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MUSIC FESTIVAL OF INDIA; HINDU STUDENTS COUNCIL AUGUST, Igg8 HINDUISM TODAY 7

Band of Indo-Caribbean pilgrims at Varanasi. Ramesh K.alicharran is standing, second from right.
HOMECOMING
NY Hindus Dig Their Roots
AMESH KALICHARRAN IS A
Rtravel agent with a mission.
Twice a year he escorts groups
of Indo-Caribbean descent
back to India. Many such
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soil of Bharat. It has been a
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ter life in the distant colony.
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father speaking to me, a return-
ing home, even though India is
not my home," said elder pil-
grim David Pherai whose fa-
ther emigrated to Guyana a
century ago. He Iafld his wife
renewed their marriage vows in
a Hindu ceremony and took the
names Nehru and K.amla.
Last year pilgrims frolicked
at Holi (Phagwa) in Jaipur.
Seeming to recognize their
inner and outer ,return to the
motherland, Jaipur residents
embraced the group as they
would close relatives. Holi is the
biggest Hindu event of the year
in the Caribbean, but the pil-
grims had never experienced it
like this! Despite the time and
distance, they remained one
with their Bharat homeland.
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THE VEDAS Words cannot describe the joy of the soul whose impurities
are cleansed in deep contemplation-who is one with At-
man, his own Spirit. Only those who feel this joy know
God's Word, what it is. MAITRI UPANISHAD 6.34

Sages'Voices May the forefathers of ancient days protect me in this my

I glorify him who is of won-
derful radiance like the sun,
who is the giver of happi-
ness, lovely, benevolent and
the one whom all welcome
like a guest. He bestows
vigor upon the worshipers;
may He, the fIre-divine,
remove our sorrow and give
us heroic strength and all
sustaining riches.
RIG VEDA 10_122. 1
The devout performers of solemn ceremonies, aspiring for
chariots, are led to the doors of the chamber of the Lord.
Ladles, placed to the east, are plying the fire with melted
butter at the fIre sacrifice, as the mother cow licks her calf,
or as rivers water the fIelds.
RIG VEDA 7.2.5
8 HINDUISM T O D A'L. A U GUST , 199 8
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PUBLISHER'S DESK
Darshan;' the Grace
Of Seeing the Divine'
The spiritual energy shared in the simple act of seeing
and being seen has the power to transform lives
BY SATGURU SIVAYA SUBRAMUNIYASWAMI
N THE ORIENT, WHENEVER THE CLOUD OF
j _'J~"'_ covers the soul of 'a devotee, the dar-
shan of the Gods is sought. Whenever it be·-
comes difficult to meditate, his grace is
hoped for to lift the veil of delusion and re-
lease awareness from the darker areas of mind to
soar within. If you were to travel through India
on a spiritual pilgrimage, you would undoubtedly
hear much about the Sanskrit word darshan,
meaning "vision, seeing or perception," But in its
mystical usage 'darshan is also the feeling of the
emotions of a holy person; the intellect, the spiri-
tual qualities that he has-attained, and most im--
portantly the shakti, the power, that has changed
him and is there constantly to change others. Darshan ~ncompass­
es the entirety of the being of a person of spiritual attainment. In
India, everyone' is involved in darshan. Some at a temple have dar-
shan of the Deity. Others at an ashram have darshan of their·swa-
mi or on the street enjoy darshan of a sadhu. And most everyone
experiences doordarshan. That's the word for television in India,
meaning "seeing from afar." Even this seeing, through movies,
news and various prqgrams of mystery, tragedy, humor; the fine
arts and culture, carr-affect our emotions, intellect, pulling us down
or lifting us up in consciousness. Se.eing is such a powerful dimen-
sion of life, and it affects us in so many ways, inside and out.
HiI}dus travel for miles to receive the darshan of an illumined
soul "established in his enlightenment. Perhaps he does not speak to
them. Perhaps he scolds some of them. Perhaps he gives the most
inspired of talks to them. In any case, they feel the darshan flood-
ing out from hil!l. A great soul is always gi~ darshan. Hindus
believe that the darshan coming from a great soul helps them in
their evolution, changes patterns in their life by cleaning up areas
of their subconscious mind that they could not possibly have done
for themselves. They further helieve that if his darshan is strong
enough, if they are in tune with him.enough, by its power the kun-
dalini force can be stimulated en,{mgh that they can really begin to
meditate. This is called the grace of the guru. The ability to medi-
tate comes from this grace. You must have it before you can begin
to meditate, or you must do severe austerities by yourself instead.
Darshan and the unfolding 'soul on the path are like the rose.
When the rose is a bud, it does not give forth a perfume. Unfold-
me nt is just beginning. We admfre the beauty of the bud, the stem,
the leaves and the thorns. We are aware that it has the potential of
a great flower.'In the same way, we appreciate a beautiful soul who
comes along, seeing in him the potential of a spiritual mission in
this life.
10 HINDUISM TODAY A lI.GUST , 1998
In the life of a bud, noth-
ing happens until unfold-
ment begins. The same is
true for the fme soul. It
happens occasionally that
someone comes along and
picks the bud. This means
the fine soul is in the
wrong company. Now nei-
ther the bud nor the soul
can unfold. But when they
are protected nicely in a
garden or ashram by a
careful gardener, or guru,
the bud and the soul unfold beautifully.
With just their first little opening to
the world, they begin to see the lig1!t of
the outer and inner sun shining down
into the core of their being. It is still too
early, of course, for the rose to have a
noticeable fragrance or the soul a dar-
shan, We might appreciate them closely,
but we would detect little in this early
and delicate stage of unfolding. At this
time the unfolding soul might say, "I can
see the light m my head and in my
body." And the suns-rays keep pouring
into the rose, penetrating into the stem
and as deep as the roots. It is feeling
stronger and unfolding more and more.
If no one picks it becaus~ of its unfold-
ing beauty, the rose continues to unfold
until it opens into all its glory. Then a
wonderful thing happens. The perfume
of th~ rose fills the air day and night. It
is the da~han of the rose.
To some people the bouquet of the
rose is very strong; to others it is rather weak. Is the emanation of '
the rose stronger at one time than another? No. It is always the
same. It goes on and on and on, maturing all the while into a
deeper, richer, more pofent scent. Soon it is filling the entire gar-
den. But to the one who comes into the garden with a stuffy nose,
there is only the beauty or the flower to experience.
In the same way, one who is closed on the inside of himself miss-
e s the darshan of the awakened soul. He sees in the greater soul
just another ordinary person like himself The darshan is there,
• Some people nave allergies to gurus, too. The guru's darshan lifts
but he is too negative to feel it. But the darshan permeates him
just the same. He goes away from the garden not having smelled a
rose, but carrying the perfume of the rose himself If you stand
away from the rose, you smell less of its fragrance. Bring yourself
really close, and more of its strong and pungent scent will pene-
trate your body.
Darshan from a great soul, like the pollen of the flowers, can
stimulate healthy sneezing and cleansing if one's subconscious hap- you draw the darshan, would immediately go within and enjoy it
pens to .be congested. Call it, if you like, an allergy to flowers.
Seeing within: This devotee has awakened his third eye to the point
of seeing inner light in his head and hearing the holy Aum sound-
ing in his ear: He inwardly sees the satguru, who mdy not be physi-
cally present, and may occasionally glimpse the world of the Gods .
repressed subconscious patterns that have been out of the flow of
the cosmic pattern of regenerative life, brin~g them up before
one's conscious attention. Instead of feeling wonderful, the visitor
to the garden feels terrible, as the fire is brought up from within,
releasing his awareness to view the polluted state of the subcon-
scious mind. .
The conCfpt of darshan also embraces the guru's seeing of the
devotee. When you are in the presence of the guru, his seeing of
you and therefore knowing you and your karmas. is another ~ace.
So, darshan is a two-edged swor@, a two-way str'eet. It is a process
of seeing and being seen. 4'he devotee is seeing and in that instant
drawing forth the blessings of the satguru, the swami or the sadhu.
In turn, they are seeing the devotee and his divine place in the
universe. Both happen within the moment, and that moment, like
a vision, grows stronger as the years go by, not like imaginatlon, - I
which fades away. It is an ever-growing spiritual experience. The ' I
sense of separation is transcended, so there is a oneness between
seer and seen. This is monistic theism; this is Advaita Ishvaravada.
Each is seeing the other and momentarily being the other.
Some people are more sensitive to fragrance than others. Others
are so seilless and sensitive they can become he fragrance itself
for a time. In such a person, the rose smells sweet through every
pore of his body. He is not in the least aware of any subconscious
,congested area of the mind. He sits in the garden and goes deep
into meditation on the subtle fragrance of the flowers. The same
principle relates to the unfolded soul. Darshan pours forth from
within the unfolded soul just as fragrance flows from the rose- . ~
seeming stronger at times than at others because some de)lotees
are more. in tune than others. For them, the room begins to ring
and vibrate. Soine people are so sensitiye that when a great soul
comes to the same town, they feel his presence. This shows their
inner attunement to the constant flowing power of the darshan.
Everyone has some feelings radiating from withjn, but they are
emanations that fluctuate. Because you feel these vibrations com-
ing from them, you can intuit how they are feeling. They do not
emanate a constant or a building flow. It is a fluctuating flow of
emotional or 'astral energy. The darshan I am explairling is really
the energies flowing from the deeper chakras, sahasrara anp ajna,
the seventh anctsixth chakras or psychic force centers in the head,
through the kundalini force within the spine. These energy flows
do not fluctuate as the emotional odic-force energies do, They go
on day and night and night and day througl). the illumined soul.
Those devotees who are in tune with the guru can feel his physicaJ
presenge when he enters the:ir town because the darshan gets
stronger. And it feels to them more ethereal when he is farther
away. These energy flows are very important to study, because jt is
possible to draw and enjoy a great darshan from an illumined soul
if you approach him in just the right way. If you can become as a
sponge wher( you approach him, you will draw out beautiful talks
and other profound feelings from him. The Hindu is conscious that
' he is drawing darshan from his rishi or his satguru, just as you are
,
conscious of drawing the perfume of the rose into your body.
When approaching a soul who is known to give darshan, be in the
same area of the superconScious mind that you feel he must be in.
The guru does not have to bedlecessarily functioning in that same
area. He could be eJRernalize"tl in consciousness at the time. This is
not important. It does not stop his darshan at all. The guru, feeling
himself Once darshan is there in him, it is always there.
A UG US T , 199 8 HINDUI S M TOD AY 11

Thank You for Bridging
AS SOMEONE WHO GREW UP IN THE WEST
and lived as Western a life as one can live, I
w~t you to know how much f love HIN-
DUISM TODAY. I fell in love with India for In-
dia, not because of Hinduism. I, in fact,
knew nothing about the religion and culture.
I knew only that I never wanted to leave the
banks of Mother Ganga. I am leathing about
it ,slowly, for I am simply letting it seep into
my cells rather than trying 'to memorize
facts. Your magazine is one of the few writ-
ten pieces on Hinduism that I simply de-
vour. It contains just the right amount of re-
ligion, spirituality and dogma with a sense ~
of appealing to those of us who may not be
already convinced of the facts. Thank you
for being a wonderful bridge between me
and this glorious culture in whose midst
G0d has graciously put me.
PHOEBE GARFIELD
..' ihrf@giasdlOl.vsnl.net.in
Rewriting Indology
YOU HAVE DONE A VALUABLE SERVICE BY
bringing it to the attention of your readers
through your very fme article [Cracking the
Indus Valley CQde, LANGUAGE, May, '98]. In
nearly two centuries of existence, Indology
has given us: 1) the Aryan invasion;
2) turned the maritime Vedic people into
Steppe nomads who had never seen the
ocean; and 3) Proto-Dravidian as the lan-
guage of the Harappans! We must go di-
rectly to the public ~th our findings. We
must develop an independent school of
thought that serves as an alternative to In-
dblogy, challenging it on its own ground.
PROF . NAVARATNA S. 'RAJARAM
BASAVANAKUDI, BANGALORE, INDIA
Sacred Landscapes
IN MY RESEARCH I HAVE COME ACROSS SA-
cred plants but have not discovered any in-
forr:qption on the design or layout of sacred
Hindu landscapes [India's Savior of Sacred
Plants, ETHNOBOTANY, May, '98]. Much has
been written on.the temple architecture, un-
fortunately the landscape appears to be ne-
glected. I would be delighted to hear from
anybody who has information on this subject.
TONyTAPAR
COVENTR~ENGLAND,UK
, to~@mail.globalnet.co.uk
Dear India... ."
WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU DOING? I
am shocked, surprised' and so very disap-
pOinted [at your nuclear test] . In my mind
India has always been the bastion of peace
on this planet. The rest of us just needed to
catch up withyour enlightened ways in or-
der to make this a better place. Now, you've
given yourself two huge, awful black eyes.
12 HINDUISM TODAY AUGUST, 1998
LETTERS
Then you stand up and say, "Hey, look at me!
Don't I look tough, powerful and strong?"
No, you've only lost face and hurt your own
precious land. You've invited horrible de-
struction for your own people and all the
citizens of this planet. In the eyes of the
world you are like .a peaceful old man sud-
denly slipping into the violent throws of se-
nility. Snap out of it! Wake up before its too
late. .
DAMARA SHANMUGA
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, us
, dshanmug@fIash.net
New Century's New Year
YOUR READERS MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN
knowing that April 14th this year was the
commencement of the 52nd century of the-
Hindu calendar-the Kali Yuga. It is the year
5100. This is the solar New Year in t'he Hin-
du calendar and every year it is widely cele-
brated in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, bambodia
and many other South East Asian countries.
NARESHA DURAISWAMY
COLOMBO, SRI LANKA
, nduraiswamy@worldbank.org
Hail Vegetarianism!
I DECIDED NOT TO EAT MEAT OR FISH BE-
cause I've considered it not to be ethical.
However, my family discovered it, and all I
could hear about it was that I was becoming
mentally insane, not a normal person, and I
was being influenced by someone with
strange ideas. I think this is an example about
how backward the so-called "rational and hu-
manist" West still is. It is funny to see how
mfmy people love their dogs and cats, smile
in front of a monkey or are horrified by; the
killing of seals. It is also curious how many
people consider abortion as a crime, while
happily eating a killed pig or cow, if not
worse. This logic dominates an entire society.
NUNO PESTANA
COPENHAGEN, DENMARK
, npestana@contactol.icep.pt
..IN YOUR APRIL, 98 ISSUE OF HINDUISM
Cr'edit Wrongly Favored
I LIVED AT THE CHILD PROTECTION CEN-
ter (CPC) that you mentioned as the sole pro-
gram working with the Deuki p6pulation in
Nepal [In God's Name, INHUMANITY, DeC.,
'98]. You recognized Krishna Poon of Snehi
Women's . Awareness Center (SWAC) in
Baitadi as the NGO working with Deukis. In
fact, Poon has no relationship with the CPC,
and in the two years that I've lived there,
Poon has never visited or had any involve-
ment with the CPC or this commUcity. The
NGO responsible for the management of the
cpe is the Tripura Sundari Village Develop-
merit Association/Nepal (TSVDAIN). TSV-
DAIN, with UNICEF support, and the com-
munity in Melauli, has struggled together to
make the CPC a success. Unfortunately, it is a
~ occasion where reporters and photogra-
phers that wish to report on the Deuki sys-
tem take the appropriate time and care to
represent (or even visit) the community as it
is today.
ALLISON COHN\.
PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER, BAITADI, NEPAL
, pcvnepal@wlink.com.np
Safeguard is Not Guarding
HOW CAN THE DIRECTORS OF THE HINDU
House profess to be devoted to bridging tlI~
caste divides in Mauritius, as reported in
our local press whenl they have been' in-
volved in recent years in some of the most
appalling caste lobbying in the history of
this country? Far from uniting Hindus, the
Hindu House is yet another divisive factor
for us. It is encouraging the sectarian win-
ner-take-all mentality among castes and re-
gional groups. There is a crying need for
genuine promotion of cu'ltural activities in
the Hindu community. Hindu youths in
Mauritius are, from childhood on, discour-
aged from taking part in artistic activities.
Parents fear this may distract them from our
rat race educational courses. The result is
that too many Hindu youth grow up to be-
come money-minded philistines. Who will
save us from this sad state of affairs?
B. GOVINDRAO
POSTE LAFAYETTE, MAURITIUS
About That Sari
Thank you for the wonderful articles, infor-
mation and photo~ of the beautiful saris.
They are, as you stated, wonderful works of
art which can be worn to express so many
thoughts and ideas. I have never worn one,
but you have inspired me to try.
PESHALA VARADAN
ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND, US
, Margaret_Riley@dbm.com
Correction
TODAY [BRIEFLY] y~u stated, "Over 75
Trustees and Head of Temple gathered in
Udupi, Kerala." Udupi is not in Kerala, but in
the state of Karnataka.
P. VASUDEVA PRABHU
JERSEY CITY, NEW JERS,!'Y, US
Letters with writers name, address and daytime
phone number, should be sent to:
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or faxed to: (808) 822-4351
or e-mailed to: letters@hlndu.org
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Letters may be edited for space and clarity and may
appear in electronic versions of HINDUISM TODAY.
'" INDICATES LEITERS RECEIVED VIA E-MAIL
~~~~~~ MY TURN
HINDU RENAISSANCE TEAM
HINDUISM TODAY was founded January 5, 1979,
by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, for the
following purposes: 1. To foster Hindu solidarity
as a unity in diversity amoJ;lg all sects and lin-
eages; 2. To inform and inspire Hindus world-
wide and people interested in Hinduism; 3. To
dispel myths, illusions and misinformation
about Hinduism; 4. To protect, preserve and
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, ,
kfinduisms I=uture in
'The New South +Jfrica
Will the flame of our religion continue to
burn and glow eternally with all the changes?
BY AJITH BRIDGRAJ
HE RICHNESS OF HINDU
culture frrst touched the
shores of South Africa al-
most 140 years ago when
the frrst load of indentured
Indian laborers from the Indian
motherland were brought to the
province of KwaZulu-Natal in
1860 on board the Truro.
The harsh, oppressive condi-
tions under which these early
arrivals toiled were tantamount to slavery.
But the indomitable spirit of these pioneer-
ing groups of Indians ensured that the
seeds of Hinduism were sown and nurtured
over successive generations with· the same
care as the lush sugarcane fields that began
to thrive in the former British colony.
Presently, South Africa is aptly referred to
as a "rainbow nation," but among the het-
erogeneous cacophony of cultural and reli-
gious persuasions that has become rooted
in South African soil, Hinduism still com-
mands a proud and substantive folloWing.
The nectar of Hinduism is being quaffed
by whites and ~digenous black South
Africans who have come to embrace it.
Whilst this triclqe towards Hinduism
bears good tidings for Hinduism's staunch
devotees in South Africa, the torrent of
conversions away is of great concern. The
highest rate of conversion is towards Chris-
tianity. Converts complain of a lack of un-
derstanding of the basic pillars of Hin-
duism. The religion is bound t09 much by
rituals and traditions that may have ~ost
their relevance in the modern era. Hindu
religious leaders tend ·to remain too aloof
and, therefore, inaccessible when their
spiritual counseling is most desperately
required. The former apartheid regime
paid only lip service to the concept of reli-
gious freedom, a noble principle enshrined
in the present South African constitution.
But the forces of Hinduism have not moved
fast enough to capitalize on this, some ar-
gue. Even those who have re-
mained loyal Hindus lament the
fact that very few opportunities
exist for the mastering of Hindu
languages and scriptures. /
As for the Hindu youth, the
country's integration process-
particularly at schools and uni-
versities- sees them being
bombarded by diverse cultural
influences. Religious leaders,
parents and apathetic youth-some of
whom openly confess to being "embar-
rassed" about lending support to or partici-
pating in Hindu arts and cultural
festivals-must share responsibility for this
unfortunate state of affairs.
Salutations ~ust, however, be extended to
several Hindu bodies which are actively
involved in the upliftment, of some of the
most downtrodden of South Africa's people
who eke out miserable exist nces under
conditions of abject poverty. Although at-
tendances at informal Hindu art, cultural
and drama classes continue to dwindle,
instructors persevere admirably in their
-quest to spread the cultural richness of
Hinduism to the religion's future-the
youth. Entrepreneurs are also playing their
role by opening restaurants that serve tra- ,
ditio~al Indian delicacies-in this way, in-
terest in Indian cuisine is being spread to
all sectors of South Africa's rainbow nation.
In looking ahead though, a few causes of
concern remai'n. It is up to all whose spiri-
tuality is grounded on the bedrock of Hin-
duism-especially parents and religious
leaders- to ensure that succeeding genera-
,
tions have the will, the dedication and an
unwavering belief in the virtues of Hin-
duism, to sustain it into the next millenni-
um and beyond.
AJITH BRIDGRAJ, 34, is a school teacher and
freelance journalist who serves in many of
his country's social upliftment projects.
AUGUST, 1998 HINDUISM TODAY 13
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EDITORIAL
Is' India's
. 'Nuclear. Threat
Mere Gorilta' Dust?
Bharafs bombshell stuns the world, but few
WesterI?-ers heard the explosion of national pride
BY, THE EDITOR
HEN TWO MALE GORILLAS CONFRONT EACH OTHER,
they're too canny most of the time to actually fight, so
they resort to the tried-and-true political tactic of intim-
Both scurry about in a frenzy, grimacing menac-
beating their chests ,and tossing clouds of dirt into
the air. It's a serious encoiinter, full of powerful .and primitive ener-
gies, a test of testosterone. Soon one b.ecomes convinced that the
other could win the threatened physical engagement, and.retreats.
It's called gorilla dust, and nations stir it up all the time.
On May 15 and 17, Igg8 a real cloud oflethal dust rose above
the stark plains of the Thar Desert in Rajasthan. On those two
days the world's largest democracy and arguab~y the world's oldest
continuous civilization and home to half of the wOPld's free popula-
tion, exploded five devices and. announced to a stunn~d world that
it had joined the prestigious Nuclear Family. While INdians danced
for joy in the streets, Bill Clinton shared another view from the
parapets of the world's most powerful democ-
racy, announcing on TV that "India is a
perfectly wonderful country, a great country.
It is not necessary for them to manifest
national greatness by doing this." That this
was the first time ir\' history that the Man had
accused India of being a Great Country is ex-
actly the point, Indians say. Finally, a nation
regm;ded spiritually with virtual reverence
was 'getting some old-fashioned political adu-
lation. In its May 25th issue, Newsweek ran a
full 11 pages about Bharat's Bomb-the first
serious series on India in recent memory- .
and New York Time's John Burns wrote,
"Whatever else the Indian tests may have
meant to a world eager to lessen the menace
of nuclear weapons, the react.i.ons abroad and
at home showed the existence of two Indias:
one that occupies a favored spase in the
world's consciousness, the India of Buddha
and Mohandas K. Gandhi, of ashrams and sa- "
cred rivers, of huddled mass~s of the poor, yerurning for relief yet
ever serene; and another India, awakening to the modern world,
impatient of old indignities and.)nfrrmities, eager for symbols of
national wealth and power."
America is perhaps at heart secretly happy about India's aston-
ishing achievement. Mter all, a strong India assures the .safety of
the above-mentioned half of the free peoples and secures the
Asian turf for Coca Cola, Boeing and a thousand other Us.,compa-
16 HINDUISM TOD A Y AU G UST 1998
nies. America knows that India is per-
ilously perched between China and
Pakistan, both of .which have nuclear
capability and have started wars in
the past. America knows that its mili-
tary umbrella (the one that covers
South Korea, Australia, Japan and the
"To do good is noble. To 8.dvise others to do good
is also noble ... 8nd much less trouble."
NATO nations) does not shelter India,
and that she has a sovereign right to
protect herself America also knows
that India is not a volatile or vicious
American humorist Mark Twain (1835-1910)
state, that she has been, in fact, an ex-
emplar of political and military
restraint and reconciliation, unlike the
rogue states of Muammar Khadafy
~
and Saddham ..Hussein. America also .;
knows that India is informed, in hr:r - '\ ' . .
.! .
heart, by the gentle ethic of non-
violence, and by spiritual values that ~ NOW J5 --mE TIM ( t1Y
"'0 .
I
are pervasive and prodigious.
Of course, the real worry in the West is not that peace-loving BELOVE.D COUNTRYMEN
India will actually use the bomb. It is this: If America cant
track the nuclear plans of a friendly democracy, what can we ex- 1i6HTEN YouR6EL.T6~ .. ROLL
pect of its ability to monitor enemy states like Libya, Iran and
Iraq? And what about May 27th'S tests in Muslim Pakistan? It
UP YOUR SLEEV£S-., PULL
irks that India has become capable of making such devices, for lJPYOUR
it implies an enormous sophistication and national will. Sudden-
ly, India is not a shabby, backwater nation worshiping cows and
SOCKS .
hawking handicrafts at bargain prices. As of May, 1998, India is
-dare it be said?-a peer, the nuclear tribe's sixth primate.
Call it the sound of one Indian gorilla knapping, or one Yankee
gorilla napping. It's true, the vaunted VIrginia spies blinked and
missed the whole thing. Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman
Richard Shelby, an Alabama Republican, deplored what he called
"a colossal failure of our intelligence gathering-possibly the great-
est'failure in more than a decade': of the $27-billion-a-year intelli-
gence community. I enjoyed the Indian physi-
cist's response to all the hand-wringing and
finger-pointing at the qIA and in swiftly-
convened what-went-wrong Congressional
meetings on US national ~curity. He assured
America that it was not their fault: "It's not a
failure of the CIA," said Indian nuclear
researcher G. Balachandran. "It's, a matter of .
their intelligence being good, our deception
being better." Dr. R.R. Subramanian, a
nuclear physicist with New Delhi's indepen-
dent Institute for Defense Studies and Analy- A boy asks God, "How much is a million Our civilization ha~ come under a new A little boy asked his father, "Daddy, how
ses, said hiding preparations for the tests was rupees to you?" God says, «Like one ru- ~sault with the entire globalization of a much does it cost to get married?" His
merely a matter of choosing the hours when pee." The boy asks, "How much is a million rotten food culture. The McDonald's expe- • father replied, "I don't know, son. I'm still
satellites were looking elsewhere to move {he years to you?" and God answers,"It's like rience is really the experience of eating paying for it."
necessary people and chemicals. How did
one second." The boy asks, "Can I have a junk whilst thinking you are in heaven.
they find thy times? They are posted daily
on the Internet! rupee?" God answers, «Sure, just'give me a Environmentalist Vandana Shiv,a criticizing My grandfather said that there were two
Mid-May's explosions were one part second to fInish what I'm_doing." fast food chains. She is the Director.Qf the kinds of people-those who did the work
military, nine parts psychological. In that Research Foundation for Science, Technol- and those who took credit. He said I should ,
atomic tempest Indians won the battle witl~­ Most film workers live in fear of not work- ogy and Natural Resource Policy, a net- always try to be in the first group, because
in, the war against their own uncertainty and self-deprecation. there was much less competition. Indira
ing again. Voting for a comeback- perfor- work of researchers specializing in sustain-
It is hard for nations jlVho never had to endure centuries of
humiliating occupation from conquerors to imagine the profound manc!,! is sending out good karma. Top able agriculture and development in India. Gandhi, late Prime Minister of India.
impact of these exploit~ on the national psyche. Little wonder Hollywood critic Gene Siskel, speaking at
they are celebrating their overnight transformation from pitiable the 1998 Oscar awards on the benefit to all However subtle the sundry texts he studies, I asked a bookstore clerk, «Where's the self-
to powerful. Who wouldn't? In Delhi's streets common folk- comeback actors and actresses when one of a man is left with his native intelligence. help section?" She said if she told me, it
tired of aping the West and reading all the foreign media would defeat the purpose.
monkey-business-exult, "The chimp's turned champ." them wins an award. Tlrukural, Verse .373
AUGUST , 1998 HINDUI SM TODAY 17
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INTERNATIONAL ,
By AJITH BRIDGRAJ, DURBAN With such a tapestr-y as a backdrop, it's lit- Notwithstanding these civic SUGcesses, a
VERY MAJOR WORLD CITY HAS A tle wonder thtJ-t the city has such a rich cul- thriving Indian community does not a vi-
"Little India" district. But the conti- tural and artistic life. Cultural enthusiasts brant Hindu religion make, and there are
nent of Africa, apparently accus- will be greeted by a kaleidoscope of Indian, mixeq. views regarding the vitality 0f Hin-
tomed to being grandiose,l' has an Colonial and African traditions that have duism' in South Africa. Many well-estab-
entire "Little India" nation-that is" prospered in the city and given rise to a lis!lj:'!d Hindu organizations prosper here, to
South Africa. Of all thl( countries wide variety of food, restaurants, arts and be sure, and the religion has a long history,
Indians have adopted-once transcending crafts, and ethnic dance forms." which gives a certain stability. But there ex-
the "imported indentured laborers" stigma- It would be difficult to overstress how ists a high conversion rate away from Hin- "-
South Africa is by far the most endeared to deeply the traditions of Hindu culture- duism, primarily to Christianity, and a state
the Indians who live here. It is S'unilarly dance, dress, philosophy, food, etc.--="are ap- of spiritual dormancy seems to prevail.
reve~ by Indians in India, as the heroic Ma- preciated by the South African populace To be, or not-to be ... Hlndu: While speaking
• hatma Candhi had his beginnings here. His and how graciously these contributions are with HINDUISM TODAY, Linda Covender, a
first-hand experiences of apartheid in South received. school teacher in Durban, divulged why she
Africa were critical in forming his satyagra- Another page on this website recounts the, turned away from Hinduism. "I was plagued .,.
ha strategies and ~ssion. And, there is per- history of Indians in Durban, and virtually by a prolonged period of illness, which doc-
haps no other non-Asian country that feels the same tale can be told for each major city tors were unable to curet. But I noticed 11
that Indians-and their reli- slight improvement in my condi-
gion-are such an important and tion after the pastor from the 10-
integral-part of the nation. Indi- cal church began to pray for me.
ans are counted as one of the The dynamic youth movement
"Big Three" ethnic majorities. at the church also pro~ided a
The Durban Experience web- spiritual and social outlet for my
site (www.durban.org..zal) ex- son, something we did not have
emplifies this spirit. A page on as Hindus. In fac!; I did not even
the city's ethnic makeup reads, know who the local Hindu priest
"If cultural diversity were the was when I reilly needed some-
criterion for choosing the capital one to minister to my needs."
of tIfe new South Africa, then Other youth corroborate the
Durban would be.the only city essence of Covender's story. Ur-
in the running. In a country isha Brijlall, a pupil at the A.D.
dubbed the Rainbow Nation, Lazarus Secondary scHool, Dur-
this port city is blessed with the ban, warns, "Hindus need to be
most vibrant ml.x of the ethnic enlightened on the immense
and cultural paint brush. The depth of their religion and her-
metropolis is hom~ to ~ee ma- itage. Unfortunately, many Hin-
jor social groupings, each -with dus are exploring new canals of
its own rich history and tradi- thought and are converting to
tions It was the labor of the no- other religip ns." Cassandra Sub-
ble ; descendants of Shaka's ramony, a 15-year-olq classmate
mighty Zulu Nation which made of Brijlall complains, "Hinduism
the city the commercial and in- is to me the most intriguing, an-
dustrial hub of the province. cient religion, which provides
Now with the demise of deep insights through its philoso-
apartheid, they have become . ~ phies. But, sadly, I think that
the major political force in the ~ many Hindus in South Africa are
region, ....with members of both ~ not practicing these majestic
the two biggest parties, the AN.C ;- teachings. Many of the youth do
and IFP, proud to be called Zu- ~ not show tolerance and respect •
Ius. The quirks and mannerisms ~ for other reljgions. Many, more
of the British settlers in Natal Salute: Hindu youth dancers at the World Hindu. Conference, 1995 are unable to speak their mother
earned the province its nick- tongue. Also, if Hindu elders
name of Last Outpost of the British Empire. in the nation. "From 1849 to 18'51, over cannot teach their children the basic princi-
Now the great-great-grandchildren of those 4,000 British settlers came to Natal under a pIes of Hinduism, then many souls will be
hardy pioneers consider themselves as scheme which was devised by Joseph Byrne. lost in the world, for where there is no un-
South African as their Zulu neighbors. were
There many businessmen among derstanding, there wiU.be incorrect action.
"The forerunners of Durban's thriving In- them, and from this time onwards the small We are currently witnessing this as teen-
ot
dian community arrived in :r5.urban as pen- . village Durban began to progress. Short- agers turn to dangerQus past-times like alco-
niless indentured laborers last century. ly after this event it was found that sugar hoI and drug abuse."
Since-then they have built'themselves into a was a suitable and prefitable crop to,.grow, Saraspathi Naidu, age 35, of Phoenix, also
force to be reckoned with, in the fields of and the development was rapid. It was this converted to Christianity. Her grievances are
commerce, culture and politics. Apart from development which prompted the \,rovince a clarion call to Hindu leaders: 'J\s a Hindu,
the big three, D1¥ban is also home to people to imp(Jrt laborers from India, and these, in I found myself bogged d0Wl:l with ritualistic
of Dutch, Portuguese and Chinese descent turn, were followed by traders. Today their worship. Most of the time I did not under-
to name only a few. And many Gf them are descendents form a very important part of stand why I was doing the things I did.
second or third ' generation Durbanites. the Durban citizenry." When I inquired, I had to be content with

AUGUST , 1998 H r NDUlsM TODAY 21

"

Synod: Swami Saradananda (third from left) and guests of the Ramakrishna Centre, Dur-ban
the explanation that those were the way our
ancestors had done things. Now, as a Christ-
ian, I have a holy book, the Bible, which I can
read and understand and which is constant-
ly discussed and analyzed in church. Hindu
leaders, however, do not place a high premi-
um on acquainting Hindus with their scrip-
tural works."
The Hindu chieftains: Conversion con-
cerns are real, but they are not felt to be a
dire threat, for the dominant Hindu organi-
zations in South Africa do minister actively
to a large number of steadfast devotees.
Most encouraging to all is the fact that youth
figure prominently-through attendance as
well as in conception and organization-in
temple functions and the popular yoga
camps held by several institutions.
Strict disciplines of meditation and vege-
tarianism are emphasized by the Divine
Life Society (DLS), as well as a ban on
watching television. In this way the DLS
aims to produce devotees of strong moral
fiber. Swami Sahajananda, present head of
the DLS, devotes a great deal of energy and
attention to children. Yoga camps are a DLS
specialty. Apart from ministering to the reli-
gious and spiritual needs of devotees, the
DLS is deeply committed to community
welfare work, including building schools for
underprivileged (usually black) communi-
ties. Their well-known high-tech printing
press facility makes possible in the dissemi-
nation of popular religious literature.
The Arya Samaj, too, has firmly nurtured
Hindus in South Africa since its inception in
1906. Staunch devotee Pandita Nanackc-
hand, 74, one of the first females inducted
into the South African priesthood, became a
follower after marriage. "My paternal grand-
father came to South Africa with the first
indentured Pldians in 1860," she recalls.
Her grandfather had become embroiled in 11-
family dispute over property in Benares,
and that motivated him to go to South
Africa. "Their early life was extremely diffi-
cult, as they had to reside in communal
barracks and survive on food rations,"
says the Pandita. ' into non-Indian communities.
The Arya Prathinidhi Sabha (APS) is
the parent body of the Arya Samaj Move-
ment in South Africa. The Durban Isthri
Samaj and the Arya Stree Samaj are
women's adjurfcts. Nanackchand belongs
to all three, stressing that she emerged from
a deeply religious and strong Puranic back-
ground and was well schooled in Hindi be-
fore she married at the age of 18. In
1971-72, she and five others responded to a
call for women to join the priesthood: "In
1975, following the successful com.pletion of
examinations, I was given the gown and
,have been practicing as a priest ever since."
Nanackchand boasts that the movement was
the forerunner in granting women priests
privileges equal to those enjoyed by men.
"Currently there are almost 30 female
priests in the country," she reports.
The APS propagates the teachings of the
Vedas, and its Vedic temples are popular. But
the APS also engages significantly in social
service. Founded in 1921, the 'Aryan Benev-
olent Home, essentially an ashram for the
homeless on the outskirts of Chatsworth, has
become a major cornerstone of the APS. The
APS also provides much-needed counseling
and support to victims of wife abuse, rape
and impending divorce. "We have estab-
lished an ashram just outside of Durban to
house abused women from all religious and
racial backgrounds who otherwise would
have no plac~ to turn to," says Nanackchand.
Also immersed in community upliftment
is the 56-year-old Ramakrishna Center. S.P.
Singh, a retired schoo] principal who has
been with the Center for three decades, re-
lates, "The Center was founded in 1942 by
Swami Nischalananda, who passed away in
1965 and was succeeded by his only monas-
tic disciple, Swami Shivapadananda. He
Prayer power: Pandita Nanackchand of the
Arya Samaj performs a Hindu w edding;
;rhe Saiva Siddhanta Sangam's Guru
Ravananthar with his family at home
Protest: Hindus react boldly to denigration
headed the Center"until his death in 1994.
Currently, the Center is headed by Swami
Saradananda."
Since.•,singh's 'induction into the Center,
seven ashrams, including one for nuns, have
. been •constructed throughout the country.
Singh has also seen a feeding scheme ex-
pand massively since its launching in the
1950s. "We feed abouf 7,500 underprivi-
leged Indian and African schoolchildren on
a daily basis. Approximately 1,200 destitute
welfare families receive grocery hampers
fromtthe Center," details Singh.
Regular youth cqrnps are held to minister
to the needs of the Center's young devotees,
while bi-annual yoga intensives draw atten-
dances of up to 250 per camp. "The Center's
work is definitely contributing to the
process of nation-building and is also expos-
ing Hinduism to all sectors of South African
society," Singh testifies. I
Ever since its humble origins in the shan-
ty town settlement of Magazine Barracks in
1931, the Saiva Siddhanta Sangam (SSS) has
made tremendous strides ana continues to
profoundly impact the lives of hundreds of
Hindu families. The founding head of the
SSS was Brahma Sri Siva Soobramonia Guru
SWamigal. "Following his demise in 1953, he
was succeeded by my father, Sri Karuna-
ianandl;a Swamigal," says deputy spiritual
head Guru Ravananthar. "In all, we have
launched 23 branches nationally," he . re-
ports. His son, Ravi Pillay; 35, explains that
the initial growth of the SSS was due to the
initiative of the founding master and his dis-
ciples. "They used to go to the Durban city
center at night and preach and sing divine
hymns under the lampposts. Soobramonia
Guru also meditated nights in a cemetery in
the city."
The Sangam concentrates.....on conducting
venacular classes, some tutored by Guru Ra-
vanathar. Sunday prayer services spread the
Sangam's messages of vegetarianism and
service to mankind, but the height of its so-
cial service is a feeding program that pro-
vides meals to '" indigent pupils in fifty
schools in Chatsworth and surrounding ar-
eas. Although its founding master declared
the Sangam a uriiversal mission available to
all of humanity, it has not yet made inroads
Temple tour: The oldest temples in South
Africa are located in and around Durban.
Prominent are the Siva Soobramaniar Alay-
am, the Vishnu Temple of Newlands and the
Sathie Sanmarga Sungam, Asherville. Even
the tourism-based Durban Experience web-
site promotes visits to Hindu temples. The
site states, "The Umgeni Road TempI Com-
plex provides for all forms of traditional
Hinduism. It is one of the oldest and largest
in South Africa, dating back to 1883. Its ar-
chitecture and central shrine are reminis-
cent of shrines found throughout South In-
ella. The Durban Hindu Temple in Somtseu
Road was built in 1901 and recalls the ele-
gance of the Nort}} Indian architecture, al-
though there are Victorian and Islamic in-
fluences. The eight temples of Cato Manor
in Bellair Road survived a rocky hiS'tory
when apartheid laws evicted the Indian
community from the area. Today regUlar re-
ligious acHvities ' include an annual fire-
walking ceremony."
"Encouraging for me is the high turn-out
of the youth to temples on auspicious days," RIlSolution: Gandhi in South Africa in 1913
punctuates twenty-year-old Niren Maharaj, at the outset of his life'S mission
a student at the University ofD~ban- West-
ville. Undaunted about the future, he says, SATYAGRAHA
"There is no doubt that Hinduism is des-
tined to. prosper and grow. It offers great
hope for the future." Revealing a little mis- Fount of Change
sionary spirit of his own, he challenges, "I
would like to urge all Hindus to become veg-
etarians and to practice yoga and medita- The crusade that
tion. Only then will we experience the mag-
ic of inner peace and serenity that Hinduism
transformed two nations
can b'ring." ..
By AJITH BRIDGRAJ, DURBAN
• IGHTY-FIVE YEARS H AVE ELAPSED
Picture Perfect .t. since Mohandas K. Gandhi sailed out
~
of South Africa to change the course of
I India. But South Africa was trans-
The photos formed, too. "Gandhi's twenty-y~ar stay
for this spe- here, from 1893 to 1913 was a turning point
cial feature in the history of South Africa," ventures
were taken Ravi Govender, curator of the Durban Cul-
by Rajesh tural and Documentation Centre. He notes
Jantilal, 34, that "President Nelso;;' Mandela " often
a primary quotes the Gandhian ideals of satyagraha
school (passive resistance) and ahimsa, noninjury"
teacher, Gandhi's presence dwells in the hearts of
award-win- South Africans and lingers through several
ningself- memorials. The Phoenix settlement-erect-
taughtpho- ed during Gandhi's staY-still stands, albeit
tographer in a dilapidated copdition. Talk abounds
and freelance journalist. Locally, he about renovating and preserving it for his-
covers news, sports, documentaries and toric and tourism considerations. In Pieter-
fashion. Internationally, he records maritzburg, a plaque marks the spot where
elections and national leaders for Asso- he was ejected from a train, the crucial
ciated Press, Agence France Press, event that catalyzed his political struggles.
Reuters and HINDUISM TODAY. An impressive statue of him' adorns Gandhi
RAJE SH JANTILAL, 35 OGWNI, 9 RUSSELLE STREET,
4001 D URBAN, KWAZULU -NATAL, SOUTH AF RICA
Memorial Hall in the KwaZulu-Natal town
of Ladysmith. ..
A UGUST , 1 998 HI N DUISM T OD AY 23
CULTURE
. rural areas. They brought with them simple
Traditions
Tend Toward
Transition
As divergent cultures
commingle, will any
remain the same?
By AJITH BRIDGRAJ, DURBAN
INDUS IN SOUTH AFRICA FACE THE
same cultural conundrums as those
in other countries. While Eastern
traditions of art, music, dance, dra-
ma and storytelling thrive among Indian as
well as Colonial and African communities,
the core question remains: How much
should we assimilate, integrate, adapt and
transform our traditional arts in order to
better fit into our locale, or in response to
creative fervor? Debates -along these lines
rage within ~ocial circles, and the answers
remain largely inconclusive, seeming to be
more a matter of individual choice and
opinion than a cultural ethic.
Even close sisters disagree. Heeranju and
Netra Prabdial are young tutors of Indian
classical dance. They were enrolled for
training as children, and both have fur-
thered their talents out of genuine interest
and determination to develop artistically.
But they differ somewhat on the issue of cul-
tural fusion. Heeranju, the younger, ex-
pressed disquiet that many teenagers, espe-
cially those in secondary schools, are
ashamed of their culture and traditions.
"They are becoming too Westernized," she
admonishes, arguing that, "The promotion
of Hindu culture is crucial in a multicultur-
al country like ours in the midst of the pre-
sent circumstances of transition. I would not
like us to lose any aspect of Indian art
through assimilation. We need to preserve
th'e Indian identity rather than submerge as-
pects of it in the interests of a br~ader South
African identity." Netra, on the other hand,
is not so convinced. "I am not totally opposed
to amalgamation," she counters. "In sacrific-
ing some aspects of Indian art, we would be
enriching ourselves by drawing from anoth-
er"'o f South Africa's cultural groups."
Heeranju also blames a lack of under-
standing of Indian languages as fostering
youth uninterested in Eastern songs. "Many
are unable to understand the rich and pro-
found Indian lyrics," she laments.
24 HINDUISM TODA·Y AUGUST , 1998
With these issues at the fore, in April,
Igg8, the Dr. Salem Jayalakshmi Interna-
tional Centre for Performing Arts, Durban,
in conjunction with the University of Dur-
ban-Westville, staged the International Car-
natic Music Conference, focusing on the
theme of "Carnatic music into the 21ST cen-
tury." The' assembly sought to envision the
direction that Carnatic music in particular
was headed, noting that, "In the 20TH cen-
musical instruments, which they preserved
and developed over the years." Still, Goven-
der, concedes, Hindu arts have undergone
transformations recently to suit th~ masses
and the youth. "However," he says, "the ba-
sic elements of song, music and ~ance have
been retained."
Govender proudly reports that annual
Government funding to linguistic and cul-
tural organisations by the Department of
Arts and Culture has greatly aided the pro-
motion of Hindu art forms in South Africa.
Recipients include the Hindi Shiksha Sangh,
the Natal Tamil Vedic Society, the Andhra
Maha Sabha and the Gujarati Parishad.
Awards range from US$lOo-$2,000.
Marveling at the large numbers of Hindus,
especially youth, who pack temples on aus-
picious festivals 'such as Sivaratri, Govender
points to an art and culture rejuvenation
among Indians. He cites the enthusiastic ob-
servation of festivals such as Holi and' Pon-
gal, and he boasts that the observance ofDi- HlUnw<rand sustainer of the Hindu Studies department
wali has never waned in the more than 138
EDUCATION '"
years of Indian presence here.
Fashion foibles: With no apparent regrets,
•I
South African Indian women no longer lim-
it themselves to any specific mode of dress.
Often their clothes-be they trendy West-
Enrolling in Hind __ ism
ern attire, ethnic African fashions or elegant
Eastern wear-are dictated by the decorum A SUGden silence in once full classrooms does
of the occasion. This was not always so. Sev-
enty-four-year-old Pandita Nanackchand, not drive Durban's C<dean of dharma" to dismay
grandmother of Heeranju and Netra, says
that during her youth, dresses worn by girls
had to extend beyond th'e knees, preferably By AJITH BRIDGRAJ, DURBAN portunities. The changing racial composi-
down to -the ankles. The wearing of saris HE UNIVERSITY OF DURBAN-WEST- tion of the campus, where an increasing
was virtually obligatory once girls had en- ville was established in 1960 as an ex- number of African stJ}dents are now being
tered their early teens, while wearing jeans clusively "Indian" university under the admitted, may also account for the sharp
and pants was altogether taboo. country's apartheid race laws. But it drop in student interest.
Dance trance: (~bove) Popular The Pandita's daughter, Ishara Prabdial, would be another twenty-one years be- The core curriculum of Hindu Studies
dances in Durban are ballet, rrwd- mother of Netra and Heeranju, believes In- fore the Department of Hindu Studies was ranges from elementary to detailed aspects
em tribal and Indian. Bhamt- dian women are generally loyal to their tra- launched by Guru H.G. Dewa in Ig81. The of Hindu theology and philosophy, including
natyam star Suria Gov~nder is at ditional attire and take pride in wearing department commenced with less than undergraduate courses as part of a Bachelor
right. The Prabdial family (left to Eastern outfits, but that circumstances do twelve students, with Dewa being the only of Arts degree, and post-graduate courses
right): Pandita Nanackchand, not alw,ays allow them to do so. "Socio-eco- staff meJIlber for the first five years. During towards a Doctorate in Hindu Studies. The
Isham, Heeranju and Netra. nomic considerations demand that women its peak, the department saw two additional Department is research-oriented as well.
.........................................................;...... . have to find employment, and they often staff -\llembers appointed to teach 135 stu- "W:e investigate many aspects of Indian cul-
tury, all ragas are played on violin, dress in what is comfortable or prescribed dents. Enrollment has since shrunk drasti- ture and the direction itj s taking todw We
harmonium, flute, clarinet, guitar by the employer," she says. Heeranju states cally, and presently there are only 15 stu- have also conducted extensive research on
and saxophone." All of th~se, ex- that if she is attending a prayer or wedding dents. This phenomenon is not unique to human rights issues that affect the develop-
cept the flute (if it's bamboo), are service, she would definitely dress in Indian Hindu Studies, but is mirrored in other lan- ment of Hinduism," reports Dewa. Publica-
ot Western origin. They also spec- attire, but feels that there is nothing inde- guage and religious departments. tions regularly manifest from such efforts.
ulated that "In the 21ST century, cent about wearing shorts if she has to visit While Hindu studies have attracted pre- To date, the department has submitted two
all ragas will be played on key- the beach. Netra concurs, "The wearing of dominantly Hindu students, over the years articles to government..recognized journals,
boards as well as adopted by other forms of'" jeans, T-shirts and takkies are the norm, but there have been a few Christian, Moslem Human Rights and Hinduism and Derrwc-
music." They urged an exploration of "har- on religious occasions, the Hifidu female stu- and black students. "Judging from their re- ratic'Ideals and Hinduism in South Africa.
mony in ragas." dents generally dress in traditional garb." marks," 'professes Dewa, "these students Various pamphlets and bulletins are also
• Raj Govender, the Regional Head of Arts, Netta has noticed a significant interest by have found the courses extremely in~rest­ produced regularly, as well as the monthly
Culture and Youth Affairs for the govern- non-Indian students in traditional Indian ing and innovative." Yet the number of non- newsletter, Nidan.
ment of KwaZulu Natal, one of South dress and adornments, including nose rings. Hindu enrollees remains small. D~wa, 60, South African by birth, Dewa has been
Africa's nine regions, feels no threat to the So if Indians are diluting their dress to some who possesses a Masters in Indian Philoso- steeped in religion since chitdhood. He tells,
Indian identity. "Indians have kept their cul- degree, there is -;'ome small compensation phy as well as a doctorate in Hinduism, be- "I learned about many aspects of Hinduism
ture alive through the observance of reli- provided by the fond embrace of their eth- lieves the decline is simply because Hindu on the knees of my mother." He is closely af-
gious and cultural festivals, especially in the nic neighbors. " ~ Studies does not lead to lucrative career op- filiated with the Vedanta Mission. ..
AUGUST , 1998 HINDUISM TODAY 25
 The Jewel of India, which opened in 1996,
is located on the ground floor of the Holiday
Inn Crown Plaza, ane ; of Durban's pash
beachfront hotels. Delectable Eastern aro-
mas greet all who enter this exclusive restau-
rant, while mellifluous Indian melodies set
the aural setting and, to top the ambiance,
Indian dancers perform on a strategically lo-
cated stage. For those who. require the ulti:
mate in Indian nostalgia, the Palace Roam
allows guests to enjoy their royal rations
while seated in a circle on the floor.
Mr. Ajit Kanakia, an Indian national from
Mumbai and proud awner of the Jewel, ex-
plains that his clientele cuts across the racial
spectrum of South Africa, and includes nu-
merous overseas tourists. The Jewel's foill'
chefs hail from India, and Kanakia relies on
his North Indian menu to keep customers
hungry for more. "These foods are extreme- Surrounding Iraivan Temple is an
ly versatile and popular all over the world," Not ready for 2000: Danish citizens in national costume gathered in Copenhagen in alpha-
he asserts. "The meals that we serve enable betic order to protest the proposed adoption of English as the national language of Europe extraordinary botanical garden
South African Indians to recannect with In-
dia by putting them in touch with part af TALL TALES paradise, providing an area of
their traditions. At the same time, visiting
Maharaja.s menu: Shareeii Khan welcomes guests at Durban's Jewel of India restaurant
CUJSINE
Indian nationals can feel right 'at home while
traveling afar." Kanakia owns a second Indi-
an restaurant in the Cape.
:Meet."Eilro-English" contemplative, natural beauty.

Pilgrims enjoy groves of plumeria,

Echoing Kanakia, Mr. Rajen Frank, man-

Appetite for Asian Spice ager of GuIzar restaurant which opened in

Durban two years ago, notes, "Eastern cui-
sine is spreading rapidly amangst all South
Five-year plan to inaugurate uniform language
calls for incremental speling revisions
konrai, hibiscus, heliconia, native

Hawaiian plant species and more.

Africans, and there is a ready market for
South Africans relish their Inc;lian dining options Eastern food throughout the world. Wher- At the entrance to the 51-acre
ever you go, traditional Indian UROPEAN UNION (EU) COMMISSIONERS ben a deterent to. akurate speling. Also, al
fapd will always stand aut from have annaunced that agreement has fi- wil agre the horible mes of silent "e"s in the sanctuary is Americas only forest of
By AJITH BRIDGRAJ, DURBAN every other cuisine." The GuIzar nally been reached to adopt English as languaj is disgrasful, and they wauld go. By
RANSCENDING ANY OTHER CULTUR- serves North and South Indian the preferred language for Eurapean the forth yer, peopl wil be reseptiv to adi- healing rudraksha trees. Send US$ 12
AL considerations, the allure of Asian food, enjoys ,a racially Inixed pa- communications, rather than German, the tional steps such as replasing "th" by "z" and
food wins Indians a welcome seat with- tronage and hosts Eastern cultur- other passibility. As part of the final negoti- "w"by v. to purchase a single-bead necklace
in diverse cOIllIll,unities worldwide, and al events. "La~ year we hosted ations, hawever, Her M/fjesty's Government During ze fifz yer, ze unesesary "0" kan be
South Africa is ho exception. Tradition- one segment of the Miss India conceded that English spel- dropd from vords kontaining of a sacred rudraksha, and receive as
al Indian food is easily obtainable here, in ei- South Africa pageant," Frank ling had some roam for im- "ou," and similar changes vud
ther elegant or workaday eateries. In fact, boasts. provement and has accepted af kors be aplid to. ozer kom- our gift another bead to plant at
new ;-estaurants serving Indian cuisine and Another virtual victual monu- a five-year phased plan far binations of leters. After zis
othe culinary delights from the East con- ment is central Durban's Victory what wID be known as "Euro- flfz yer, ve viI hav a reli sensi- home to grow your own tree,
tinue to spring up all aver the country. Lounge, owned by Mr. Billy English"-or Eura for shart. bl riten styl. Zer viI be no
Undeniably, relished traditions af cooking Maodley. Perhaps the Lounge's In the first year, "s" will be mor trubls or difikultis and
and consuming are aspects of the Eastern greatest victory has been rern,ain- used instead of the soft "c." evrivun viI fmd it ezi .t u un- 1-808-822-3012, ext. 23 7
lifestyle that have been deemed worthy to ing in existence for 52 years. Once Sertainly, siviI servants will re- derstand ech ozer. Ze drem E-mail: books@hindu .org
preserve, but the ethic of vegetarianism has heavily patronized, the restaurCU!t sieve this news with joy. Also, viI fmali kum tru.
been given lesser priority. Thaugh the ma- is still as famous for its mouth-wa- This whole propasal may http://www. HinduismToday
the hard "c" will be replaced
jority of Indian restaurants !;tere are non- Floored: The Jewel of India's luxurious Palace Room tering sweets as it is for its ~ye-wa­ with "k." Not anly will this sound preposterous to. you, Kauai.hi.us/ashram/lraivan.html
vegetarian, most do offer vegetarian. meals. tE~ring curries. "I am here because klear up konfusion, but type- and, of course, it js-all a joke
The Patel's Vegetarian Restauratit is one af rapidly declining. And while th~Jew vege- I love spicy foad," patron Malose Manaka, an writers kan have ane less key. played up an you, aw loyal
the few exclusively vegetarian outlets. In tarian restaurants that already exist are pop- African from Johannesburg, in the Gauteng There will be growing publik readers. There is no such pro-
fact, it's virtually a landmark, being over 80 ular, there appears to. be little interest in es- province, told HINDUISM TODAY. He adds(
years old. Business is profitable for Patel, tablishing more. "There are also several Indian restaurants in
enthusiasm in the sekond
year, when the troublesome
pasal to reform the speling-
er, spelling-of English. How-
RUDRAKSHA
though he has reported a recent decline due Apart from the meals served at Patel's Johannesburg that I visit regularly." "ph" will be replaced by "£" Western Europe: All ever, it did seem a gaad way
to. an increase in crime in the area. But he is preInises, a huge slice af his sales are gener- • You need not pound the pavement to fmd This will make words like fo- ac0Pting Euro-English to. introduce HINDUISM To- FOREST
used to ebb and flow and thearizes that as ated by his renowned sweetshop, which at- a feast. Simply log-on the Web and visit A tograf 20 per sent shorter. DAY'S first-ever special car-
mare devotees join Hindu movements that tracts customers from all parts of KwaZulu Touch of Spice restaurant at its award-win- In the third year, publik akseptanse of the toon section on the following seven pages, SAN MARGA IRA/VAN TEMPLE
prescribe vegetarianism, his outlet will prof- Natal. The sweetshop's proprietor, sixty-six- ning site. It's worth a visit, even if you're not new spelling kan be expekted to reach the which showcases our cartaonists and cele-
/07 KAHOLALELE ROAD
it. Despite senior Patel's hopeful scenario, year-old Prem Ratanjee, says, "African pa- hungry. You may even like to join the faod stage where more komplikated changes are brates the lighter side af Hinduism. So, to the
KAPAA. HI 96746-9304 USA
the .number of vegetarians among South tronage of m.,y store has increased as more fanatic's on-line Curry Club. ....' passible. Gavernment will enkorage the re- kOInikaly-khalenged, we say, "Lite))' up and
Africa's Indian population appears to be Africans have adopted Hinduism." WWW.SQUTHAFRICA.CO.ZAlSPICE/
moval of double letters, which have always laf along vit us." Auf Wiedersehen. ....' A TE MP LE BUILT T O LAST 1. 0 00 YEARS

26 HINDUISM TOD A-Y AUGUST, Igg8

INSIGHT

LIG P! .~
J

Spicas In the Malting Pot

Manick Sorcar
Electrical engineer of Denver, Colorado, and son of the
late P.e. Sorcar, India's legendary magician, Manick Sorcar
is undoubtedly a top expresser of the US Indian immigrant
.•.T.AJ!.E A 6MAL'- cAN ~r ~ICOT-rA experience. His illustrations, touching the heart of cultural

\~
integration challenges, are compiled in two volumes-The
, CH.eeSE MO MIX ~I"H A PIS'TFLJ 1-1- Melting Pot, Indians in America, and Spices in the Melting
Pot, both available via his website at www.manicksorcar.
OF F!"ou~ ••• A~.P iWO FIN~eR-PIP com. But Sorcar doesn't stop here. What began as an effort
to teach his two daughters their heritage, led him to create
t)F' &1Hee. lo-J11H. ONe. PINCH OF SAI-i.... • an award-winning series of one-man animated videos for
children, mixing his hand-drawn art with computer-gener-
r:~T LlNil L.. ~o l..t' f<. IS ~ U1'T'''(... iHE=N ated art and animation, along with original music, to show-
case Indian culture.
SOp...f'... INit) A S1~IN(b..1+11CI< OF S·O~t.1p. ••

«Fir~t time I've driven around under

the Influence.... under the influence
of spiritual company that isr'
Austral~ un~versity student Manthakumar Satgunaaln
expressmg h'lS rare pleasure of hostin a .. gam
occasion of a 1998 temple foundationgg~ouswnad-mb~ m Pk~rlh, on the
rea mg ceremony

28 HINDUISM '11 0DAY AUGUST, 1998 ALL CARTOONS COURTESY MANIC'X. SQRCAR A UG UST , 199 8 HINDUISM TODAY 29
 Despite the
Frank" Ernest cost of living,
have you
noticed how
it remains so
popular?

Bill Watterson

\~u.. eXI$TE:NCS
Calvin " Hobbes Bill is the creator of Calvin &
Hobbes, an engaging chronicle
of a six-year-old's psyche, which
IS A JOJcEI.? ,. appeared in more than 2,400
newspapers when it ceased pub-
Bob Thaves you CAN'T ie lication January 1, 1996. In an-
nouncing his retirement, Bill
Frank & Ernest are the stars of Bob ~t>:V~~ ._ >~IOUS! said he was eager to work at a
Thaves' innovative single-panel comic more thoughtful pace. with few-
strip. Celebrating their 25th anniver- yY er artistic compromises.
sary this year and read by 25 million
people daily. Frank & Ernest are as It's all right
comfortable offering whimsical com-
ments on the creation of the universe to hold a
as they are about taxes or software.
Drawing since boyhood, Bob's formal conversation,
art training consisted of studying vari-
ous cartoonists and their work. As a but you should
boy, he could identify cartoons by dif-
ferent cartoonists without being able to
let go of it
see their signatures. More than 2,000 now and then.
episodes of Frank & Ernest may be
found at www:frankandernest.com.

THIS
jJ./..L ,(E.>, J: Gf~IEVE J: HAP PlfVlOIIS
waR/<, SO lJVf~, ANI):r~J,./~Vf IN
PllAfAOH Tf'IE L.IFE AFTf/2. WHAT
(AN /tAVt'
ANoTtff~
:r DON'T ifL/fvr If Karma Kat RAJAS Barry Geller
THE
/../Ff IN THAT THIS' i.IFE
HEfEAFTffl/ 1$ HAPP~NING! TAMAS, RAJAS AND SATIVA.
THE PANEL TO THE RIGHT IS
Barry Geller, 64. is the creator of Kar-
Po you A GRAPH SHOWING THE
BALANCE IN MY THREE
rna Kat and a devotee of Swami
Prakashanand Saraswati. He raised a
CtllfVi IN ACCOUNTS. family of three children and became a
orHE! LiVES', graphic designer and illustrator. His
ffNlf? work was published in well known
consumer magazines including For-
tune. Time. Cosmopolitan. Esqu.ire and
others. His awards include citations of
merit from the New York Society of il-
lustrators and publication of his work
in the Swiss graphic arts annual,
Graphis. Barry and his wife, Nan, now
live at Barsana Dham in Austin. Texas.

FRANK & ERNEST Q BOB THAVES (REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION) CALVIN AND HOBBES Q BILL WATTERSON FR.A.NK IX ERNEST © BOB THAVES
30 HINDUISM TODAY AUGUST, Igg8 (REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION), KARMA KAT ~BARRY GELLER AUGUST, Igg8 HINDUISM T ODAY 31

l M[GHT HA.UE BEEN
A SLUG. IN MY' LAST
liFE. TArS fS A
STEPUP !
OR••• t COUto HAIJE BEEN. A
HUMAN•. BUT. JUDGING BY WOULD THAT BE A .
THE WAY' SOME HUMAN.S STEP UP'.. ORA
TREAT EACH OTHER. STEP DOWN?
(WONDER...

Mario de Miranda
One of India's fmest cartoonists, Mario was born at
Daman in 1936, grew up in Goa and was educated
at Bangalore and Mumbai. After working many
years for The Times of India, he now freelances,
drawing for The Economic Times and a strip for
The Afternoon in Mumbai. He is married, has two
sons and lives in Goa. Check out his three gatefold
toons and the Mumbai scene on the right.

"Thank you for calling The Yoga Studio. 1

ore about the benefits of yoga, press"
To learn m d hold it for 20 minutes.
with your pinky toe an

Randy Glasbergen ~ 1998 Randy Glasbergen.

Randy lives with his family in New York. He began his

cartooning career in high school. Besides one year as a
staff writer at Hallmark Cards in Kansas City, he has
been a full-time freelance cartoonist since 1972. More
than 20,000 of his cartoons and comic illustrations have
been published around the world. More of his cartoons
may be found at www.norwich.netl-randygltoon.html
~.

"My Horoscope doe'~siin~Fsa:Yi~mrlnlg

ha . h- about
V1ng a eart attack today, so bring me
a cheeseburger, fries and a milkshak "
e.

32 HINDUISM TODAY AUGUST, 199 8

MARlO P H OTO COURTESY INDIAN COUNCIL F OR CULTURAL RELAT IONS;
RANDY PHOT O COURTESY OF RANDY GLASBERGEN
CARTOON COURTESY MARIO DE MIRANDA
A U GU ST , 199 8 HINDUISM TODAY 33
The Best of Laxman R. K. Laxman
Laxman was born in 1924 in
Karnataka. Graduating from
Mysore University, he drew
cartoons for Free Press Journal
in Mumbai and later joined The
Times of India, where he's been
a staff cartoonist for 45 years.
Often referred to as "Mr. Times
of India," he appears daily on
page one. He is married, has a
son and lives in Mumbai.

Port of Spain: The royal cannon of Fort George---hu,ilt by the British in 1805-now Silently overlook Trinidad's capital city
ISLAND HERITAGE
I>
d Ie belongs to the sixth centu-
...this exquisitely ca~e temPI Right now the police are
ry and has great anttque va u e.
lookingforit ...

"You can observe so

:Trinidad Pundit Power
Keepers of a different kind of canon law
much by just watching." maintain the faith for multitudes of Hindus
Yogi Berra, baseball playar & comic

By ANIL MAHABIR, TRINIDAD
, Y AMBITION IS TO BE A GOOD PUN-
dit like my great-grandfather, my
grandfather and my father," 19-year-
_ old Umesh Persad told me. '1 want to
attain liberation and Self-Realization. I want
to communicate with God. I want to be con-
fident and assist my Hindu community
whenever I can. These are different times.
The world is no~ a global village, and there
is a need for the pundits to keep abreast
with what is happening." Umesh received a
national scholarship from the Government
of Trinidad after excelling in the Advanced
Level Cambridge exams-straight AS in'
math, physics and chemistry-and is now an
engineering student at the University of the
West Indies. Like the other 259 pundits in
Trinidad, of which he is the youngest, he
will pursue his religious duties of teaching,
counseling and worship in addition to fol-
lowing a secular profession. If Umesh is a
This Village must be pretty advanced-they have folk dances here for barometer, then the pundit community
entertainment just as w e have in the city! which has guided Trinidad for 150 years is
I developed an interest in these things in America
well prepared to enter the 21st century.
Upon the abolition of slavery in Trinidad
when I went there recently for the festival.
BOOX RESOURCES: PENGUIN nOOK OF INDIAN CARTOONS AND THE BEST OF LAXMAN, PENGUIN
BOOKS INDIA, 2 10 CH lRANJIV TOWERS , 43 NEHRU PLACE, NEW DE LHI 11 00 19 INDIA; H OW TO
DRAW AND SELL CARTOONS , NORTHLIGHT BOOKS , 1507 DANA AVENUE, CINCINNATI, OHIO
Fourth generation: Pundit Umesh Persad,
45207 USA; ENCYCLOPEDIA OF CARTOONING TECHNIQUES AND BLITZ CARTOONING KIT, RUN- 19, a national scholarship winner, contin-
NING PRESS , 125 SOUTH 22ND STREET, PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA 19103-4399 USA
ues his family tradition
in 1838, the fre~d African slaves left the sug-
ar cane estates for higher paying jobs in the
towns. Workers were then, brought from In-
dia. The very first group of 197 Hindus ar-
rived in Trinidad on May 30, 1845, on the
ship Fatal Razack after a months-long, op-
pressively crowded and hazardous journey
from India around Cape Horn, Africa. Ten
brahmin pundits were among them, accord-
.ing to Sat Maharaj, president of the Sanatan
Dharma Maha Sabha, Trinidad's largest
pundit organization. Ultimately 143,000
persons, about 60 percent men, came undef
the indentured servitude scheme. They
originated mostly in the Uttar Pradesh and
Bihar regions of North India, with sgme
from Calcutta and Chennai.
About 10 percent were brahmins, even
though, according to Dr. Kusha Harracks-
ingh of the University of the West Indies,
"Recruitment in India was designed to by-
pass brahmins. The stated opinion of the
British colonial masters was that brahmins
were not suited for hard work." More practi-
cally, the policy kept the educated brahmins
from providing a focus for dissent, as well as
denied spiritual guidance to the Hindus.
Secretly, brahmins did join the five-year
schemes of labor by concealing their caste
identity to the recruiters. For example, those

34 HINDUISM T OD A Y A U G UST , 1998

CARICATURE COURTESY INDIAN COUNCIL FOR CULTURAL RELATIONS , CARTOONS
COURTESY THE PENGUIN BOOK OF INDIAN CARTOONS AND THE BEST OF LAXMAN A UGUST , 19 98 HIND U I S M TODAY 35
Far from ·home: T1iough high-caste brahmi~, the first
pundits arnved as indentured laborers. It t.ook them but a short
time to assume religious leaa;rship of the islands' Hindus.

Lifting the spirit: (above) Maha Sabhapundits gatherfora 12-hour, non-

stop yagna (prafjer) for the nation's peace in March, 1998. (below) Pun-
dit Sinanan peryorming puja for the Ramhit family in preparation for
the final exams of brother Kevin (at far right) in June, 1998.

Early pundits: (upper left) Pundit

Athriving tradition: Passing their
Lakshmi Persad of Aranjuez; knowledge from father to son, the pundit
(above) Gajraj Maharaj, one of the families have maintained their dutie and
first to come from India; (left) responsibilities to the islands to this day
Sumasar Maharaj of San Fernando

with . the brahmin caste name Agnihotri
changed it to.the lower caste name Maharaj,
which remains today a common name in
Trinidad. Some came because other emi-
grants pleaded .with them to provide reli- . . .
gious guidance in their new home. Life was
very hard in India at the time-a famine
lasting fIfty years was in progress. The First
Indian Revolution, also calle;d the Sepoy
Mutiny, occurred in 1857 and brought re-
pressive measures from the Bri.fish-espe-
cially in the areas of India most emigrants
came from. It is not surprising then that a
group of young, single brahmin men would
seek better circumstances elsewhere.
Initially, all came under a fIve-year pro-
gram and intended to return to liidia. When
the term expired, few did because the con-
ditions which had caused them to leave In-
dia in the fIrst place had not changed and
because the Trinidad colonial rulers provid-
ed those who stayed with land to develop.
Initially thl=! brahmins kept their id'entities
concealed, lived in poverty like the rest of
the immigrants and worked very hard in the
fIelds. It was only around 1870, after a sig-
nifIcant number of Hindus had settled per-
manently on the island, villages formed and
conditions improved, that they took up their
religious training duties. Technically speak-
ing, these brahmins had incurred demerit,
even loss of caste, by crossing the ocean, but
practically speaking, the Hindu ~mmunity
desperately needed their services and was
disinclined to quibble. When they came for-
ward to lead, they were accepted.
At the outset, the pundits were engaged in
traditional ritual worship. But that evolved
out of necessity into a more comprehensive
role. Sat Maharaj explains that today, '''The
pundits are doing much more than puja. We
in the Malla Sabha have been holding semi-
nars on topical issues such as cloning and
suicide and virtually everything under the
sun-the Ramayana and the Mahabharata,
ethics and values, the young Hindu and the
modern world, fashion, drugs, etc." Umesh's
.father, Pundit Hardeo Persad, says he gives
a Sunday morning sendce, with lecture Jilld
cl:i.scussion. "I also provide counseling to
those who have problems." This pattern 's
close to that of the Christian minister whose
responsibilities extend to all aspects of fol-
lower's lives, not just religious practice. Such
a ministerial system commonly arises in the
religious life of immigrant communities of
all faiths. Pundit Ramesh Tewarie, the influJ
ential head of Edinburgh Hindu Temple,
said, "We counsel the youth and those suf-
fering from drug abuse, domestic violence
and other family matters."
1\11 of Trinidad's traditional pundits prac-
tice on a part-time basis. "One 'can live off
religious work in India," said Hardeo Persad,
''but in Trinidad it is different. If I did not
have a formal nonreligious job-I am a
school teacher-my son Umesh would not
have been well educated." Pundit Tewarie
works, too, as the Commercial OffIcer for
the Canadian High Commission.
The community's biggest problem, said
Persad, "is that American life is glamorized
and made to look superior, while the lifestyle
of Hindus is made to look backward and in-
ferior. Youngsters want to enjoy t;he best of
both w orlds- the wild liberty of the West-
ern world, and when the energy r~s out,
they seek spirituality and Self Realization."
Tewarie observes, "The vast portion of those
at the temple are young people. It is amazing
how they stick to Hinduism. The evangelical
brigade which has attempted to slaughter
HindUism has had a reversal effect~
There is one complaint. Ashram B. Ma-
haraj shares it: "PUndits who come directly
from India on a temporary basis often create
division. by criticizing the practices of the
local pundits. But the local pundit commu-
nity is what ke.eps the religions alive, not
those from India." Pundit Narendra Ragoo-
nanan, educated in, Vedic rituals and scrip-
tures at Banaras Hindu University dis-
a$l"ees. "Great swamis from India are,doing
good work here, and some are establishing
permanent centers [such as Chinmaya Mis-•
sion]." Narendra and his wife Aswinee con-
duct a full-time ministry of worship, coun-
seling, astrology and charitable ~orks.
A signifIcant change has occurred ~th the
1995 election of the fIrst Hindu Prime Minis-
ter, the Honorable Basdeo Panday. "It has
caused a kind of reawakening of Hindus be-
cause the PM publically practices his faith
without fear and shame," states Tewarie. 'i\Jso,
laws are now coming to protect Hinduism and
give it an equal place with other faiths."
In one sense, the Hindus in Trinidad are
ahead of those in other Western countries,
for the brahmin community already has
evolved into a group serving a broader func-
tion than scholarship and ritual ~orship,
and hence is prepared to meet the chal-
lenges of the 21st century. In America, most
priests have no trai!).ing beyond ritual wor-
ship, and cannot, for example, address th~
urge!).t concerns of the youths attending
their temples, nor even explain the meaning
of the rituals to them in English.
Pundit Umesh Persad is hopefully a sign
of this reawake'ning, for here is a young Hin-
du who could pursue many options, includ-
ing emigration to America in pursuit of a
more lucrative job. Instead, he has decided
to not only continue, but to remold and ad-
just his religio.us obligations to the needs of
the 'times. And it is good news that many
other youth are taking an interest in their
ancient faith.
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO CONTACTS:
llAHA. SABIIA HEADQUARTERS, EASTERN MAIN ROAD, ST.
AUGUSTINE. PUNDrr RAlCEBH TEWARIB. EDINBURGH
DHARMlC SABHA, # 18 EDINBURGH GARDENS, CHAGUANAS.
PANDIT NARENDRA RAGOONANAN. CORNER RICKSON &: BACK
STREET, EL DORADO, TUNAPUNA

36 HINDUISM TOD A,Y AUGUST , Igg8 AUGUST , 1998 HINDUISM TODAY 37

 •
DIVINE ARTS - consulting together can unravel complex HOLY S t T E S
problems. In the past, says Surendran, all the

Telling -the Rebuilding Sab~rimala

problems of a family, such as illness, wealth,
and life expectancy, were revealed by this
meth,9d in sessions that could last for days.
However, with the advent of modernism"

Future by such a thorough guidance from the shells is

Shells
Kerala's unique form of
astrological predicti?n
VRIliI DAVANAM S. GOPALAKRISHNAN
KERALA, INDIA
YOTISH SURENDRAN IS IN THE 19TH
generation of a family of astrologers who
ltrace their origins to 1237cE and the ar-
rival of Guru Bhattathiri in the small
town of Pazhoor Padipura, Kerala. Suren-
dran is a practitioner of aspecialized form
o astrology, apparently founded by Bhat-
tathiri and unique to this area of Kerala,
which uses 108 shells to give advice and pre-
dict the future. Each morning Surendran
does three hours of puja· worship to Lord
Ganesha aJ;ld to Guru 'Bhattathiri, whose
sa1lWdhi shrine (burial tomb) is within the
compound. "Only after invoking his bless-
ings will I begin my practice," Surendran ex-
plained to HINDUISM TODAY. "There are over
4 000 books on astrology," he said, 'out one
may not become a complete astrologer with-
out support from the divine power."
He follows the divination system called
Christians Encroach on Ancient Shrine
ANCHALI HILL IS the road up to the hill-
today almost nonexistent, he said~
'1\t least 70 percent of my visitors, num-
Hindus propose a comprehensive plan to
modernize the popular pilgrimage destination ,
bering around 15 daily except on Saturday,
are Christians," Surendran said. "
Ever;t; parish priests come with Gq,n e under the ambitious plan
problems faced by the church- ' by the group of 52 local religious
es-following the example of organizations will be the ran-
Hindu temple managers who dom collection of metal-roofed '
consult Surendran and fellow as- concrete buildings which pre-
trologers for advice. Ten percent sently nearly obscure the centrai
of his clients are Muslims. Hin- sanctuni. An area of 230 hec-
dus, who are supposed to be the tares (2.3 square kilometers)
believe:tS in this Vedic system, surrounding the small central
are by and large moving away temple will be completely re-
from.it. The Christians, who do built, allowing an outer wall for
not openly admit its accuracy the temple complex to be 600
and brand it as superstj.tion, pri- meters in circumference, with
vately embrace it. One' famous towers built in each of the four
astrologer in Chengarmur, Mo- directions, all according to tradi-
n;\,in,~tilnn' Astrologer Surendmn explaining what the shells and pbsitions indicate hanan Namboothiri, said, 'J\s tional Kerala 'temple architec-
the Christians become rich, they ture.
Ashta1lWngalay Prasnam, which uses 108 position of the planets at the moment the are more and more becoming the Outside the wall, pilgrim fa-
small conch shells specially selected, cleaned person arrives (which, used alone, is the sys- . ardent believers of astrology. It cilities are plarmed on a scale
and sanctified. Mter reciting 1lWntras, the tem of divination caJled hom). Other supple- has been proved that when they sufficient for the huge crowds.
shells are mixed and the first part, ganitha, mentary methods, he says, include reading of commenced their ventures at the For the ordinary pilgrim, the
or calculations, begins. Some are picked up betel leaves, observation of an oil lamp and time as suggested by me, their biggest change will be a redue-
and kept separately. They are divided into the drawing of the astrological chart's outline business flourished." G.A.. Tho- tion in the time required to
differeBt parts of four each, and the balance (rasichakm) by the client. The birth chart of mas, a Christian now workfug in stand in queue to reach the
determines the zodiacal position o£ the visi- the person is not required. the Gulf States said, "My mar- sanctum sanctorum from the
tor. According to P.R. Krishnakumar of The astrologer begins his reading. As the riage, securing an over~eas job present twelve hours to just two
Coimbatore, a prominent businessman and . person confirms the information divined, and otheF important events were and a half Another major
ardent follower of the system, the selection the phalabagm, predi~tions and remedies, predicted by Surendran with 99 change wiY be the simple avail-
./ "
of the shells is used in conjunction with the are recommended. A group of astrologers percent accuracy. ability of water. Presently pil-
Remedies to overcome bad grims buy bottled water even to
times usually require worship of Grand plans: Swami Sathyananda wants Sabari1lWla area rebuilt bathe, as there is no other use-
tinue to visit the holy site and
offer prayers. From the top of
Lord Siva. Thomas explained
that since it would be difficult for the Chris- By VRINDAVANAM S. GOPALAKRISHNAN
able supply. Viewing galleries
are plarmed such that on January 14, 2.5
this hill the sacred lamp of tians to do so, they were advised to worship ILLIONS OF HINDUS COME TO WOR- million people could Simultaneously' witness
Sabarimala can be seen. St. George (patron saint of England, slayer

R
named after Draupadi,
, wife of the five Pan-
davas of the Mahabham-
taoUpon this hill in Keralas
Idukki district stood the very
old remains of temple stones
and deities. Local Hindu resi-
dents, mostly illiterate tribal
people, told HINDUISM TODAY
that Christian encroachers re-
moved the image of Goddess
Shakti from the summit of
Panchali Hill and broke into
pieces footprints in stone be-
lieved to be those of the Pan-
davas. Now only large granite
slabs of the original shrine re-
main, and fifteen concrete
crosses have been placed from
top where the God-
dess was once en-
shrined
According to
Bhaskaran, an old man
who had looked after
the small sanctum in
the past, the entire
nearby land of several
hundred acres was in
the possession of a
Hindu family for many
years. They had rented
it for cultivation from a Move In, take over: 15 crosses up the hill
Christian family. Then
under the land reforms of the
1950s, Christians took peFma-
nent possession of all but ten
acres, including the temple.
Recently Christians even
gained possession of half that
area Hindus living in the
area- about 60 families-con-
As a result of Ohristian ef-
forts, several important local
landmarks have been renamed
after Christian saints.
The cross construction is the
work of Christian nongovern-
mental organizations (NGOs)
operating in the area in pro-
jects of organic farming,
herbal and medicinal plant
cultivation and other social
welfare programs using funds
from the government, accord-
ing to Mr. Aravindakshan,
president of the temple pro-
tection committee. ....
CONTACT: ARAVINDAKSHAN. N EETHI
STORE, KERALA STATE WAREHOUSING
CORPORATION, XATJ'A.LTANA. IDUXJa
DISII'R1 CT, KERAU
ship Lord Ayappan at His temple in the "Divine Jyothi," or light-the culmina-
of the gragon), keeping in mind Lord Siva. Sabarimala in a remote area of Kerala tion of the year's worship. The plan also calls
Alternatively, reports Surendran, the Chris- State, South India, during the No- for nearby deforested areas to be replanted.
tians will have a Hindu friend' do the o{fer- vember-to-January pilgrimage season. The £wami Sathyananda believes the project
ings on their behalf in a Hindu temple. crowds have totally overwhelmed the mea- could be easily funded,.Jrom the temple's
Even a little-known astrologer can earn gre facilities. A group of environmentalists yearly income of $7.5 mi'llion and frO'm the
an income of several thousand rupees a reported, '1\ post-seasonal visit to Sabari- tens of millions in taxes which result from
month, while those of some renown can mala is a nauseating experience. TIle whole the temple's presence. Swami complains,
earn that in a day. The new residential area looks like the garbage dump of a huge however, that, as with other temples in Ker-
house of Mr. Surendran which I toured is city such as Calcutta or Mumbai. The air is ala, management is overseen by various
certainly a clear indication of his earnings. filled with fue stench of decaying flesh from boards whose executiv> committees are po-
His old house, which has been the center of donkeys who died after hauling in supplies litical appointees and not necessarily devo-
astrology for several centuri~ is going to be ·and from 3,000 overflowing latrines. The tees of the temple, OJ,; even Hindus. Muslims
transformed into a museum. entire area surrounding the central shrine is and Christians in Kerala run their institu-
. Among the various methods of astrologi- covered with tons of solid and liquid waste- tions without government oversight. In the
cal analysis, Surendran believes the conch a fertile breeding ground for flies and-mos- early 1990s, then Chief Minister of Kerala
shell divination to be the best, be it to ascer- quitoes." A.K. Antony favored the reconstruction, but
tain a family problem, a temple problem or
even that of a ch&ch. ..
Swami Sathyananda Saraswati, chairman subsequent administrations shelved it. _
of the Hindu Dnity Forum, has armounced a
,
CONTACT: SURENDRAN, P IRAEVOM , PAZHOOR PADIPURA,
E-RNARKULA.M DISTRIcT, KERALA , IN DIA
master plan to rebuild the area's entire infra- CONTACT: SRI llAMA D ASA ASHRAM, CHENXOTl'UKONAM,
T HIRUVANA.NTHAPURAM. KERALA, INDIA
• structure at a total cost of uS$l25,ooO,000 .

38
.
;'
HINDUISM TOD A,Y AUGUST , 1998 A UG U S T , 1 998 H I N D U ISM T 0 DAY 39
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HEALING
6uyet:'s Beware of
The rnlmoxifen b1ype
The newest breast-cancer treatment .c omes
with a distressing
. . array of side effects
BY DEVANANDA TAND1\VAN, M.D.
N MAY 14, 1998, THE MED-
I ical journal Lancet pulr
lished a glowing report of
the 15-year study of the
use of tamoxifen (sold as Nolva-
dex). The media quickly took
advantage 0f this study and an-
nounced that 20,000 lives a year
could .be saved from breast can-
cer by five years of treatment
("protocol use") with tamoxifen.
The statistic was derived from 55 random-
ized trials involving-over 37,000 women
during the fIfteen-year study. Unfortunately, short by the researchers as they "claimed
the clainIs and projections are not warrant-
ed by the statistical analysis of the data.
The study did show that for those taking
tamoxifen after surgery for a period of five
years there was substantial reduction in
recurrence of breast cancer and an im-
provement in the ten-year survival rate. It
was calculated that qne in six women could
be eliminated from relapse and one in
twelve from dying. Even young, premeno-
pausal women and those over fifty showed
substfUltial benefit from the five years of
treaNuents. Remarkably, there was benefit
to those who had metastatic (cancerous)
nodes. There was also evidence that the
protocol use of tamoxifen not only reduced • had uterine cancer and/or serious.blood
the recurrent tumors (by 42%) but also the
risk of new breast cancers (by 47%).
The public is not aware that many of the
doctors who participated in tl}e report are
very active in the promotion of tamoxifen.
There are those in the media as well as
practicing-physicians who are making
glowing claims and suggesting that this is a
simple and effective therapy that cannot
only prevent recurrence but arso prevent
new tumor growth. They suggest that it
sHould be accorded the "treatment of
choice" label.
There has been very little, if any, discus- Chicago, where he specializes in alternative
sion of tamoxifens side effects and carcino-
genicity. That is the reason for this month's home page at;: www.hindu.orgldrtl
44 HINDUISM TODAY AUGUST, 1998
column. There is a predilection
of this drug to produce cancer
of the uterus lining and fatal
blood clots in the lung. Tamox-
ifen is known to produce liver
cancer in rats, 43% of whom
developed the disease after just
six months.
. The National Cancer Preven-
tion trial of tamoxifen involved
13,000 women, half of whom
received an inert placebo. The study was to
go on for five years; however, it was cut
there WJis enough evidence already" of
negative side effects. The most prominent
are hot flashes, headaches, depression,
vagina discharge and fatigue. Other com-
plications are the development of leukemia,
bowel cancer, lethal blood clots and the
possibility of going blind.
Dr. Sherry Roger's M.D., author of the
newsletter Total Health, has said: "Every
woman (or every man who has a woman
he loves) should never, NEVER fall for
tamoxifen as. a boost for cancer prevention.
The public is being had." She has shown
that the statistics that are usually quoted
are inaccurate because the women who
clots were not included in the cancer
group. If they were included, then there
would not be the 45% prevention that is
touted in the press. I hope that this brief
message will clarify the situg.tion. No one
should consider attempting this fl..ve-year
treatment without understanding all of the
possible adverse conditions that may result.
There must be a thorough study of the
benefits versus the risks.
DR. TANDAVAN, 78, retired nuclear physi-
cian and hospital staff preSident, lives in
healing arts. Visit his World Wide Web
ASTROLOGY resolved karma must be faced at ,a future
EVOLUTIONS time, often magnetizing them together again
Marriage Arran'ging in another life in a new relationship. Thus
ENDED: A year-long fast by Sah~ Muniji, the w!J,eel of life goes on and on.
65, on May 1. The Jain monk lived on How does one know if it is "true love" that
just warm water since May of 1997. He will last a lifetime? The future compatibili-
broke the fast with a glass of diluted How the horoscop,e can provide sensible ty ~f two people can be accurately deter-
dal. His attending physician proclaimed
him weak but alert after losing 65
pounds during the year. Muniji ex-
plained that
guidance to creating a lasting relationship Inined through astrology, though few take
advantage of it. There is a basic method
from Vedic times of comparing the birth
stars of a couple, in which ten different
his unprece- aVE MARRIAGE VERSUS ARRANGED lem with '10ve marriage" is tliat only one agreements are considered. Some deal with
dented fast marriage. Both work; both fuil. In the factor is paramount-the initial emotional a single factor, e.g., physical compatibility,
was undertak- , West the concept of falling in love with attraction of the couple. The genius of the others with complex interactions of karma.
en for person- that special person, usually through a
chance meeting, is strongly progranImed
arranged marriage system is the inclusion of Each agreement is weighted in importance ...
al purification dozens of other factors, many based on the by giving it a certain number of points pos-
and
___ _ _ _ __ -',. a record. not to set into the mind from early life. In the East, the astrology of the potential couple, that count sible. Attraction, for example, is given two
girl's father traditionally seeks out a suitable far more in the ultimate success of the mar- points, while ganam, which relates to agree-
husband, and if both girl and boy agree, the riage than superficial fIrst impressions. ment of temperament, is given six. If the
DOUBLY HON- marriage is made, often within a matter of couple receives at least half of
ORED: Swami Maheshwaranada, with
the title of Sarvabhaum Jagadguru-
"Spiritual Master of the Universe"-
and as Mahamandaleswar (leader) of
the Maha Nirvani
days. New Agers are searching for their
"soul .mate," someone they are destined to
join with and with whom they will enjoy
love eternal. While from a Western philo-
sophic point of view, the choice of a hus-
the total 36 points, the mar-
riage may be approved.
The system of ten measures
is limited, because it consid-
ers only the ....nakshatra, or
Akhara [monastic band or wife is essentially a matter of indi- moon's placement. A far bet-
order1in April at vidual free will, from the Eastern point of ter prediction is possible
the Kumbha Mela view, it is a matter of complex interconnect- when the entire horoscope is
in Haridwar, In- ~ ed social karmas. studied. We have seen mar-
dia. Swami heads ~ For example, a troubled young man under riages fail that were based
ashrams in Vien- < therapy recalled a past life in Egypt mar- only on the star matching sys-
na, Austria, and ried to a beautiful woman. They were deeply tem, even though they re-
Rajasthan, India. in love, living an ideal marriage until she ceived a high number of
suddenly died, leaving him so devastated points, because there were
APPOINTED: Vldya Maheshwarananda that he eventually committed suicide. In his many difficult combinations
Dehejla as chief present life he had deprived himself of close among the other planets in
curator of the Asian Art Museums of attachments to any woman, subconsciously their horoscopes. The full
the Smithsonian Institution, Washing- telling himself, "I never want to love again if horoscope will reveal whether
ton, D. C. She has led a stellar career in I am only to eventually lose it." He was also real love will develop in the
the art of India since earning a doctor- • not able to communicate love or affection to marriage, or even if it will be
ate at Cambridge University in 1968. his mother, until he realized that he had ac- there "at fIrst sight"
She is now re- tually been reborn to the same woman he Here is one way to think
sponsible for the once loved so much. His previous experi- about astrological compatibil-
galleries' South ence of loss, loneliness and suicide had ity. It is siInilar to creating
and Southeast etched a deep samskara, or impression, in music. Each planet has a
Asia collection of his mind that molded his reactions in this unique sound that changes as
4,000 paintings, life, tot1}lly changing how he felt about the it moves around the Sun. The
manuscripts, same soul. When he saw that his ancient Greek philosopher Plato inti-
sculptures and love could be recaptured in the present life mated this when he declared
~ metalware. on a different level, he began to make a re- that mais rhythm and
~ newed connection with his mother. melody imitate the move-
Vidya Dehejia ARRESTED: A Chi- In most marriages, two souls have come ments of heavenly bodies,
nese Immigrant together because of a close relationship in a thus delineating the music of
couple in Chicago, USA, for slapping previous life, drawn together again by divine the spheres and reflecting
their 8-year-old daughter. Angered by forces of karma. This can happen both Prince Charming: The man of your dreams could become the moral order of the uni-
the girls lying about the loss of a uS$26 tlrrough arranged marriages or chance your worst llightmare if your stars don't match verse. A~trology teaches that
ring, they slapped her once in the face meetings. A couple may not have been hus- every person is a conglomer-
and several times on the arms and legs. band and wife before, but 'rather brother Many couples nowadays end up in mar- ate of sounds, vibratipns or colors according
When they went to a nearby park and sister, son and mother or simply friends, riage from simple animal magnetism. And to the planetary positions at birth. A new-
where the ring may have been lost, the any close relationship that tleveloped into an after a few years they get divorced because born captures the positions and melodies of
parents were arrested for "domestic intense attachment or created unresolved is- the magnetism wears out. In these e ases, the heavenly bodies, becoIning an embodi-
battery" by a police officer who ob- sues between them. Inherent in the system there is only a harmonious blend between a ment of its sounds throughout his lifetime.
served the childs red cheek and of arranged marriage is the concept that few aspects of their natures, creatirig a sur- How two people relate and get along de-
streaming eyes. The parents face depor- there are several' suitable matches for a girl face attraction, but at the deeper levels of pends on how the sounds ~f their planets
tation if convicted. or boy. There are also numerous unsuitable their psyche the sum total is incompatible. If blend, creating either an irritating noise or a
but karmically possible matches. The prob- the couple separates with ill feelings, an un- wonderful symphony of music. _
A UGUST , 1998 HINDUISM TODAY 45

Q
< Fruits were also usually allowed to fall to the
'."
<
"<z
:E
Edifying: Manju Prasad Bao in a dance demonstration of the making of sandalwood paste
WOMEN OF VISION
Flora'$ Friend
A New York-based academician re-choreographs
the global dance to save the pl9llts
B¥ LAVINA MELWANI, NEW YORK
HE'S A NATURAL, AND A MORE ENTHU-
siastic spokesperson for nature would
be hard to find. Manju Prasad Rao, a
Island-based educator, has made
it her life's mission to spread the word
about India's ancient and rich trellsury of
plants and flowers. She stresses how they re-
main relevant even as we head toward the
next..inillennium. By delving into literature,
art and myth, Rao-Director of the Instruc-
tional Media Center at the C.W Post Cam-
pus of the Long Island University and. the co-
ordinator for ·exhibits in the library-
orchestrates music and dance along with
magical tales of the vibrant role plants and
flowers have played through t:4e centuries.
Rao's inspiration for her presentations ac-
tually came from an article she r~ad in HIN-
DUISM TODAY. The Sacred Plants Resort
[April, 1996] is about 200 miles from Ban-
galore, Rao's hometown, and she couldn't re-
sist a visit. "I saw wonderfUl plants and
trees, all labeled with names of. rishis and
Dllities from the Hindu tradition." It was as
if she had stumbled into a magic garden, full
of promise and possibility. Childhood mem-
ories rushed in-temple flower stalls brim-
ming with offerings for the Gods and her
mother worshiping tulsi, sacred basil, in the
46 HI~DUISM TODAtY A~GUST , 1998
..taken in a certain way, and never after dusk,
early morning, "I saw the way we unite with
the frees and plants through the elements,
and the way even the Deities unite with the
plants. I remembered the way my mother,
who belonged to the Arya Samaj, did yag-
nas, fire ceremony, every day. We as chil-
dren used to have fun adding the samagri (a
specific mixture of herbs) to the fITe.·Or she
would put II!e in charge of adding ghee to
the flames. She would do this every day, me-
thodically. It w~s the most special part of
her day. It gave her peace and sanctity."
Sensing the history of India's rich multi-
plicity of plants triggered a rare response in
Rao. "Suddenly, everything started to jelI:By
tradition, I'm also a dancer. So I saw how
these plants and trees are associated with
themes in literature, art and dance. I'm not a
botanist, so the plants appealed tQ me more
in a theatrical way. I was interested in the
performing angle, ·in capturing it and pre-
senting it intelligently."
Rao has since gathered countless anec-
dotes and fables from the Jataka and Pan-
chantantra tales, as well as Buddhist para-
bles. She has been studying Carnatic music
for the last ten years, and found that plants
are mentioned in all the ashtapadas (the
"songs in eight stanzas" of the Gita Govin-
day. "I saw now much importance nature
New Pocket Book with Audio Cassette American Institute of Vedic Studies
was given. There is such a harmony and uni-
ty of life in the older traditions. The forest is Approximately 32 p. book and audio Expand your horizons in
not viewed as somethfng barbaric. It is cassette sets- US $5 + $2 postage each: Vedic and Hindu Dharma.
where you regenerate yourself" 1. Lose not Your Heart Practical teachings of
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take viewers from the Indus Valley civiliza- 3. Divine Message of Veda Frawley). Authentic knowl-
tion, through Vedic times, to the Mughal 4. Science of Mantra edge in a clear modem idiom.
empire and the B'ritish Raj. She emphasizes 5. Mental Balance Books and courses, confer-
the great respect shown to plant life in the For more new-era literature, contact ences and seminars, research
Hindu tradition, explaining, "I tie in the rit- Gayatri Pariwar Chicago's: information, from the Rig
uals which were related to each fruit, plant PRAGYA YUG LITERATURE CTR. Veda to India Today.
or action. If you had to cut down a tree to 2046 W Devon Ave Chicago, IL
erect a structure, the tree spirit had to be 60659-2128 USA. Tel: 773-465-2533 Dr. Frawleys latest books:
given an alternate residence. The move had • Ayurveda and the Mind
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were plucked for worship, they had to be • Awaken Bharata:
A Callfor India's Rebirth
when the plants are thought to be sleeping. DHARMAWARE: Gallery of Sacred Arts
• Ayurvedic Correspondence Course:
ground before being picked, because then For 22 years, providing the highest six hundred pages of in-depth material.
the seeds inside would germinate." quality Hindu and Buddhist puja
Rao has given several slide lectures in the supplies to the growing Dharma • Vedic Astrology Correspondence Course:
university, which include narrating the story community. Deity statues, South six hundred pages of in-depth material.
of plants through dance, visuals and music. Indian bronzes, Shiva Lingams,
She has given presentations at the Aurobindo Arati lamps, incense and malas. • Vedic yoga and the new view of ancient India.
Ashram, the Museum of Natural History, the Send US$3 for 36-page color catalog
Bayard Arboretum and the Tibetan Muse- specializing in Tibetan Buddhist American Institute of Vedic Studies
um. For several performances she formed a
troupe with Melinda Levokove and Lonnie
McGuire, whom she also trained for a year.
items. 54E Tinker St., Woodstock,
NY 12498-1200 USA. 914-679-4900
Orders from USA: 888-679-4900
Website: www:dharmaware.com
PO Box 8357
Santa Fe, NM 87504-8357 USA
Tel: 505-983-9385 • Fax: 505-982-5807
Email: Vedicinst@aol.com. Web: www.vedanet.com
Rao married a chemical engineer and has
one young son. They live in the Long Island
suburbs where she grows hibiscus and jas-
mine, both tropical plants. She would be the
fITst to admit that her newfound organic
awareness hilS only just germinated. She re-
flects, "We are made of the same substance
as they, and I often wonder at what level
The Sixth
they exist in terms of t~eir feelings. I'm cer-
tainly more aware of them now, knowing
International
that we have this onenes~, and that we are
molded by the same creator." ..,./
Symposium
MANJU PRASAD RAO , 152 FIDDLER PLACE,
WEST ISLIP, NEW YORK 11795 USA
• ASTROLOGY FEATURED SPEAKERS FROM INDIA
J.N. Sharma, C.S. Patel and Niranjan Babu
Astrology was developed by the ancient sages of India over
5,000 years ago. Called )yotisha. the Science of Light. it is renowned
FACULTY
for its spiritual depth and accuracy in predicting future events.
James Braha Dr. David Frawley William R. Levacy
Howard Beckman GaI)'Gomes Pt. Benu Mukhopadhyay
Goals of the Vedic Astrology Symposium are:
* To promote the development of the
American College of Vedic Astrology as
Christina Collins-Hill
Nalinikanta Das
Dennis M . Harness. PhD
Edith Hathaway
Ann Muldoon
Barl)' Rosen
Yves Decarie Richard Houck Dr. Dinesh Sharma
* a non-profit educational organization
To establish professional standards in the
training and practice of Vedic Astrology
Narendra Desai
Ronnie Gale Dreyer
Kenneth Johnson
James Kelleher
Prince Hirindra Singh , PhD
Atreya Smith
* To promote the free exchange ideas among
practitioners and students of various schools
Brendan Feeley
Dennis Flaherty
Sat Siri Khalsa
Robert Koch
Steven Stuckey
Dr. Bangalore Sureshwara
* of astrology
To provide accredited classes and workshops
for certification in Vedic Astrology
Andrew Foss
o
R.G. Krishnan Chakrapani Ullal
Please register me for attendance at the International Symposium
,
on Vedic Astrology. November 12-17. 1998. at the Poco Diablo Resort.
ISllb!!italllti'id Savings for Early Registration! Sedona. Al.. Enclosed is payment of $_ _ for _ Registration fee(s)
o
IR,egl:str'lti()O fees for main symposium (Nov. 13-15):
$195 for ACVA Members (by 8/1/98) ....P-Ie-as-e -ma-il-thi-sr-eg-is-tra-tio-n-for-m-wi-th-pa-ym-e~nt * Send more information on the Symposium and hotel accommodations
Optional pre-conference introductory classes and post-conference
intensives will also be offered.
$220 for non-members (by 8/1/98) r~;~~~ie:~;r,:d~~~rs~;:;!~nr;~alg~e~~:~iii
$245 after (8/1/98) card may also be faxed or phoned in.
INSmUn OF VEDIC ASTROLOGY _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _State_ Zip _ __
P.O. BOX 2149· SEDONA, AZ 86339
Symbiosis: Rao's troupe in the "Tree Dance" Phone (520) 282-6595 • FAX (520) 282-6097 ·_ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ Ex p.Date --.l _
Website \ \acva.sedona.net • e-mail acva@sedona.net
47
 Sivananda Ashram Yoga Camp Natarcij Books-5,OOO Titles
Established by The Major Distributor of
Swami Vishnu- books from India.
devananda in 1962
and located amidst
250 acres of peace-
A sampling from our catalog: THE CJNTER FOR SCIENCE AND Environment
in Delhi reports that traditional co£Serva-
'" after an oracle told him the Deity was a
malevolent spirit harmful to the leader's
cause~lassmates did not believe she could
do a headstand. Yoga is credited with re-
ful forest in the • Shiva: An Introduction. tion methods have long met people's water well-being. The protesters consider it an is- ver;ing the effects of the American seden-
Laurentian moun- Pattanaik. US$19.95 needs in India, but "modern" soltitions are sue of freedom of religion, even though, as tary life-style on the aged, improving flexi-
tains, 1 hour north • Srimad Bhagavata Maha- floundering. Each part of India used to the spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhism, bility, vigor and general health.
of Montreal. Year- purana: With Sanskrit text have its own storage method in line with the Dalai Lama has the authority to make
round program and English translation, regional topography and local need . Dis- such a decision. .. BIOLOGY OF SPIRITUALITY is the latest field
includes morning 2 vols. set. $55.00 ruption of the ancient water works began for medical re~earch. Scientists are attempt-
and evening • Understanding Your Puja when the British laid roads blocking estab- PIERCE THAT NOSE and you could be under ing to correlate religious experience with
meditations and two yoga classes. Better. B. Dwarka. $4.95 lished waterways. arrest, young lady! Especially if you live in specific activity in the brain. In one experi-
• Devatma Shakti: Kundalini New York or California, where laws are be- ment, they injected Buddhist monks with a ;
• June 27-July 25: Childrens' Summer Yoga Camp Divine Power. Swami THE GOVERNMENT OF TAMIL NADU announced ing considered or in effect malting it a faintly radioactive tracer chemical that
• June 28-July 4: Vedic Architecture, with Dr. V Ganapati Vishnu Tirtha. $8.95 a 30% pay hike for"the state's 50,000 temple Crime to pierce any part of a minor's body quickly infuses int@ the brain cells, allowing
Sthapati, founder and research director of the Vastu Vedic • Mantrapushpam (in Sanskrit). Swami Dev Rupanand. employees. Depending upon the temple in- (except the ears) without parental consent. changes in activity fo be detected. During
Research Foundation, Madras, India $15.00 come, monthly salaries will range from a The possibility of transmitting disease is prolonged meditation, specific changes
• July 5-Aug. 2: Yoga Teacher's Training course • Shri Rudram De-Coded: Mystery of Vedas Revealed, low of l!.s$25.50·to a high of $247.50. Tra- the reason given for the law-even though -were detected in the brain section responsi-
• Aug. 2-9: Bhagavata Saptaham wi Sant Venu Gopal Mantras and Medicines for Healing. Shubhakaran. $35.00 ditional bduvar.s (singers) and nagasvaram there have been' no cases of such transmis- ble for generating a sense of three-dimen-
Goswami • Aadi Shankara's Bhajagovindam. Krishnamani. $18.00 (hom) players will be hired for 120 tem- sion by body piercing, and even though" sional orientation in space-perhaps: the
• August 17-23: Vandana Shiva, director of Research • Handbook ofVastu. B. Niranjan Babu. $9.95 ples, and $8,000 was earmarked to create a ears pose the experiementers thought, corresponding to
Foundation for Science, Technology & Ecology , Dehradun, • Kundalini Tantra. Satyananda Saraswati. $16.95 Saiva Agama and Vaishpava Divya Prab- same threat. an experience of going beyond time and
India and Andrew Kimbrell, founder National Center for • Rabindranath Tagore: A Biography. Kripalani. $25.00 handam training center. The Hindu Reli- Legislators ap- space. The more cynical rese-archers hope
Technological Assessment, Washington, DC gious and Charitable Endowments minister, pear to be more to reduce all religious experience to chemi-
Sivananda Ashram Yoga Camp • 673 8th Avenue Nataraj Books Mr. Tamizhkudimagan, announced more concerned with cal reactions in the brain. bthers aren't pre-
Val Morin, PQ, JOT 2RO Canada. • Tel: 800-263-9642 7073 Brookfield Plaza • Springfield, VA 22150-2915 USA than $30,000 worth of properties had been stopping the p~ed to say that will ever happen.
(from Canada), 800-783-9642 (from USA), 819-322-3226 Tel: 1-703-455-4996. Fax: 1-703-912-9052 retUFIled to their temple owners. anti-establish-
Fax 819-312-5876 • E-mail: HQ@sivananda.org email: nataraj@mail.erols.com mentrage of "THE CURE CAN KILL YOU" we know, but until
www.sivananda.orglcamp.htm Please ask for our free catalog • VisalMC accepted. ANYONE YOU RECOGNIZE in the top photo? body pieroing- recently we didn't quite understand just
Probably not, for this nose, lips, how frequently. A new study by the Univer-
is the famous "face on tongues. navels, sity of Toronto published in the Journal of
Mars" photographed etc-that has the American Medical Association found
by the Viking I orbiter gripped West- bad reactions to prescription drugs to be
in 1976. It's been the ern youth. An unlawful nose the fourth leading cause of death in the US,
darling of UFO enthu- after heart disease, cancer and strokes.
siasts ever since, as NEW YORKERS LOVED THE BHARATA Natyam That's 106,000
evidence that ad- and Flamenco duet dance performance of people a year-
vanc'e d life once exist- Rajil&J. Puri and La Conja held early this two-and-a-half
Our wide range of products include: ed on Mars. NASA year at the famed Guggenheim Museum. , times than from
·MEMORENTM agreed to take a sec- Flamenco is the dance of the Gypsies, or AIDS. And this
Nutritional Support for the ond look and in April Roma people, who left India a thousand is from ap-
brain. The herbs in this had the newly arrived years ago and are now spread all over the proved drugs,
formula are known for their Mars Global Surveyor world. The performance- with sitar, guitar, professionally
nutritional support for the take a new photo violin and tabla-clearly showcased'the administered.
brain and intellect. Helps (bottoIIl). The resolu- continued similarities in dance and music lmothertwo
with fatigue and forget- tion is much higher, the two ~ultures share. million suffered
fullness. the lighting different, seI>ious side ef-
and it doesn't look • THE ALL-AFRICA HINDU CONFERENCE is fects. Unex-
much like a face Above: 1976 image, planned for AUlSV-st 7 to 9 in Nairobi, Kenya, pected inter- Unexpectedly hazafdous
• ALMA KALpTM: anymore. UFOers "the face on Mar.s." to assess the problems faced by Hindus in actions when
Antioxidant formula, are sure it's another Below: The 1998 Africa and discuss solutions.· The Hindu patients are given several drugs at once is a
known in Ayurveda NASA coverup. high-resolution shot. Council of Kenya and its 127-member insti- major killer.
for thousands of years tutions are organizing the event. Contact
as the "jam of youth." MANY OF THE DALAI LAMA'S WESTERN devo- HCK, P.o. Box 44831, Nairobi, Kenya. SKANDA- MURUGAN Conterence is planned
AMLA (the main tees have joined with some Tibetan Buo- for December 28 to 30, '1998, in Chennai,
ingredient), known dhists who are protesting th€(high lama's . WANT TO GET YOUNG AGAIN? Get yoga! So India. Organized by ,the Institute of Asian
to have one of the ban of the worship of Dorje Shugden, a thousands of aging Americans are discover- Studies, the meeting is intended to bring to-
highest concentrations . popular Deity of Tibetan Buddhism. A ing. An April 28 article-in the Washington gether scholars with an interest in the pop-
of vitamin C, 30 times large group of devotees demonstrated out- Post reports, "A growing number of olCler ular God. Visit the web site at
that of an orange. side a meeting he attended in New York re- adults credit yoga with helping them stay xlweb.comlheritage/murukan. The non-
cently, and presented a petition bearilig . healthy as they age." One yoga-pra~ticing wired may write: lAS, Chemmancheri,
15,000 signatureS'objecting to the ban. The grandmother was brought to her grandson's Sholinganallur, Chennai 600' 119, India.
Dalai Lama stopped the worship in 1976 kindergarten "show and tell" session be-
"Belt oIlDdu1Vy" (product eueIIence),"21st Century" Iliad
48 ~ ________________ ~ ________ ~ __________________________________
~ I'rtde for 1997" (presented by the President oIlDd1a) ~ CLOCKWISE ~OM TOP: COREL , PHOTODISK, NASA, NASA
AUGUST , 199 8 HINDUISM TODAY 49
 RECENT DONORS FOR Two MONTHS

Hindu Businessmen's Association Trust Chitravelloo Gunasegaran $60.45 Erasenthiran Poonjolai $150.00
Adi Alahan $350.48 Kriya Haran $182.00 Total $150.00
Vel Alahan $335.00 Edwin Hawk $9,830.59 Mauritius Saiva Dharmasala Endowment
Nathan Palani $300.00 Selvanathan Jothiswarar $206.39
MISSION STATEMENT Satya Palani $115.00 Gunasekaran Kandasamy $486.88
Shiva Sookhai $15.00
Total $15.00
Easvan Param $141.80 Diksha Katir $115.80
Hindu. Heritage Endowment is a publicly supported, charitable organization'recognized as tax Deva Rajan $2,980.00 Usha Devi Katir $53.28 Nepal Komari Goddess Education Fund
• I Small Gifts to Fund $192.26 Andrzej & Beatriz Kraja $100.00 Sita Murali $10.00
exempfby the IRS 0;;' April 22, 1994. Its ~mployer ID !,lumber is 99-0308924. FOldndeg by Satguru Total $4,414.54 Toshadeva Lynam Guhan $153.78 Total $10.00
Deva Natharaja $376.00 Pori Monasteries Fund
Hindu Orphanage Endowment Fund
Umah Rani Palanisamy $158.43
Gunasekaran Kandasamy $113.43 Ravi Chandrasekhara $21.00
Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, its philanthropic mission is tel provide secure, professionally man- V Srikanth $200.00
Aran Sambandar $720.00
Total $21.00
Padmini Samuthiran $681.31
aged financial support for i~stitutions and religious leaders of all lineages of Sanatana Dhar~a.
Gokula Vani $75.00 Loganatha Shivam $600.00 Salva AgaInas Trust
Small Gifts to Fund $184.81 Yatrikadevi Shivam $200.00 Matthew Wieczork $24.00
Total $573.24 Saiva Siddhanta Church $6,680.23 Ramakumar & Sailaja Kosuru $20.00
Hinduism Today Endowment Trust Sivaneswaran Sockanathan $403.13 Shiva Sookhai $15.00
DeNOR PROFILE Dustin Baumann $208.00 Gokula Vani $450.00 Total $59.00
K. K. Parekh $50.00 Peshala Varadan $1,485.70
Sri Siva Subramaniya Swami Devasthanam
A former mining center in Malaysia, the city of Klang is now the ho,me Robert Sorrells $360.00 Vayudeva Varadan $2,145.25
'Ih1st
Clarence V. Williamson $100.00 Small Gifts to Fund $94.07
for a relatively high percentage of Hindus, including one of Hindu Small Gifts to Fund $145.00 Total $25,246.91 Shiva Sookhai $15.00
Total $15.00
Heritage Endowment's consistent donors, Gowri Nadason. She sup- Total $863.00 Kauai Aadheenam Annual Archana Fund
Sri Subramuniya Kottam Fund
ports Hinduism in many ways, includ4,1g actively helping with sales Hinduism Today Distribution Fund Rathi Devi Batumallah $80.00
Andrew Schoenbaum $25.00
Soondiren Arnasalon $54.33 Veerasamy Batumallah $80.00
and distribution of HINDUISM TODAY in Mal,aysia. She teaches the Jatinder Bhan $92.00 Yatrika Shivam $200.00 Total $25.00
Saivite Hindu Religion children's course (featured below) to groups of Revuluri Chandrasekhar $600.00 Guha Skanda $80.00 Sundari Perwnan Memorial Fund
Champa Rani Chatterjee $500.00 Small Gifts to Fund $93.34 Markandeya Peruman $50.00
children 5, to 15 years of age, stressing tradItional Hindu philosophy SatyavatilGeogia Ann D'Antoni $138.00 Total $533.34 Total $50.00
and culture as well a; character building and morals. Of her classes, Satish Desai $250.00 KauaiAadheenam Monastic Endowment Thank You Gurudeva Fund
Kailash Sivam Dhaksinamurthi $381.22 Vinaya Alahan $400.00 VelAlahan $51.00
Gowri reports: "Parents have seen posifive changes in their children Ravindra Doorgiat $55.74 Gunasekaran Kandasamy $113.42 Dan Mackay $50.00
and they are very impressed." Of her donations to Hindu Heritage Wenhua Huang
Rama Dev Jager
$526.00
$550.00
Dane S Karpinecz $100.00 S. Thiruselvan $60.03
Sinniah Sivagnanasuntharam $107.06 Vayudeva Varadan $70.00
Endowment, she notes, "Giving for a good' cause is a gift to God. I enjoy giving because I want to Amravaddee Kownden $51.12 Small Gifts to Fund $198.33 Small Gifts to Fund $224.00
Arvind Kumar $600.00 Total $918.81
support Sanatana Dharma." Kartikeyen Manick $76.03
Total $455.03
Krish & Devika Murugavel $276.00 Loving Ganesha Distribution Fund Tirwnular Sannidhi Preservation Trust
Kanthasamy Pillaiyar $220.00 Gordon L Bennett $100.00 Shyamadeva Dandapani $132.00
FUN,D OF THE MONTH Suguneswary Ponniah $51.97 Eric Mitchell $20.00 Nitya Nadesan $100.00
Yatrika Shivam $200.00 Total $120.00 Total $232.00
Endowments are an investmenhn the future. They grow slowly but last f0r centuries. Several Marshall Silva $600.00 Malaysian Hindu Youth Educational Fund Tirunavakkarasu Nayanar Gurukularn Fund
S. Thiruselvan $58.46 Jeyasreedharan $80.00
years ago, the Malaysian Ijindu Youth Educational Func! was created by I<:uala 'CumpU!' attorney Omkar Tiku $52.00 Total $80.00
Chellappa Deva $75.00
Reid Wilburn $138.00 Deva Seyon $91.73
Arjunan Subramaniam to provide free religious Anonymous $600.00 Math.vasi Medical Fund $81.45
materials to. underprivileged Hindu children in Gowri Nadason $60.00 Total $348.18
Small Gifts to Fund $524.47
Total $6,895.34 Matthew Wieczork $24.00 Total Recent Contrib. $40,919.39
Malaysia. After years of collecting funds, the Total $84.00
Iraivan Temple Endowment Total Endowments at Market Value
first grant~ recently purchased 700 cop~es.of P N Ekambaram $63.62 Math.vasi Travel Fund As of April 30, 1998 $2,447,175.24
Books One and Two of the children's course
Saivite Hindu Religion. At a ceremony in the
rural yillage of Senta, Dr. Subramaniam distrib- INVESTMENT MANAGERS AND CONSULTANTS: Franklin Management Inc.; First Hawaiian'Bank,
uted' books to children who CQuld not afford Trust & Investment Division; Brandes Investment Partners, Inc.; Pacific Century Trust (Bank of
them (right). Ail are happy that the recent Hawaii); Alvin G. Buchignani, Esq., attorney; and Nathan palani, CPA. HrIE is a member of the
crash of Malaysia's economy had nb affect on ' Council on Foundations, an association of 1,500 foundations which interprets relevant law, inte:r-
this important endowment, realizing this trust national and domestic, and qccounting, management and investment principles.
would have dimInished by 32% had it been
inv~sted in a Malaysia fund an~ nO.t HHE. -I WANT TO PAlITICIPATE. WHERE SHOULD I SEND MY DONATION? You can send your gift to
, an existing fund, create a new endowment or request information through the address below.
A'PROFESSIONAL'S PERSPECTIVE. Life insuranc~ proceeds are subject to estate tax if the insUFed Credit card gifts may be made directly by E-mail. Or., use the' HHE tear-out card in this magazine.
owned the policy at death, or transferred it within three years of death. If a life insurance policy to joih our family of benefactors who are Strengthening Hinduism Worldwide. Thank you.
and all policy rights are transferred to an irrevocable trust, a:J.:ld the ex-owner survives for the next
three years, t~e policy proceeds can escape estate tax in"the surviviRg spouse's HINDu HERITAGE ENDOWMENT

J~
.
)
estate as well as the insured's. A trust also provides flexible settlement 0pt,iOns KAUAI'S HINDU MONASTERY
such aS,professional management of funds, protecting beneficiaries from 107 Kaholalele Road
financial inexperience. The trustee can then be given discretion to distribut~ Kapaa, Hawaji, 96746-9304 USA
,,;f#'
funds to beneficiaries depending upon their needs and tax situations. Nitai M.
Pathak, CPA, MST, of Kling, Lee & Pathak, Artesia',California, (888) 721-5370 and
Tel: (800) 890-1008, Ext. 235
Outside US: (808) 822-3152, Ext. 235'
l.~·r (562) 924-8610 . .
tt ;,.._~ _ _ Fax:: (808) 822-4351
,
E-mail: hhe@l),indu.org
. As. public·ser.vice, HHE occasion.ally',,:,ill offer the opinio,ns of various finanGiai planners. However, it ~nd~rs«:s neither these advisor~ nor their
counsel, and recommends that all lllQivlduals seek I?rofesslOnai adVIce from several sources before making Important long-term deCISions. www.hindu.org/hhe/
 CHAKRAS GURUS

~ndYour Youthful
Hormones Swami
B LUE STAR SOFTWARE
reaches for the stars
with its Chakra Discov-
I EADERS IN INDIA OF-
L..ten don't comprehend
what Hindu youth face
ery program. Touted on growing up in the US,
its website (www.chakra but Swami Shuddhanan-
star. com) as "virtual ex- da Brahmachari of eal-
ercises enhancing the cutta is different. He .
endocrine system'by knows their minds and
combining ancient dis- is quite popular with
coveries and recent sci- youth. You can learn
entific research," we about his Lokenath Di-
vine Mission at www.
flash.netl-jemirtil. A
disciple of Baba Loke-
nath (1730-1890), Swa-

All computers at Chennai's Netcafe are linked to super fast phone lines
CY B E RC AF ES
'<" Netcafe@lndia Taps Globe
.l;;
.
p
oJ

Hornwnic Convergence leased line using radio modem, visi-

T
YING TO ACCESS WEB
and e-mail at home from tors have hassle-free, high-speed ac-
wouldn't recommend Chennai? Watching your cess. You can also sip coffee with
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but the on-line "chakra three minutes can be frustrating. barely afford the steep log-on price
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active way to fmd ways the one-year-old Netcafe@India on business is booming. Bangalore is
to improve your life. Cathedral Road. With a 64 Kbps host to another popular cybercafe. Swami Shuddhananda

mi gives a fascinating
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OVIES ARE OVERHYPED profanity, violence and more. gal's suffering population
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So now you can get the to achieve self-sufficien-
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1S063 Llfl1UIE LIFE ~E~BER ~INDUlS" 10DA~ REN~lSS~NCE CIRCLE.

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