VarnanLive

Unexplained shock of 2024 election

“After 500 years, even the grand Ram Temple at Ayodhya could not unite 1.2 billion Hindus. Instead it successfully united 180 million Muslims against Hindus”.

Above is a general sentiment after 2024 election results. Question is why has the temple not been able to unite the Hindus.

The awakening conversation

Last few weeks I have been travelling extensively in rural Bihar. One i actually gave me one possible and most probable answer for this intriguing question. The incident deserves few paragraphs.

Nanmum (name changed) has been associated with my family since his childhood. His family has been toiling on our village field for last three generations. Whether this arrangement will continue after Nanmum is uncertain because neither Nanmun’s children live in village any more, nor our family has anyone living in our village anymore. But that is not the point of discussion here. I want to talk about my discussion with Nanmun when he took me to the local village “Brahma Sthan” the centre of faith for the entire village. Just after I arrived in my home, he opened and cleaned the house and made it comfortable for me. He asked me to wash up and pray to our “bhagwati” first. Bhagwati is our family deity and one of the rooms in our house is dedicated for her. Anyone coming home first goes and bows to Bhagwati.   

After praying to the Bhagwati, Nanmun asked me to come with him to the “Brahma Sthan” and pay my prayers to “Brahma baba” and “Mahavira Ji”. I followed Nanmun’s advice. But one thing I noticed distinctly. He did not come inside “Bhagwati’s” room in my house, neither he came inside “Brahma Sthan”. He did pray from outside. When I asked him, his answer was, “we are lower caste so we pray from outside the pedestal”. I was not surprised and I asked him to come inside; but he did not. During the course of day when he was taking me around my fields, I came to know that he has been pure vegetarian for last twenty years, following strict schedules of eating and prayer and has been follower of Kabirpanth. He has a guru from Kabirpanth about 100 Kilometers away and he regularly visits the Guru.

“Jati” created a distant relationship with core faith

The whole episode opened my eyes. It seemed to give me some answers to the question that I was searching for a long time. Few things were very clear. Firstly, the roots of Sanatan thought was very strong that even in the face of discrimation and ostracization the connection to the core philosophy always remained. Nanmun and his family have been exposed to Islam for three generations now in my village and adjoining areas. Few of his caste members had converted to Islam two generations ago and had set up a small Muslim hamlet outside our village. He has remained strongly attached to the core of Sanatan. The temple has not been able to represent the centre of his faith because his caste people have not been allowed to enter temples for long time. After several generations, that has become a ritual which no one wants to break and that is why when I asked him to come inside the Bhagwati room or inside the temple, he stayed away. However, he has found the same strength of faith in Kabeer panthi teachings where he is able to find his spiritual expression more freely and openly.

Large section of population of our country in North India experienced temple as centre of their faith only from a distance. That is why a temple movement makes them happy, but is is not able to become a strong emotional linkage.

“Jati” can be eradicated through temples very quickly

This needs to be reformed from within Hindu society. In my opinion following can be the fastest way to bring this reform.

.

1. Legal changes to free temples from government control and that temples should manage their own affairs just like Church, Gurudwara, Mosques are allowed to do.

2. Government should farme rules for management and governance of temples by the local community. 

3. “Pujari” should considered as a skill in the same was a there any other skill

4. Government should enable courses of “Agamas” to certify Pujaris

5. “Pujaris’ should be appointed by the temple committees based on the knowledge of Agamas and shastras and not based on the born caste.

6. Of course, entry and exist can not be restricted based on born caste, however local temples should frame rules of entry / exist based on the specific nature and purpose of deity

If we do this, we will unleash the true temple economy which will be all inclusive and centre of Sanatan faith.