Being Indian

Being Indian

You are from? inquired the security person at the gate of Louvre Museum, Paris.

Nous sommes Indiens des Delhi.(We are Indians from Delhi), I said simply.

His eyes brightened. He smiled and started singing – Yeh Dosti Hum --- (popular song from film Sholey). I joined him and sang the next stanza. We shook hands and then we ( me and family) went inside the Museum.

I remembered, similar incidence at Arabat Street in Moscow Russia 3 years back. Only the song was -

“Awara Hoon....”. Raj kapoor is more famous in Russia than Presidents and Prime Ministers of many countries.

Why do Indians get so much special love and affection every where? It made me think deeply on this phenomenon.

Are our films responsible for this?

No, I think films may be just one minor part (not even 1%). But largely it has to do with what India as a nation was and how we have developed over the centuries.

As part of Dept. of IT , Ministry of Communications and IT, I had occasions to visit number of west European countries , USA and Japan and interact with eminent professors and researchers and industry personnel. Where lunch time discussions centered around technology the discussions during dinner were mostly on India – its religious diversity, India’s traditions including Joint family structure , its development towards industrialization, its leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Nehru, India’s strengths and weaknesses, its ethos and values. But uppermost is its religious diversity and its unity.

I shall present here some of the thought processes in these directions. Let me confess that to know India and to write truthfully it is going to take decades.

India’s Traditions

Very difficult to describe the India’s traditions as a whole. Every state, society, religious community, caste, group etc, have their own customs and beliefs. But I think following are common to India as a whole -

- Respect for elders.

- Interaction with neighbors

- Joint family structure

- Community and society interactions

- Arranged Marriage

- Interaction between religious communities.

→While visiting India, foreigners most often hear the word Nameste. They are intrigued by the gesture of hands pressed together. What it means? Is queried often.

Namaste, sometimes spoken as Namaskar and Namaskaram, is a customary Hindu greeting. It is used both for greeting and leave-taking. Namaste is usually spoken with a slight bow and hands pressed together, palms touching and fingers pointing upwards, thumbs close to the chest.

It means "I bow to the divine in you". Namaste may also be spoken without the gesture or the namaste gesture performed wordlessly.

It has variation in every state and community. (Vannakam -Tamil, Namaskaram – Telgu & Malayam etc) and it variations in other languages. Meaning the same – I bow to you.

For muslims it is As-salāmu ʿalaykum that means "Peace be upon you"

Showing the Respect is ingrained in Indian culture. For Hindus touching the feet of elders (when meeting first time or on special occasions ) comes automatically in most of Indian. All the important decisions in the family ( marriage, family functions etc.) are taken by the elders or with the blessing/consent of elders.

→In India, family in general means joint family i.e. mother, father, sons, unmarried sisters, daughters in law staying under the same roof sharing each others joy, grief, achievements, failures, problems etc. Due to influx of western civilization this has deteriorated to some extant and children move to separate house after marriage for privacy reason. But commonly, children take care of the parents till death.

The world record of largest family living under one roof is from Baktwang Mizoram India where father Ziona Chana has 94 children by 39 different wives. Mr Chana, who has said he is a “lucky man”, lives in a 100-room, four-story home with another 14 daughters-in-law and 33 grandchildren,181 in total and counting.

Ziona was featured in Ripley’s Believe It or Not! top 11 strangest stories for the year 2011and in 2013's Ripley Believe It or Not book 9. He is proud of and fortunate to be head of such a large family.

In March 2019, I had occasion to visit the family during our Mizoram visit. They have common Kitchen. The male members are involved in business of furniture, which is roaring success. They have a furniture workshop where every body works and also a football ground where regular match takes place between family members.

→In India you are recognized as somebody’s son, daughter, brother and so on. So if any good or bad thing on your part, the whole family earns good or bad name. Thus societal interactions are very close in which you and family play a part. With the result, when initiating any major action one of the consideration in India is “ What will people say?”. Lot of bad things get prevented from taking shape due to this. When in dire need, people come and help you wholeheartedly. Of course like any thing, there are cons of this also. When in excess, you feel deprived of your privacy.

What happens when suddenly you find some item is needed but has exhausted. It may be simple tea leaves, sugar or even spices. In India, one will go to neighbor’s house and ask for that. Neighbor will be happy that he/she was some help to you. This is normal Indian way of living. You enjoy when you share. During festival, it is very common to visit your neighborhood and exchange greetings and sweets. During Vijayadashmi, it is heartening to see gents and ladies of different religious communities dancing together in Rasgarbha in North India. Lot of new relations get initiated during this interaction. During Eid, Hindus visit their Muslim friends to greet and share the joy. The same happens in Chrismas and Diwali..

→Like everything else, marriage is not individual but social commitment. It is marriage of two families agreed by parents from both sides in addition to boy and girl. In case of love marriage also parents consent is sought. Normally it is 3 to 4 day affair in Hindus.

I remember while describing Hindu marriage to my host in University of Bremen Germany, I was asked whether I slept with my wife before marriage. My host Prof. Popovic was amazed to know that I hardly talked to her before marriage. He was further amazed when I told him that in India 99.99% couple enter in to physical relationship only after marriage. Indian Marriages are very successful with very low divorce rate. In case of major problem the parents and other relatives act as feedback loop to bring situation under control.

→I recall a personal incidence which happened in 1998 during my official visit to Srinagar Kashmir. We were there to promote automation in water treatment plant. It was the period when militancy was very high in Kashmir. In the evening, we went for shopping and my friends were selecting shawls for their better halves. I also liked a shawl but was hesitant since I didn’t have cash. Ultimately I asked - do you accept card payment? The shopkeeper asked me to choose the shawl. After that he said I can take it and send money by money order. What he said touched my heart. “You are my brother in Delhi and consider that your brother in Kashmir has given you. Even if you don’t pay it will be o.k”. Only on my repeated insistence, he borrowed, card machine from another shop and processed the payment.

In March 2019, we traveled across Mizoram for almost 1 week and stayed with Christian families as Mizoram is 87% Christian. The people are as much Indian as at any other place in India.

Human beings are same every where and it is love which binds them together. The divisions are man made. In India, by and large, Hindus, Muslims and all other religious communities coexist and live happily.

India-Land of Religious Diversities

The institution of religion has profound impact on Indian society. India is known to the world as a birth as well as meeting place of various religions, creeds and faiths. In fact India has been part of origins of all the major religions of the world. In spite of communal riots that took place in the past, all Indians live in peace and harmony and society is pluralistic in nature.

We are all aware of different facets of Hindu religion, its origin from Vedas, Puraans, Upnishads, Ramayana, Mahabharat and Gita. Main Gods – Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma and Ganesh, Kartikeyan, Hanuman, different Devis – Lakshmi, Parvati, Saraswati, Durga – Temples, Shakti Peeths (52), Jyotirlinga(12) --- the hierarchical caste structure Brahman, Kshatriya , Vaishya and Shoodra. The good and bad of it is also known widely. Vedas, Upnishads, Puranas and Gita had influenced our culture. These have been translated in many foreign languages and scholars from all over the world have studied and commented on them. We shall discuss them briefly.

The word Veda means knowledge. The Vedas( Books of Knowledge) are a collection of hymns and other ancient religious texts written in India between about 1500 and 1000 BC. The Vedas are the foundational scriptures of the Hindus and represent the storehouse of Indian wisdom.

The four Vedas are known as Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva. Rig means ritual, and it contains mainly hymns and prayers (Mantras) in the worship of the universal forces called the demigods. Yajur means ceremony, and it mainly describes how to perform the rituals. Sama means singing; the scriptures of these categories contain many other mantras as well as strict rules how to chant these mantras according to mystic vibrations. Atharva means a priest who knows the secret lore; these scriptures describe many different kinds of worship and invocations. In a broader sense, many other scriptures of material knowledge are also counted in the Atharva, like the Ayurveda (pharmacological sciences and the means to maintain health.)

The Upanishads reflect the last composed layer of texts in the Vedas. The concepts of Brahman(Ultimate Reality) and Atman (Soul, Self) are central ideas in all the Upanishads, and "Know your Atman” their thematic focus. The Upanishads are the foundation of Hindu philosophical thought and its diverse traditions. Of the Vedic corpus, they alone are widely known, and the central ideas of the Upanishads have influenced the diverse traditions of Hinduism.

The Bhagavad Gita "The Song of God" , often referred to as the Gita, is a 700 verse Sanskrit scripture- that is part of the Hindu epic Mahabharata The Gita is set in a narrative framework of a dialogue between Pandava prince Arjuna and his guide and charioteer Lord Krishna at the start of Mahabharat war. The Krishna–Arjuna dialogue cover a broad range of spiritual topics, touching upon ethical dilemmas and philosophical issues that go far beyond the war Arjuna faced. It presents a synthesis of Hindu ideas about dharma, theistic bhakti and the yogic ideals of moksa. The text covers Jnana, Bhakti, Karma, and Raja Yoga incorporating ideas from the Samkhya Yoga philosophy.

The Bhagavad Gita is the most famous of Hindu texts, with a unique pan-Hindu influence. The Gita's call for selfless action inspired many leaders of the Indian Independence movement including Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Mahatma Gandhi; the latter referred to it as his "spiritual dictionary".

The word Puranas means "ancient, old", and it is a vast genre of Indian literature about a wide range of topics, particularly myths, legends and other traditional lore. Composed primarily in Sanskrit, but also in Tamil and other Indian languages, several of these texts are named after major Hindu deities such as Vishnu, Shiva and Devi.

The Puranic literature is encyclopedic, and it includes diverse topics such as cosmogony, cosmology, genealogies of gods, goddesses, kings, heroes, sages, and demigods, folk tales, pilgrimages, temples, medicine, astronomy, grammar, mineralogy, humor, love stories, as well as theology and philosophy. They have influenced and inspired major national and regional annual festivals of Hinduism. The religious practices included in them are considered Vaidika (congruent with Vedic literature), because they do not preach initiation into Tantra.

The Bhagavata Purana has been among the most celebrated and popular text in the Puranic genre.The Puranic literature wove with the Bhakti movement in India. Of the many texts designated 'Puranas' the most important are the Maha Puranas or the major Puranas. There are 18 (divided into three groups of six) Maha Puranas (Major Puranas) and 18 Upa Puranas (Minor Puranas), with over 400,000 verses

(Sources–https://www.ancient.eu/The_Vedas/,https://msu.edu/~puhek/miem/Vedas.html,http://www.krishna.com/what-are-vedas,https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vedas,https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhagavad_Gita,https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puranas)

Hinduism has no. of divisions – Vishnu Bhakt & Shiv Bhakt, Nirakar wadi & Sakar wadi. They often fight with each other to claim their supremacy over others. They often made ludicrous comments on others to make fun.

Other religions like Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism have derived from Hindu religion in India at different times – is well known. These also have divisions Jainism (Digambar & Shwetambar), Buddhism (Heenyan & Mahayan), Sikhism (Nirankaris and the Nam- Dharis or KukaSikhs). These divisions or sects are also at odds with other and often indulge in fighting)

We shall talk about India’s contribution to other major religions – Christianity, Islam, Judaism(i.e. religion of Jews) and Parsis.

Christianity

It is said that three wise men (Megi) who visited Bethlehem to announce the arrival of son of GOD, Jesus were Balthasar, Melchoir and Caspar (also referred as Gaspar). Balthasar is often represented as king of Arabia, Melchoir as king of Persia and Caspar as king of India. Caspar is often considered to be an Indian scholar. Historian John Hildesheim relates a tradition in the ancient silk road city of ancient Taxila (Now in Pakistan) that one of the Magi passed through the city on the way to Bethlehem.

The Magi are now not considered by some to have been kings. It is basically figure of speech. The reference to "kings" is believed to have originated due to the reference in Psalms (a sacred song or poem used in worship especially one of the biblical hymns collected in the Book of Psalms). Since English translations of Bible refer to them as “men who studied the stars”, they are believed to have been astrologers who could foresee the birth of a “Messiah” from their study of the stars.

According to popular belief, Casper belonged to the southern parts of India where, according to tradition, Thomas the Apostle (one of the twelve chief disciples of Jesus Christ), visited decades later. The town by name Piravom in Kerala state, Southern India has for long claimed that one of the three Biblical Magi went from there. The name Piravom in the local Malayalam language translates to "birth". It is believed that the name originated from a reference to the Nativity of Jesus. There is a concentration of three churches named after the Biblical Magi in and around Piravom, as against only another three so named in the rest of India.

According to Indian tradition, the Christian faith was introduced to India by Thomas the Apostle, who supposedly reached the Malabar Coast, Kerala State in 52 AD. India's oldest church, claimed to be the world's oldest existing church structure and built by Thomas the Apostle in 57 AD called Thiruvithamcode Arappally or Thomaiyar Kovil as named by the then Chera king Udayancheral,is located at Thiruvithancode in Kanyakumari District of Tamil Nadu, India. It is now declared an international St. Thomas pilgrim center.

Both protestants and Catholics are present in India. They don’t see eye to eye.

(Source –The Encyclopedia of Christianity Volume 5by Erwin Fahlbusch. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing –2008. p. 285, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_India)

Islam

The roots of Islam in India are very deep. Trade relations have existed between Arabia and the Indian subcontinent since ancient times. Even in the pre-Islamic era, Arab traders used to visit the Konkan – Gujrat coast and Malabar region, which linked them with the ports of Southeast Asia.Newly Islamised Arabs were Islam's first contact with India. Historians Elliot and Dowson say in their book The History of India , as Told by Its Own Historians, that the first ship bearing Muslim travelers was seen on the Indian coast as early as 630 AD.

Kerala has two-thousand-year-old association with Arabia. In Malayalam Thangal is an honorific Muslim title almost equivalent to the Arabic term Sayyid which is given to males believed as descendants of Prophet Muhammad. For example the genealogy of Bafaqi Thangal, an eminent Muslim leader of Kerala is traced 35th generations from Fatima the daughter of Prophet Muhammad. (Prophet Mohammad has descendants through his daughter Fatima . Fatima and Ali had two sons named Hasan & Husain and two daughters named Zainab and Umm Kulthum )

The present day Thangals are supposed to be descended from Sayyid families, who migrated from the historic city of Tarim, in Hadramawt Province, Yemen, during the 7th century in order to propagate Islam on the Malabar Coast. Sayyids selected coastal areas to settle. The royal family of Arakkal in Kerala had Thangal origins, and the last ruler, Ali Raja Mariumma Beevi Thangal handed over the power to the Indian government after Independence.

Arab traders transmitted the numeral system developed by Indians to the Middle East and Europe. Many Sanskrit books were translated into Arabic as early as the 8th century. George Salibain in his book "Islamic Science and the Making of the European Renaissance", writes that "some major Sanskrit texts began to be translated during the reign of the second Abbasid Caliphal- Mansur (754–775 AD), if not before; some texts on logic even before that, and it has been generally accepted that the Persian and Sanskrit texts, few as they were, were indeed the first to be translated."

The first Indian mosque Cheraman Juma Mosque, is thought to have been built in 629 AD by Malik Deenar although some historians say the first mosque was built in Gujarat in between 610 AD to 623 AD. Thus first mosque was built in India during life time of Prophet Mohammad (569 – 632 AD). In Malabar, the Mappilas may have been the first community to convert to Islam. Intensive missionary activities were carried out along the coast and many other natives embraced Islam.

Both the divisions – Shiya and Sunni and numerous subdivisions are present in India and they often ridicule each other.

(Source–https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sayyid,https://defenAD.pk/pdf/threads/desADndants-of-prophet-muhammad-are-in-india.293993/)

Judaism

Indian Jews are a religious minority of India, but, unlike many parts of the world, have historically lived in India without any instances of anti-semitism from the local majority populace.

The traditional account is that traders of Judea arrived at Cranganore, an ancient port near Cochin in 562 BC, and that more Jews came as exiles from Israel in the year 70 AD, after the destruction of the Second Temple. While Jews were persecuted in many parts of the world, in India they lived in peace and harmony and didn’t face persecution of any form.

The better-established ancient communities have assimilated a large number of local traditions through cultural diffusion. It is estimated that India's Jewish population peaked at around 20,000 in the mid-1940s, and began to rapidly decline due to their emigration to Israel after its creation in 1948.

Areas of Jews population concentration are Cochin, Calicut, Mumbai, Goa and Kolkatta

(Source -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_India)

Parsi

Parsi, also spelled Parsee, are member of a group of followers in India of the Persian prophet Zoroaster. The Parsis, whose name means "Persians", are descended from Persian Zoroastrians who emigrated to India to avoid religious persecution during the Muslim conquest of Persia of 636–651 AD.They are well integrated in Indian culture, maintaining their identity as well and live peacefully in and around Indian cities of Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Chennai.

(Source -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parsis)

Beyond Religion

There always has been a movement to proclaim Humanity as God. Followers didn’t believe in any ritual like puja, yaghya, hajj, namaz ---- . Prominent among them was Kabir, who didn’t believe in any rituals at all. He loved and worshiped GOD. He was equally disliked and loved by both Hindus and Muslims. He attacked both the religions equally through his Dohas ( Two line poems). As an example, he wrote for Muslims -

कंकर-पत्थर जोरि के मस्जिद लई बनाय,

ता चढ़ि मुल्ला बांग दे का बहरा भया खुदाय

Gathering pebbles and stones, they erected their mosques then their priests climb to the top of the minarets and shout God's name with ear bursting calls. Is God deaf ?A silent prayer of the heart is heard a thousand times more loudly than that of the mouth

For Hindus he wrote -

जप माला छापा तिलक, सरै ना ऐको काम

मन कंचे नाचे बृथा, संचे रचे राम।

Muttering prayers,counting beads,printing mark do not fulfill any purpose

A crude mind uselessly dances, Ram adopts only the true.

मुंड मुराये हरि मिले, सब कोई लेहि मुराये

बार बार के मुंडने, भेर ना बैकुंठ जाये।

If the shaving of head gets God, everyone will shave themselves

By shaving of many a time, the sheep does not go to heaven.

He professed love is GOD in true sense:

पोथी पढ़ि पढ़ि जग मुआ, पंडित भया न कोय,

ढाई आखर प्रेम का, पढ़े सो पंडित होय।

Countless persons have read books after books. They have died but didn’t become wise. Only those who understood true meaning of love become truly wise.

.(Source - https://karmabhumi.org/kabir-garb/)

Kabir took last breath in Maghar which is near Gorakhpur (U.P) and is buried here. Those days it was said that those who die in Kashi will directly go to heaven and those who die in Maghar will go to Hell and be born as donkey in next birth. To dispel the myth Kabir shifted from Kashi to Maghar in later part of his life. 

On his death both Hindus and Muslims came to claim his body. But what they found instead was bunch of flowers depicting his body. Both divided the flowers and performed last rites as per their custom and built Mazaar (Tomb) and Samadhi which stand side by side there. An annual festival is held here on Makar Sankranti 14th January. This symbolizes true brotherhood and love between two communities.

It is ironical that in Ayodhya, which is about 110 KM from Maghar, both Hindus and Muslims fought to claim ownership of piece of land (Babri Masjid for Muslims and Ram Janmabhumi i.e. birth place of Rama for Hindus)which ultimately led to demolition of the Babri Masjid. on 6 December 1992 by a large group of Hindu activists of the Vishva Hindu Parishad and allied organizations.

I wonder what Kabir must have felt and written about the futility of whole dispute.

Guru Nanak, Rahim and Tulsi were also great saints who professed love and harmony between all religions.

Guru Nanak (1469 – 1538), the founder of Sikhism was one of the great exponents of Bhakti Cult. Nanak like Kabir, strongly denounced idol-worship, Pilgrimages and other formal observances of the various faiths. However Nanak laid great emphasis on the purity of character and conduct as the first condition of approaching God. He propagated that “Caste, creed or sect have nothing to do with the Love and Worship of God.” He stood for the universal brotherhood of human kind.

Both Kabir and Nanak could create a climate of opinion which continued to work through the succeeding centuries. Their teachings had been reflected greatly in the religious ideas and policies of Akbar.

Khanzada Mirza Khan Abdul Rahim Khan-e-Khana (17 December 1556 – 1627) also known as Rahim was a poet who lived during the rule of Mughal emperor Akbar. He was one of the nine important ministers (Dewan) in his court, also known as the Navaratnas. Rahim is known for his Hindi dohe (couplets) and his books on astrology.

Even though being Muslim by birth, he studied Hindu religion and was influenced by Ramanaya, and Gita and had mentioned the incidences in his writings thus giving broad picture of India's culture of tolerance and religious unity. Following Doha depicts his understanding of Hindu religion.

छिमा बड़न को चाहिये, छोटन को उतपात।

का रहीम हरि को घट्यौ, जो भृगु मारी लात॥

The elder's greatness is in it that he should always be ego-less. He should not lose his temper even if he is treated with indecency. If he could not control himself, then what will be the difference between big and small.

( To explain this Rahim has taken example of Hindu mythology anecdote. Sage Bhrigu wanted to know who among Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh is greatest. He first went to Brahma and then to Mahesh and insulted them through harsh words. Both became enraged and were ready to attack him. He then went to Vishnu who was sleeping. He hit him by his leg. Vishnu instead of getting angry, said with humility – “I hope you have not hurt your leg”. Thus Sage Bhrigu rated Vishnu as greatest.)

The period (14th to 17th centuries) is known as Bhakti Kal as a movement to devote oneself to GOD and without burden of caste and rituals swept through India. The Bhakti movement was another glorious religious movement in the history of India. The concept of Bhakti or devotion to God was not new to Indians. It is very much present in the Vedas, but it was not emphasized during the early period. Therefore Bhakti was accepted, along with Jnana and Karma, as one of the recognized roads to salvation. But this way (Marga) was not popularized till the end of fourteenth century in India.

Apart from Kabir, Nanak and Rahim, other saints were Tulsidas, Surdas, Ramananda, Ravidas, Nimbarka, Srimanta Sankardeva, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Vallabha Acharya, Meera bai, Namdev, Dnyaneshwar, Tukaram in the North and Annamacharya,Bhadrachala Ramdas, Tyagaraja etc. in the South. This gave rise to devotional literature in vernacular prose and poetry.

Some examples of poetry by Tulsidas are:

दया धर्म का मूल है पाप मूल अभिमान|

तुलसी दया न छांड़िए,जब लग घट में प्राण||

Mercy emanates from spirit of religion but pride only gives rise to sin. So long as there is life in our body , we should not give up our compassion.

तुलसी साथी विपत्ति के, विद्या विनय विवेक|

साहस सुकृति सुसत्यव्रत, राम भरोसे एक||

Our intelligence, good behavior, prudence, inner courage, good deeds, our truth and GOD’s name always supports us in bad time.

These are devoid of any religious or caste prejudice.

Bhakti movement helped in minimizing the differences and distinctions between the Hindus and the Muslims. The people of one religion tried to understand the people of other religion. The caste system gradually lost its previous importance as the Bhakti preachers disregarded it. The spiritual life of the people became very simple and more developed than before. Even Akbar the great, was greatly influenced by the Bhakti and Sufi Philosophers, which made him to follow a secular stand in the field of religion.

(Source – www.historydiscussions.net)

Like Bhakti movement, Sufi movement led by serious religious thinkers awakened the People about God and religion. They did everything to establish brotherhood, love and friendship between the Hindus and Muslims.

The Sufi movement was a socio-religious movement of fourteenth to sixteenth century. It was initiated and led by unorthodox Muslim saints who had a deep study of vedantic philosophy and Buddhism of India and had realized its inner values. The Sufi movement therefore was the result of the Hindu influence on Islam. This movement influenced both the Muslims and Hindus. Even though the Sufis were Muslims, they differed from the orthodox Muslims. The Sufis did not attach importance to namaz, hajj and celibacy.

There were some leading Sufi saints like Khwaja Muinuddin Chisti, Fariuddin Ganj-i-Shakar, Nizam-ud-din Auliya etc.

Moinuddin Chishti was a 13th century sufi mystic saint and philosopher. Born in Sistan (modern day Iran), he traveled across South Asia, eventually settling in Ajmer India. By leading a very simple ascetic way of life and spreading the message of love and equality, he tried to wipe out ill feelings from the minds of the people of two communities i.e. Hindus and Muslims. Living for a long period of more than ninety years and spreading the message of love and universal brotherhood he breathed his last in 1234 A.D.

Ajmer Sharif Dargah, has made an enormous contribution in spreading the ethical and spiritual values among masses. A peculiar kind of fascinating aroma prevails in the shrine throughout time, which inspires the visitors with a spontaneous and irresistible urge towards spirituality. The shrine is visited by millions of people every year, as it is considered very sacred by people of all the religions.

Prominent among those who offered prayer and Chadar at Ajmer Sharif include – Dr. Manmohan Singh, Ex Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi, Present Prime Minister and Mr. Barak Obama Ex. President U.S.A.

(Source- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khwaja_Gharib_Nawaz)

Farid-ud-din Ganj-i-Shakar (1176-1268) was another great Sufi Saint of India. He was popularly known as Baba Farid. He was a great disciple of Shaikh Muinuddin Chisti. It is believed that Faridabad was named after Baba Farid,

His outlook was so broad and humane that some of his verses are later found quoted in the Adi-Granth of the Sikhs. He avoided the company of the Sultan and the Amirs. Baba Farid raised the Chisti order of the Sufis to the status of an all India organization by his high mysticism and the religions activities.

Nizam-ud-din Auliya (1235-1325) was the most famous of the Chisti Saints. He was the disciple of Baba Farid. He came to Delhi in 1258 and settled in the Village Chiaspur near Delhi. In his life time seven Sultans ruled over Delhi, but he did not go to any of them.

Nizam-ud-din’s strong personality and mystic ideology made him most popular. He laid much emphasis on love which leads one to the realization of God. He also said that love of God means love of humanity. Thus he spread the message of universal love and brotherhood.

Dedicated to the world famous Muslim Sufi Saint Nizamuddin , the Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah is a mausoleum and shrine located in Delhi. It seeks to propagate the Sufi tradition which is based on spirituality and views all religions as equal. Thousands of people of all religions visit the shrine every week. A vibe of spirituality and serenity seems to be omnipresent here. The tomb of lyricist Amir Khusro (disciple of Hazrat Nizammudin) is also situated within the Nizamuddin Dargah complex.

Salim Chishti (1478–1572) was a Sufi saint of the Chisti Order during the Mughal Empire in India.The Mausoleum was constructed by Akbar in Fatehpur Sikri as a mark of his respect for the Sufi saint, who foretold the birth of his son, who was named Prince Salim after him and later succeeded Akbar to the throne of the Mughal Empire, as Jahangir.It is believed that by offering prayers at this mazar whatever one wishes will be fulfilled. There is also a ritual of tying a thread at the marble windows of this Dargah in order to have one's wishes fulfilled.

Other popular Dargah where people of all religions visit and pray are Haji Ali Dargah, Mumbai, Dargah-E-Hakimi, Burhanpur, Hajo Powa Mecca, Hajo (Assam), Peer Baba Dargah, Jammu, Dargah Garib Shah, Jammu , Chhoti Dargah, Patna ,Dargah of Hazarth Gous E Gawlior etc.

Phoolwalon ki Sair Festival

The "Phool Waalon Ki Sair is festival where communal harmony and National Integration of India is celebrated every year in Sept/Oct in Delhi. It goes on for one week.

The origin of "Phool Waalon Ki Sair" goes to history during the reign of the Mughal King Akbar Shah II (1808 to 1837) whose son Mirza Jahangir was exiled to Allahabad under orders of the British Resident. When he was released, a chaadar made of flowers was offered at the Dargah of Khwaja Bakhtiar "Kaaki".

The Mughal King was secular minded and under his orders floral offering in the shape of a floral pankha was offered at the famous Temple of Yogmayaji which is also in Mehrauli, and it became a festival named by the King as ''Phool Waalon Ki Sair".

The festival became annual event and was celebrated even by last Mugul emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar and even after 1857 rebellion. The Festival was stopped by the British during “Quit India” Movement of Mahatma Gandhi in 1942 in pursuance of their “Divide and rule” policy.

In about 1961, the then Prime Minister of India Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru made efforts to revive the Festival. "Phool Waalon Ki Sair" was thus revived in 1961-62. Pandit Nehru took great interest and came to Mehrauli on every "Phool Waalon Ki Sair" as long as he lived.

After its revival in 1962, the Festival is organized every year by "Anjuman Sair-e-Gul Faroshan", a society registered under the Societies Registration Act. The Festival has grown since then. At present all states of India participate in this festival.

Two notable events take place during the festival -

On a Thursday, the function is held at the Dargah of Khwaja Bakhtiar "Kaaki" in Mehrauli where a floral chaadar is offered at the shrine of Khwaja Bakhtiar "Kaaki". It has become a tradition that the Lt. Governor of Delhi leads the citizens of Delhi with the chaadar. All Hindus are in the forefront wearing Muslim caps and it is difficult to make out that they are Hindus. Chaadar is offered at the shrine.

Next day evening the focus shifts to the Temple of Yogamaya ji at Mehrauli where a floral pankha and chhatra (canopy) made of flowers is offered by the citizens of Delhi led by a Muslim dignitary and on this occasion the Muslims are in the forefront. Tilak is applied by the priest on the forehead of all the Muslims present and chunri of Devi Yogmaya is presented to them along with the prasad of halwa and boiled black gram.

(Source - http://www.phoolwaalonkisair.com/)

Re discovery of Amarnath cave

The discovery/re-discovery of Amarnath cave bores example of our faith, belief and action which is rooted in religious harmony. That is the reason I can’t help its inclusion here.

Amarnath cave is one of the sacred sites for Hindu followers of Shiva. Its antiquity is undisputed. But from 14th century on wards, the ‘yatra’ began losing the traditional fervor and significance attached to the pilgrimage. It did continue but in a much less of a popular ritual and probably got revived during 19th century after its re-discovery by a Gujjar shepherd Buta Malik.

According to folklore, the cave was discovered in 1850, by a shepherd named Buta Malik, who was a Muslim. He had been grazing his cattle in the mountain when a Sufi saint gave him a bag of coal, which turned out to be gold later. He went back to thank the saint but found the cave and the Shiva Linga. According to the family legend at Batakote, Shepherd Buta’s cave discovery pleased Gulab Singh, the ruthless Dogra warrior who had purchased Kashmir in 1846. He ruled that a representative of the Malik’s clan would always be present at the shrine, along with the Mahants  and Purohits during the pilgrimage.

Since then, the legend suggests the Maliks’ have been part of the perennial Hindu pilgrimage. Having one-third stake holding, Maliks’ would stay at the cave with the Mahants  and Purohits  during the pilgrimage. According to Indian Express, the descendants of Malik had been the custodian of the shrine along with Priests from Dashnami Akhada and Purohit Sabha Mattan till year 2,000 when Amarnath Shrine Board (headed by the governor of the state) was formed to look after the affairs of the shrine.

(Source- https://www.india.com/news/india/amarnath-yatra. https://kashmirlife.net/buta-malik-lives-146843/)

Swami Vivekananda (12 January 1863 – 4 July 1902), born Narendranath Datta was an Indian Hindu monk, a chief disciple of the 19th-century Indian mystic RamaKrishna. He was a key figure in the introduction of the Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga to the Western world and is credited with raising interfaith awareness, bringing Hinduism to the status of a major world religion during the late 19th century. Vivekananda founded the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission.

He met, and stayed with Indians from all religions and walks of life: Scholars, Dewans, Rajas, Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Paraiyars(low-caste workers) and Government officials. Narendra left Bombay for Chicago on 31 May 1893 with the name "Vivekananda", as suggested by Ajit Singh of Khetri, which means "the bliss of discerning wisdom," from Sanskrit (viveka and ananda).

He is perhaps best known for his speech which began with the words - "Sisters and brothers of America...," in which he introduced Hinduism at the Parliament of the World’s Religion in Chicago in 1893. In his clarion call at the Chicago Parliament, he emphasized the fundamental unity of all religions deprecating the prevailing tendency to emphasize the greatness of one’s own religion and decry other religions.

One cannot but recall his stirring words, “The Christian has not to become Hindu or Buddhist, nor a Hindu or Buddhist to become Christian. But each must assimilate the spirit of the other, and yet preserve his individuality and grow according to his own law of growth. Every religion has produced men and women of most exalted character. If in the face of this evidence, anybody dreams of the exclusive survival of his own religion and destruction of the others, I pity him from the bottom of my heart.” Again, “If you are born a Christian, be a good Christian. If you are born a Hindu, be a good Hindu. If you are born a Muslim, be a good Muslim.”

Sai Baba of Shirdi, also known as Shirdi Sai Baba, was an Indian spiritual master who is regarded by his devotees as a saint, a fakir, and a satguru. He is revered by both Hindu and Muslim devotees.

He preached the importance of realization of the self and criticized love towards perishable things. His teachings concentrate on a moral code of love, forgiveness, helping others, charity, contentment, inner peace and devotion to the God and guru.

Sai Baba also condemned distinction based on religion or caste. It remains unclear if he was a Muslim or a Hindu. This, however, was of no consequence to Sai Baba. His teaching combined elements of Hinduism and Islam: he gave the Hindu name Dwarakamayi to the mosque in which he lived and practiced both Hindu and Muslim rituals, taught using words and figures that drew from both traditions and took samadhi in Shirdi. 

One of his well-known epigrams, Allah Malik (God is King) and Sabka Malik Ek (Everyone's Master is One), is associated with both Hinduism and Islam He is also known to have said Look to me, and I shall look to you and Allah tera bhala karega.

On 15 October 1918, he breathed his last. His remains were interred at "Buti Wada" in Shirdi, after which it became a place of worship known today as Shree Samadhi Mandir or Shirdi Sai Baba Temple.

Yoga and Meditation

No discussion on religion will be complete without Yoga and Meditation and India’s contribution as it is India who as Guru has enlightened the world with the knowledge of Yoga as effective way to attain consciousness

The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali are a collection of 196 Indian sutras (aphorisms) on the theory and practice of yoga. The Yoga Sutras were compiled prior to 400 AD by Patanjali who synthesized and organized knowledge about yoga from older traditions.

Patañjali was not the first to write about yoga. Much about yoga is written in the Mokṣadharma section of the epic Mahabharata.The members of the Jain faith had their own, different literature on yoga, and Buddhist yoga stems from pre-Patanjali sources.

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali was the most translated ancient Indian text in the medieval era, having been translated into about forty Indian languages and two non-Indian languages: Old Javanese and Arabic. The text fell into relative obscurity for nearly 700 years from the 12th to 19th century. 

Popular interest arose in the 19th century, when the practice of yoga according to the Yoga Sutras became regarded as the science of yoga and the "supreme contemplative path to self-realization" by Swami Vivekananda, following Helena Blavatsky, president of the Theosophical Society. It gained prominence again in the 20th century.

Purpose of yoga

According to Swami Vivekananda, “Yoga is restraining the mind-stuff from taking various forms”. Edwin Bryant states that, "Yoga essentially consists of meditative practices culminating in attaining a state of consciousness free from all modes of active or discursive thought, and of eventually attaining a state where consciousness is unaware of any object external to itself, that is, only aware of its own nature as consciousness unmixed with any other object."

Patanjali defines yoga as having eight components : yama (abstinences), niyama (observances), asana (yoga postures), pranayama (breath control), pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation) and samadhi (absorption)."

Modern translations and commentary

Countless commentaries on the Yoga Sutras are available today. The Sutras, with commentaries, have been published by a number of successful teachers of Yoga, as well as by academicians seeking to clarify issues of textual variation. Raja Yoga - an 1896 book by Swami Vivekananda, provides translation and an in-depth explanation of Yoga Sutra. And The Science of Yoga - a 1961 book byI.K Taimni provides commentary with Sutras in Sanskrit and translation and commentary in English. An online version is available. There are also other versions from a variety of sources available on the Internet.

Now, the big questions:

Can Yoga be termed as secular or does it propagate Hindu religion in orthodox manner?

Should the implementation of Yoga Sutra be acceptable to other communities like Muslims and Christians?

Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra, is widely referred to in yoga classes in India as well as western world today. It clearly presents a moral code for yogis to follow and outlines the path toward a mystical state of enlightenment known as samadhi, or union with the Divine. However, the yoga tradition also recognizes the path of Bhakti Yoga, the branch of yoga whose adherents devote themselves to a personal form of God. Its practices include chanting to deities, setting up altars, and even praying.

Accordingto to Mr. David Frawley - founder and director of the American Institute of Vedic Studies in Santa Fe, New Mexico -

Classical yoga is concerned with religious experience or spiritual realizations at an individual level, rather than promoting one en masse faith. So, in that regard, yoga has a certain adaptability and universality, and we can apply yoga in many contexts. At the same time, yoga does have a certain philosophy. Yoga is not exclusive; it doesn't insist upon a particular belief, but a lot of classical yoga philosophy does bring in concepts like karma and rebirth that certain religious communities may have difficulty with.

Yoga has a number of levels and dimensions: yoga asana, Pranayama, yoga meditation to clear the mind—even an atheist can do these. These practices don't necessarily have a religious connotation, but they do have a spiritual connotation. Thus within these boundaries Yoga Sutra and its implementation will be acceptable to all the religious communities. However, some yoga groups go on to meditation, mantra, chanting, and other things, and these are not acceptable to all the religious communities.

(Source - https://www.yogajournal.com/yoga-101/beyond-belief )

Freedom Struggle

The way India has won freedom has brought world to awe. No body could have imagined, that through non violence, a country can attain freedom. It is the sacrifice of great leaders like Bapu (Mahatma Gandhi), Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel and thousands of freedom fighters who willingly sacrificed their lives to liberate the country. 

The way our leaders Mahatama Gandhi and Jawahar lal Nehru conducted themselves and refused to be bullied by Wiston Churchil.(Winston Churchil disparagingly referred to Gandhi as the 'half-naked fakir'. Gandhi regarded the expression as a compliment. He felt unworthy of being called "a fakir and that (too) naked - a more difficult task.") and others in London is remarkable.

An interesting anecdote is the reluctant invite to afternoon tea at Buckingham Palace by King George V to Gandhi and all Indian delegates to the Second Round Table Conference (Sept – Dec 1931); reluctant, because Gandhi’s poor man’s dress was simply against the court etiquette. But Gandhi was also equally adamant by pre-announcing that he would not re-clothe even to meet the King. His stand was simple that the Indian poor were still naked because of Britain. Later, when asked if he was not wearing enough clothes to meet the King, Gandhiji is reported to have famously remarked, “The king had enough on for both of us”.There could not have been a better riposte.

(Source -https://pib.gov.in/newsite/printrelease.aspx?relid=149833)

Post Independence struggle and Developments

Given our diversity it was proclaimed at the time of our independence that country will disintegrate in very few years. Winston Churchill, for example, predicted that after the British left the subcontinent, “India will fall back quite rapidly through the centuries into the barbarism and privations of the Middle Ages”.

(Source -https://www.newstatesman.com/asia/2007/08/democratic-india-british)

But our leaders like Pandit Nehru and Sardar Patel had kept the country together and led it to path of industrialization and growth. Both together wrestled with the problems of partition and riots.

Sardar Patel specially integrated all the princely states to India. Special mention must be made of the role played by Mr. V.P. Menon (Secretary of Minister of States i.e. Sardar Patel) in this regard who worked closely with Patel over the integration of over 565 princely states in to the union of India, managing the diplomacy between the States Ministry and the various Indian princes. Sardar Patel respected Menon's political genius and work ethic. Menon also worked with Patel over the military action against the hostile states of Junagadh and Hyderabad, as well as advising Nehru and Patel on relations with Pakistan and the Kashmir conflict. The Cabinet had dispatched Menon to obtain the accession of Kashmir into India in 1947.

(Source -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V._P._Menon)

Nehru’s vision on country’s development included state-sponsored industrialization, increasing the “wealth-producing capacity” and using atomic energy for civilian use. But he realized that for industrialization to be viable it needed a supportive agrarian economy and a small-scale industrial base. Nehru was convinced that Science and Technology were crucial to the solution of India’s problems. As early as Jan. 1938 he said that it was science alone that could solve the problems of hunger and poverty, of sanitation and illiteracy, of superstition and deadening custom and tradition of vast resources running to waste, of a rich country inhibited by starving people.

Under his leadership, to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, in 1948, Atomic Energy Commission was set up with Homi. J. Bhabha as Chairman. India’s first nuclear reactor (called APSARAS) in Trombay, Bombay(also the first in the Asia) became operational in 1956.

As part of the effort to promote self-sustaining scientific and technological growth, program for setting up of a network of 17 National laboratories specializing in different areas of research under CSIR was initiated.

The program to set up Indian Institutes of Technology was started in 1952 with the first IIT at Kharagpur the other four being set up subsequently at Madras, Bombay, Kanpur and Delhi. India also took up space research. It set up the Indian National Committee for Space Research (LNCOSPAR) in 1962 and established a Rocket launching Facility at Thumba (TERLS).

Nehru’s ideas on town planning — going beyond roads and parks to education, recreation, employment and business — were remarkably modern. Slums distressed him; he visualized a symbiotic relationship between the city and the village. Criticizing society's acquisitive tendencies, he endorsed the state's role in curbing them. He proposed that every village should have a panchayat, a cooperative society, and a school.

He also anticipated the ills to which governance is vulnerable: corruption, administrative delays, and collusive links between the unscrupulous officials and the people. He wanted officials to play their part strictly within the Constitutional framework and not perceive themselves to be a “superior class.”

(Source-https://www.thehindu.com/books/nehrus-vision-of-a-new india/article2295280.ece,http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/essay/essay-on-nehrus-vision-for-modern-india-467-words/3986)

The Nehru emphasized on the process of planning the development to meet the overall goals and priorities and had vision to set up planning commission on 15 March 1950.

He had courage of taking hard decisions and had tried to take every body together in spite of differences. This had won respect and admiration of all the countries.

Successive leaders have built on the foundation laid by Sardar Patel and Pandit Nehru and even further strengthened by carrying modification where ever it was necessary.

What we Indians stand for is result of our foundations of pluralistic society laid by our ancestors, sacrifice of freedom fighters and traditions developed over several centuries. It is reflected in the love Indians get outside the country.

https://kantscorner.blogspot.com/2019/09/being-indian_11.html

My Other Blogs -

- V. P. Menon and the Story of of Partition and Unification of India

https://kantscorner.blogspot.com/2019/11/v-p-menon-story-of-partition-and.html

- Let Us Learn Learn Lesson From History – World War I

https://kantscorner.blogspot.com/2021/02/let-us-learn-lesson-from-history-world.html

- Travelogue Mizoram

https://kantscorner.blogspot.com/2019/09/travelogue-mizoram.html

- Travelogue Nagaland

https://kantscorner.blogspot.com/2020/04/travelouge-nagaland.html