and 91 congressional districts in the US to celebrate HHM and the incomparable contribution of Hindus to the American society.
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14. LARGEST, TALLEST TEMPLE IN NORTH AMERICA OPENS: A new 87-foot tower at the Sri Venkateswara Temple in Cary was inaugurated in the presence of hundreds of devotees by North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper. The tower named “Tower of Unity and Prosperity” is now the tallest of its kind in North America.
Addressing the community, Governor Cooper said that we could walk into this temple with reverence and leave our worries on the outside for just a while… and leave the temple with even more determination than ever to address those worries, and to make sure we’re doing something about it.
The temple is modeled after the Sri Venkateswara Temple in Tirupati. Fourteen artisans were brought in from Bharat to hand-carve the temple’s decorative Hindu idols.
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15. UK GETS ITS FIRST BHARATIYA-ORIGIN PM RISHI SUNAK: On October 23, Britain's Conservative Party leader Rishi Sunak became the first Bharatiya-origin Prime Minister of the UK. The former UK Chancellor of the Exchequer became the Conservative Party leader less than two months after he lost to Liz Truss in the Tory leadership race.
Speaking to the public from outside No 10 Downing Street in his first speech, Sunak said that the UK is facing a profound economic crisis. He was optimistic that together, incredible things could be achieved.
Sunak, at the age of 42, is the youngest British leader in more than 200 years.
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16. ‘LIVING IN STATE OF FEAR’: OPEN LETTER TO UK PM BY 180 HINDU ORGANISATIONS IN UK: On October 16, over 180 British Bharatiya and Hindu organisations, including the temples wrote an open letter to the then UK Prime Minister Liz Truss, demanding stringent action against targeted hate crimes against the Hindu community. They requested the prime minister to intervene and protect them as they are being targeted and feel threatened in the country following the violence in Leicester and Birmingham.
The open letter made six appeals, including ensuring sufficient security is provided to the Hindu community in the short and long terms.
The open letter was signed by major Hindu organisations that include National Council of Hindu Temples, BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Sanstha UK, Indian National Students Association UK, ISKCON Manchester, Overseas Friends of BJP (UK), the Hindu Lawyers Association (UK) and Insight UK .
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17. AYODHYA DEEPOTSAV WORLD RECORD: On October 23, Ayodhya entered the Guinness Book of World Records by lighting up 15.76 lakh diyas as part of the grand celebration on the occasion of Chotti Diwali at Ram Ki Paidi on the banks of the revered Saryu river. 19000 volunteers ensured that the event was a success. A total of 17 lakh earthen lamps were lit across 37 ghats of Ram Ki Paidi. The lighting up of the ghats began at 5:15 PM and an official from the Guinness Book of Records oversaw the proceedings.
The Guinness Book of World Records only took those diyas into consideration which remained lit for five minutes or more. Also, the diyas were to be lit within a 40 minutes time frame as mandated by the world records firm.
Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi was the chief guest during the occasion which was witnessed by more than 50000 people. In his speech PM Modi said that Ram’s ideals were like a beacon that gave light to the whole world. Before his address at Ram Katha Park, PM Modi performed the symbolic ‘rajyabhishek’ of Ram and Sita.
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18. 6TH INTERNATIONAL RAMAYANA FESTIVAL BY ICCR: On October 19, Minister of Culture G. Kishan Reddy inaugurated the 6th International Ramayana Festival at Kamani Auditorium, New Delhi. The festival was organised by Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and president of ICCR, Dr. Vinay Sahasrabuddhe delivered the inaugural speech.
The Ramayana dance-drama troupe from Sri Lanka - 'Natya Kala Mandhir' - performed ‘Shree Rama Rajyaabhishekam’ at the GMC Balyogi Auditorium at the Parliament of Bharat.
The two day festival featured splendid performances by dance-drama troupes from 6 countries - Thailand, Indonesia, Fiji, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Trinidad & Tobago.
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19. ISRO SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHES FIRST DEDICATED COMMERCIAL MISSION: On October 23, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched its first dedicated commercial mission of the 43.5 metre Launch Vehicle Mark 3 (LVM3), weighing around 644 tonne, from the Sathish Dhawan Space Centre Sriharikota (SHAR) in Andhra Pradesh. 36 satellites of UK based global communication network company OneWeb were injected into the orbits successfully around 75 minutes after the rocket blasted off from the spaceport in Sriharikota. 
Speaking after the launch, Chairperson of ISRO S. Somanath said that it is a happy Diwali for all those at SHAR centre as the launch was successful and the separation of the satellites were precisely done. He also said that all the satellites were in accurate intended orbits.
Speaking to the media, Sunil Mittal of One Web said that LVM3 launch will boost the confidence in ISRO at international level to look out for commercial satellite launches.
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20. US RESTORED 307 ANTIQUITIES TO BHARAT: On October 17, US authorities returned to Bharat 307 antiquities valued at $ 4 million - the single largest restoration to date.
In an official release, the Manhattan district attorney’s office said that all the 307 antiquities were returned during a repatriation ceremony at the Bharatiya consulate in New York attended by Bharat’s consul general Randir Jaiswal and US Homeland Security Investigations acting deputy special agent-in-charge Tom Lau. The returned artefacts include the 12-13th century Arch Parikara crafted from marble and a murti of Vishnu and Lakshmi with Garuda dated 11th century CE.
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21. BHARAT’S DONATION OF MEDICINES DURING COVID-19 INCREASED ITS IMPACT ON INTERNATIONAL STAGE: UN CHIEF: Terming Bharat a partner of choice of the UN, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on October 19 that New Delhi has increased its impact on the international stage due to the donation of medicines, equipment, and vaccines at height of Covid-19 to neighbouring countries.
Addressing the students at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, Guterres said, "From your donations of medicines, equipment and vaccines at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, to your humanitarian assistance and development finance to Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, you’re increasing impact on the international stage. Bharat is today a partner of choice of the UN.”
The UN Chief also said that Bharat’s digital platform Cowin is the largest vaccination program for Covid-19 which is delivering more than 2 billion doses.
He also congratulated Bharat on its achievement over the last 75 years “as the world’s largest democracy and now as the fastest-growing major economy."
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22. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas: Vishwa Vibhag Sah Samyojak Dr. Ram Vaidya will be returning to UK. Visitors: Kishor Mistry - New Zealand

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: We have resolved to dedicate our whole life for the purpose of making the entire Hindu society stand on its own feet in a united manner.
- Dr Keshavrao Baliram Hedgewar  -GoTop

JAI SHRI RAM
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RESTORATION OF TEMPLES; AWAKENING COUNTRY TO ITS DHARMIC HERITAGE
David Frawley

India has historically been a great land of magnificent temples. Temples were not only important sites for religious worship but also served as centres of learning, art, community gatherings and festivals. Temples held great wealth and were the pride of the communities in which they were built.

Such temples became targets for foreign invasion or destruction. Conquering temples could be a source of wealth, social and political control. Yet when Hindus regained power, they restored conquered temples and renewed their own traditions.
After Marathas defeated the Mughals and became the dominant power in India in eighteenth century, they began an active campaign to take back important temples, or to restore those that had been damaged or neglected. Other Hindu communities did the same.
The British had no campaign to destroy or expropriate temples, but did not support efforts to restore them either. The result was when India achieved Independence in 1947 many important and famous ancient temples had not been reclaimed or restored though there was a strong sentiment to do so. There was an expectation that Independent India would continue the process that the Marathas and others had started.
Yet, though India was divided into a Hindu-majority India and a Muslim-majority Pakistan, the Nehru government, much like the British, did not allow Hindus to reclaim their sacred sites or offer government support in restoring them. Not much support was given to Jains, Sikhs or Buddhists or other dharmic traditions either.
This means that the policy of restricting Hindus from reclaiming or renovating their sacred sites continued unbroken through the Mughal, British and Nehruvian periods. Only Somnath managed to escape the Nehruvian restriction, but that was owing to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, not Jawaharlal Nehru who opposed it. Pakistan meanwhile was happy and proud to fund new mosques, renovate the old, and restrict or destroy existing Hindu temples.
The question arises – Can India be India without honouring its civilisational heritage, including its magnificent temples? India’s Independence movement followed the inspiration of modern Rishis and Yogis such as Swami Vivekananda, Lokmanya Tilak, Rabindranath Tagore, Mahatma Gandhi and Sri Aurobindo. The need to restore India’s dharmic civilisation was their motivation, the awakening of Sanatan Dharma, not just modern political independence.
Today in 2022, 75 years after Independence in 1947, a New India is arising under the Narendra Modi government, which has a profound respect for India’s enduring civilisation and its diverse traditions. We see a new concern for temple restoration as part of a national cultural awakening. This extends to sacred sites of all of India’s dharmic and mystical traditions. It is not just a UNESCO-type approach or museum centre, but as a living restoration of an ongoing cultural creativity. Modi is fulfilling the call for a spiritual and cultural revival made by the Independence movement, to awaken India to its dharmic heritage including its numerous temples throughout the country, such as can be found from Kanyakumari to Kedarnath, from Kamakhya to Somnath, which he has been visiting and supporting.
Mahakal Jyotirlinga in Ujjain
Modi recently inaugurated the renovation and expansion of the Mahakal Temple in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, for which he gave what has been regarded as one of his most inspiring speeches: A call to a New India which honours all its spiritual traditions and sacred sites, Gurus and Devatas.
Mahakal is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas or temples of light of Shiva Mahadev, and one of the most important ancient Hindu temples. Mahakal means the great Lord of Time and Eternity (Kala). Renovating Mahakal means restoring India’s ancient history, cosmic view of time, civilisational continuity and connection to the Eternal.
Mahakal in Ujjain represents the Prime Meridian for Vedic astronomical calculations and timing issues going back to ancient texts like Surya Siddhanta. Mahakal in Madhya Pradesh also marks the centre of India in terms of geography and travel. It is very important for Vastu, the Vedic science of directional influences as well. Renovating Mahakal means renewing the presence of India in terms of history and geography, restoring its vision of sacred time and sacred space, opening to the universe as a whole.
India’s temples include many important sites to Shiva, Vishnu, Rama, Krishna, Durga, Kali, Lakshmi, Sarasvati, Ganesha, Hanuman and the many Devatas and forms of Brahman. Each temple has its own Jyotish and Vastu, its own power of sacred time and sacred space as a gateway to the Eternal and the Infinite. The temple is not just an outer structure to be admired but an inner presence to take us to a higher consciousness.
Through restoring these extraordinary temples, one is purifying not only Bharat/India but the entire Earth, and aligning it with the Supreme Consciousness, which the planet desperately needs today to move beyond all the conflict we see developing, and learn to use our new powers of technology for the good of all. Certainly, people from the entire world will come as pilgrims to visit them.
This new labour and sadhana of restoring and renovating important temples need to go forward with determination and confidence as part of a greater cultural unfoldment and civilisational affirmation for India as a whole. Many more temple sites throughout the country need to be examined and restored, a number of which are suffering from neglect unworthy of their historical and cultural value.
New temples also need to be built, such as we see with BAPS Swaminarayan and Akshardham in Delhi and their many great temples throughout the world. The art and science of temple construction and design needs to be encouraged, sustained and renewed on all levels.
It is wonderful to see this temple restoration increasing and its growing momentum for the future of India and the world, including many countries that have similar ancient sacred sites needing renovation. It is part of India’s affirmation of its Yogic and Dharmic traditions in which temples and sacred sites are an integral component, if not the pillar that upholds the teachings and traditions. (The writer is the director of the American Institute of Vedic Studies and the author of more than 30 books on yoga and Vedic traditions.) October 15, 2022 https://vskbharat.com/restoration-of-temples-awakening-country-to-its-dharmic-heritage/?lang=en
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