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CULTURE

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Aditi Hanumante in full regalia

NEPAL

Shake Up at Pashupatinath

O N MAY 22, .e.NANTA KRISH­na Yog Shastri was official­

ly appointed the new high priest of Pashupatinath Siva temple-Nepal's holiest shrine. He replaced Subramanyam Shastri Markandeya, who served for 31 years and resigned amid embezzlement charges. Millions of dollars are offered each year for the tem­ple's upkeep by devo­tees (per capita in­come . s less than US$200 a year.) On Sivaratri night alone, nearly US$l million is

leans, but her heart wasn't in it-until she attended dance camp at Yogaville, tqe Virginia headquarters of Swami Satchid­ananda. Her nervous'ness­"What if I'm the worst dancer here?"-faded as Aditi, now 18, arrived. "Its truly an enchant­ing place on God's little Earth," she recalls. Unlike the usual dance-and-go-home style' class­es, students here follow the gu­rukuiam style, living with renowned dance gur.us v.P. and Shanta Dhananjayan for one month. Aditi rapidly found in­ner peace in daily practice of hatha yoga, bhajanas and dance. She got to know her room­mates. "It was refreshing and' reassuring to see 30 other girls from all over the\US who hold Indian culture in such high es­teem. Like myself, they were all devout Hindus, and the ashram atmosphere brought me closer to Divinity than I'd been be­fore." She also enjoyed cultural tips, with the Dhananjayans daily answering questions like, "Why is it important t~ wear a bindi?" Aditi plans to attend her fourth and final camp this year.

was charged with swindling US$500,OOO (some say millions) in donated cash and jewelry, eve,n building a five-star hotel in Mumbai, India. Members of Parliament could stand it no longer, and petitioned King' Birendra for the priest's re- I

moval. Now, a trust registers all temple contributions. Previous­ly the priests collected, counted and kept all offerings.

With HARI BANSH JH A in Kathmandu

donated. Markandeya Current priests of Pashupatinath temple

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: M.fIT KUMAR; M.UT KUMAR; COURTESY HARI BANSH JRA; COURTESY WIT! HANUMANTE

Lizzy and Justine (with his heat-beating hat) came from England

INTERVIEWS

Mela's International Pilgrims \ V fRAT IS AMAZING ABOUT THE KUMBHA MELA IS THAT W all sorts of people, poor, rich, not so rich from all parts of

India and other countries too have come here," said Justine and Lizzy from the United Kingdom. They were two among many international visitors to the Mela, some there as tourists, but most as earnest in spiritual purpose as any Indian Hindu. Jus­tine and Lizzy took a holy bath in the Ganga every day, attend­ed arati, visited with saints and remarked, "This teaches us there is a different way of living." Dagmar Rungen and Ralph Hug of Freiburg, Germany said, "We believe good talk creates good vibrations. People we see here want a good and friendly world. We'll carry this message home. Haridwar is clean. Peo­ple are happy. The administration and police are really pre­pared." Melanie Rice of California bathed in the Ganga, but found "no magic in the bath." Rather, she said, "The magic is in the people who believe in spirituality." "Hinduism fascinates me," offered Matthew Wilson from London, 'because there is truth in it. India is the storehouse of religion. It has the whole of spirituality compressed into one at the Mela." Bernice and Eric, from France, "loved wandering around and meet­ing common people." But they complained, "I saw an old lady taking her bath and worship­ing, and they dragged her out. They could be more respect­ful. For the people taking bath in the Ganga is spirituality. They do not disturb anyone, so why disturb them?" "It is so peaceful," said Christine of London [photo right]. "I am not a Hindu, but I came here «I never saw anything like it" and walked around with a feel-ing that there is a still greater force, more powerful people than us. I saw a sadhu who held his hands in the air for 25 years. It is faith and patience. In just the five hours I have been here, I see so much sense of community, so different from my culture!"

Interviews by M.P. Mohanty, Delhi

SEPTEMBER , 1998 HINDUISM TODAY 7

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THAILAND

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UNITED STATES

I has told the nation's 300,000 Buddhist monks to save money by ceasing construction of new monastery facilities and focus­ing on religious duties instead. Buddhist temples spend more than two billion baht (VS$47 million) annually on construc­tion, mostly with public dona­tions and a 327 million'baht government allocation>'During this economic crisis, spiritual . development should replace material development," said the Religious Affairs Department. Some monks have come under criticism for using donations to support luxurious life styles.

Jackson Visits Jersey Temple

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. tural communities, US politician and minister Reverend Jesse Jackson attended the lO8th birthday of the late Yogiji Maharaj,

fourth spiritual guru of the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Sanstha (BAPS), on May 24, 1998 at the Swaminarayan Temple in Eelison, New Jersey. Impressed with the temple, he said, «When you leave here, you may De an engineer, doctor, teacher, but here in the temple you find common ground- you're God's child and that's enough. While we maintain kinship to our mother country of In­elia, Africa, Europe or Australia, we live in America now, and must work on an American agenda together now, here in New Jersey."

THE VEDAS

God's Word, Sages'Voices

May I attain to Vishnu's glorious mansion where the faithful rejoice, where, close beside the Strider, within his highest footstep springs the well of purest honey? RIG VEDA 1.154.5

Who by His grandeur has emerged sole sovereign of every living thing that

The Primorelial Vastness is the sky, the Primorelial Vast­ness is the sphere of space; the Primorelial Vastness is the mother, the father, the son; the Primorelial Vastness is all the Gods, the five sorts of men, all that was born and shall be born. RIG VEDA 1.29.l0

Aeliti, mighty Mother of just rulers and queen of those who follow Eternal Order, great ruler with a far-extending sway, untouched by time, protectress, gracious guide, to you we cry. YAJUR VEDA 21.5

The Vedas are the divinely revealed and most revered scriptures, sruti, of Hinduism, likened to the Torah (2 ,000 BeE), Bible New Tes­tament (200 eEl, Koran (600 e E ) or ?end Avesta (600 BeE). Four in number, Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharoa, the Vedas include over 100,000 verses. Oldest portions may date back as far as 6 ,000 BCE.

Who Is a Hindu? breathes and slumbers, He who is Lord of man and four­legged creatures-what God shall we adore with our obla- 'Acceptance of the Vedas with reverence; recognition

of the fact that the means or ways to salvation are eli­verse; and the realization of the truth that the number of Gods to be worshiped is large, that indeed is the elis­tinguishing feature of the Hindu religion." B.G. TIIak's definition of what makes one a basic Hindu, as quoted by India's Supreme Court. On July 2 , 1995, the Court referred to it as an "adequate and satisfactory f ormula. "

I tion? RIG VEDA 10.121.3

In this great wheel of Brahman, the life and foundation of all, the soul wanders like a swan, thinking himself and the Inspirer to be separate. When grace comes from Him, he attains immortality.

KRISHNA YAJUR VEDA, SVETASVATARA UPANISHAD L6

8 HINDUISM TODAY SEP EMBER , 1998 CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: B.A.P.S ; COREL­

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PUBLISHER'S DESK

A River of Devotion, A Flood of Spirituality A wise guru will require good character and a kindly nature before teaching any form of advanced yoga

BY SATGURU SIVAYA SUBRAMUNIYASWAMI

-A BIG K-IS FOR KUMBHA MELA,

the largest gathering of humans on Earth-over ten million. It happens rarely, only once every twelve years

Haridwar when Jupiter is aligned with Kumbha, the sign of Aquarius. All the rishis, sadhus, swamis and pundits come out of seclusion and gather to give darshan and bless t;he people. Only here can you see many of these holy men and women. It took many months for the effIcient Indian government to arrange for housing and feeding facilities and divert the Ganga River into another channel in order to build access bridges.

Yes, devotion is what the Kumbha Mela is all about. It is about worship of water, earth, fIre and air, and most importantly God in people, and there were a lot of people at the Mela-from the highest, most evolved souls to those experiencing their fIrst or second incarnation, all living, sharing, understanding and even bathing together. It was a won­derful, rewarding event for all who attended and for you now who will read about it an'tl enjoy the pictures.

To prepare for this unique issue of HINDUISM TODAY, we sent specialists to Haridwar to fIlm, interview and write. Each had to promise not to become so devotional as to forget the real re~son for being there! Team Members traveled from Nepal, Delhi and Dehra Dun. Photographers Thomas Kelly, Dev Raj Agarwal, Phal Girota, Steven Huyler and Amit Kumar contributed in large and small measure. Prabha Prabhakar Bhardwaj visited Haridwar just prior to the Mela, while long-time HINDUISM TODAY correspondents Rajiv Malik and M.P. Mohanty, both of Delhi, covered the Mela's culmination on April 14. We also arranged with Swami Chidanand Saraswati (Muniji) of Rishikesh, to provide a guide, translator and access to the event for Ghost Films, Inc., based in Vancouver, Canada, for their TV documentary of the event. Hundreds of slides were couriered to Hawaii, and then our biggest problem began-how to choose the dozen or so that would go in the maga­zine. Our goal was to take you, our readers, to this holy place, in words and pictures, so you co~d share the immensity of it, the joy and hardship of it, the darshan, the vision, of it all.

Why were so many rishis, sadhus, swamis, pundits there wor­shiping with the worshipers? It is because the beginning, the mid­dle and the end of the path is worship. A rishi or sadhu arriving into a high state of consciousness does not give up his love for God and the Gods in whatever form he sees them either with his two

10 HINDUISM TODAY SEPTEMBER, Igg8

eyes, or the third. His devotion does not stop, rather it becomes more intense. He does not stop eating, relating to others. These are all dual things, too. My satguru, Siva Yogaswami, said, "Love pours forth to melt the very stones."

Bhakti yoga is not an intellectual study. It is a practice. It is also not an emotional experience. It is a devotional experi­ence. It is the foundation for enlightenment. It. is a way of life. The transfor­mation that comes from

living in the permanent state of bhakti is the softening of the heart.

External worship leads to internal wor­ship. The external is taught fIrst because it produce~ a softened, mellow heart. The patient guru will wait until this has hap­pened withiri the devotee. Otherwise, any accomplishment· attained through intense raja yoga practices will not be sustained. The problems that arise within the devotee's subconscious mind-should he be taught raja yoga before the proper preparation has been mastered-will go back on the guru. The guru will then have to act as the psychiatrist to solve the problems arising from the forced aWaken­ing. Whereas a mature bhakta, or devo­tee, takes such problems, or negative karmas, which are sometimes aroused as a result of deep meditation, to the temple Deities, or to ' Divine Mother Ganga, to be carried away and dissolved.

Once bhakti yoga has melted the heart, then the deep yoga con­cepts and meditation techniques of raja yoga may be practiced and take hold. They are to be understood and experienced, not just memorized. The wise guru will never teach deep meditation techniques to angry, jealous, fearful devotees. Such devotees should fIrst learn to serve selflessly, by performing karma yoga projects in the temple or monastery, and then perform simple bhakti yoga

until all anger has melted into love. The inner knowing that 'M is God's will" is one of the fIrst benefIts of bhakti yoga. Only through true bhakti can the devotee achieve and maintain the inner state of Satchidananda. It is only the true bhakta who can sustain living with God and the Gods unreservedly and begin to internalize his devouon into deeper meditations.

Many yoga teachers in the West teach purely advaitic medita­tion, with no theism or religious practice. But most who have come from India were raised in devout Hindu homes. They do ha~e within them a fIrm religious, cultural foundation for yoga. Man,y,

1

Puja, ritual worship: By offeringjlowers, incense, mantras, sweets, water and .fire to his chosen Lord, the devotee draws close to the Divine in all, opening his heart to the real and personal experience of the Divin'e within. This art is from Gurudeva's new 1,400-page book, Merging with Siva, Hinduism's Contemporary Metaphysics . .. however, do not pass the religious culture on to their devotees. In an orthodox Hindu community they would most likely teach in a more traditional way. Advaita philosophy is appealing to the West­erner. It does not require a change in lifestyle.

The nondual, advaita-based meditations do bring devotees out of the materialistic, externalized state of mind, but more often than not lead them into their confused subconscious state of mind. IUs here, within the subconscious, that unresolved problems with fam­ily and one's own personal ego begin to appear. Without a proper religious-cultural background and traditional belief system or Sanatana Dharma, these ~roblems are diffIcult to handle. This turmoil is certainly not the purpose of advaitic meditations, but it is a by-product. The wise guru trains his devotees in traditional Hindu culture and values and teaches the beginning yogas, as well as temple protocol, music, the arts and dance. All these should be mastered to build a proper clear, clean foundation within the sub­conscious mind. Karma yoga and bhakti yoga are the necessary prelude to the higher philosophies and spiritual practices.

Wise gurus will not initiate anyone into raja yoga techniques who does not have a sweet nature and a natural outpouring of love, forgiveness and self-effacement. No one auditions for the sympho­ny orchestra until he has mastered all that his fIrst, second and third music teachers have taught him. Suppose a devotee who is not virtuous is taught an intense meditation and practices it ar­dently over a long period of time until a burst of light is seen. Then the devotee, now feeling quite above others, argues with his or her parents. Or a burst of anger occurs when talking to a friend. At that moment, all the good merit and benefIts of the raja yoga awakening are erased. This is because the prana of higher con­sciousness has been dissipated by the ¥1gry words, which now burn deeper into the minds of others than they would have before. No, a sweet, sweet nature must precede raja yoga sadhanas.

On a deeper level, personal individual practice~ to advance spiri­tual unfoldment include prostrating before God, Gods and guru, face down, arms and hands outstretched, and in that act totally giving up, giving up, giving up, giving up. In Sanskrit it is called pranipata, "f8.ru.ng down in obeisance." What are these devoted ones giving up? By this act they are giving the lower energies to the higher energies. It is a merger, a blending. When one is 'per­forming this traditional· devotional act, awakening true prapatti, total surrender, it is easy to see the lower energies from the base of the spine, the muladhara ohakra, rising, rising, rising up the spine through all six chakras above it and out through the top of the head. It is transmuting or chp.nging the form of the base energies which breed conflict and resistance-mine and yours, you and me, division, insecurity and separateness-into the spiritual energie.s.

Once the giving up of the lower is total-body and face on the ground, .hands outstretched before the' image of God, Gods or guru- those ~nergies are surrendered into the higher chakras within the devotee, and it is a blissful moment, into the conscious­ness of us and ours, we and oneness, and inseparable love, thus claiming their individuality not as a separate thing but as a shared oneness with all. Thereafter these devoted ones are able to uplift others, to harmonize forces around them that they work with day after day after day, year after year after year.

No one should perform intensive meditation alone until he or she can serve selflessly and accept praise and blame and criticism without complaint or resentment, but with a sweet smile. All this and more the Maha Kumbha Mela has revealed.

SEPTEMBER , Igg 8 HIND U ISM TODAY 11

/

,

Contending Texts I READ WITH INTEREST YOUR ARTICLE ON "~etter Discipline" [CHILD RE~ING, July '98]. It is unfortunate that Manu Dharma Shastra endorses corporal purpshment. This flies in the face of Sanatana Dharma's basic tenet of ahimsa [nonviolence] in words, thoughts and deeds. Anytime there is a con­flict between smriti [secondary'Scriptures] and sruti [revealed scriptures: Vedas], the teaching of sruti takes precedence over that of smriti, for smritis are meant to elaborate on srutis without contradicting them. Therefore, ahimsa, taught in the Upan­ishads, part of the sruti, supercedes the ref- ~ erences of corporal punishment in Manu Dharma Shastra, which is a smriti.

Abusing a child verbally, physically or emotionally only teaches a child that vio­leRce is an acceptable solution to problems. Thus, there is a good chance that the child will grow up to be a bullying, abusive and contankerous adult, perpetuating the cycle of violence.

/

PRADEEP K. SRIVASTAVA DETROIT, MICHIGAN, USA

Gold Medal.for Humor I WAS BROWSING THROUGH YOUR (EX­tremely impressive) site yesterday and came across the April, 1998, editorial on the YAK competition at the Nagano Winter Olym­pics. I was so inspired by the achievements of these spiritual athletes that as I read, I be­gan to experience spontaneous kriyas, con­sisting of bursts of bellows breathing accom­panied by involuntary vocalizations of the s~cred seed-syllable "Ha!" When I was through reading and had wiped my eyes, I felt purified, uplifted and thoroughly re­freshed (although my stomach muscles were a bit sore). Many thanks!

JUDY STEIN " jstein@panix.com

Genuine Awakenings? No Way! In 1988 we "debated" the way Kimdalini should be presented "to the world." Bonnie Greenwell, Ph.D., and others who are now officers of the Kimdalini Research Network, wanted to turn Kimdalini into a psychologi­cal problem that they could solve rather than the mechanism responsible for Illumi­nation, etc. The psychologists are eager for clients, and as one of my colleagues told me after attending one of the KRN Confer­ences, 'l\lJ. they wanted to talk about was third-party payments," which had to do with collecting their fees from Medicare, etc. All in all, your article "Kimdalini's Rise and Fall" [PARAPSYCHOLOGY, July 'g8] is correct. HoW' can anyone, especially a Ph.D., make such a ridiculous statement that there are at least "1,000 genuine Kim-

12 HINDUISM TODAY SEPTEMBER, 1998

:LETTERS dalini awakenings?" I would wager that if one were to query every ashram in India, there wouldn't be even one hundred genuine awakenings in all of India. But in California, yes, there may be as many as 10,000. It all depends on what you mean by "genuine."

GENE KIEFFER, PRESIDENT THE KUNDALINI RESEARCH FOUNDATION, LTD.

STAMFORD, CONNECTICUTT

Divine Dreams THANK YOU VERY MUCH, HINDUISM TO­day, for your wonderful web site and for the education you provide. I was not born to a Hindu family, but from 13 years of age I re­ceived informal education in Vedic litera­ture and also exposure to yoga. I did not un­derstand how rare that is in my country.­Unfortunately, there is a great ignorance in the USA concerning Hinduism. It 1s quite sad. Recently I had a bad dream concerning a future event which may occur 'to a sister, and I woke up very upset. I read several of your articles about God and the Gods of Hinduism, and I asked Lord Siva for help. I felt s.o blessed when I later saw Siva in a temple in a dFeam. The Lord gave me two nods of the head and a golq. coin. I do not know what they symbolize, but I have felt much more peace and love in my heart since then. I cannot thank you enough for your openness and offering to the rest of the world. You are truly wonderful spiritual guides.

KAREN BETH CAMPION, " kg3kg3@hotmail.com

A Shower of Blessings AT THE KUMBHA MELA I HAD AN UNUSUAL experience while standing in a queue for my turn to take a holy dip in the Ganges. One young sadhu came to me all of a sudden re­questing me to take a holy dip on his behalf I was very curious to know the cause of his request. Looking at my face, the sadhu felt my pulse and replied to me that taking a holy dip on his behalf would wash away his misdeeds towards common men like me.

Raging Bullies

S. RANJAN NEW DELHI, INDIA

j

THANK YOU FOR YOUR VERY MOVING AND informative articles on corporal punish­ment. Years ago I attended a yoga group whose guru behaved violently as you de­scribe. Although I left this group, I have nev­er been able to resolve the issue of how a shaktipat-bestowing swami could also fly into a rage and beat devotees with whatever was' handy. We were told that the ways of great beings are mysterious, and that being beaten by them is a blessing. Thanks to your articles, I now have the understanding that

my former guru's behavior may have had mgre to do with personal upbringing than the attainment of any higher state of being.

LYNDA MCCLANAHAN COLUMBUS, OHIO

" JKnepp4350@aol.com

Hindu Christmas in Canada? FINDING AN ALTERNATIVE TO CHRISTMAS celebrations (Publisher's Desk, Dec. 97) for Hindus in Western countries certainly has value in giving children an opportunity to celebrate within the context of their own nf­ligion. However, I was born and brought up in Canada and have always celebnUed Christmas with my family. I fail to see how this has made me a "diluted Hindu." For me, Christmas has great spiritual meaning, and the context being Christian has very little impact in my self definition as a Hindu. Christmas day, though it included presents and the tree, always started with prayers in our fanlliy prayer room in front of Siva, Par­vati, Murugan and Pillaiyar. I continue to be a Hindu despite the HiCk of an organized Hindu community where I currently live. Learning and practicing our culture and re­ligion is a valuable part of who we are and something I take very seriously, but mass migration of Hindus has necessarily meant the modification of our practice.

KOTHAI KUMANAN OSAKA, JAPAN

" kothaik@hotmail.com

V Every non-Christian religion in the West has had to cope with the gift-giving season of Christmas-itself a practice adopted from faiths preceding Christianity. Your family evolved a Hinduized expression of Christmas. The Pancha Ganapati celebra­tion described in Publisher's Desk [Dec. '97J goes a step further and creates a completely Hindu holiday, for there is a real danger of this celebration inadvertantly nudging our children toward Christian thinking. Con-

.-cerned parents have reported to us how their children beca1jJ£ "indistinguishable from other Canadians" because the family did not maintain clearly Hindu religiOUS practices in their home celebrations.

Letters with writers narr:e, address and daytime phone number, should be sent to:

Letters, HINDUISM TODAY

107 Kaholalele Road KAPAA, HAWAII, 96746-9304 USA or faxed to: (808) 822-4351 or e-mailed to: letters@hindu.org ,

Letters may be edited for space and clarity and may appear in electronic versions of HINDUISM TODAY. " INDICATES LEITERS RECEIVED VIA E- MAIL

~ I

~QJ •• -.ti~ti.~_~~a~l ~~~~~ 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 arnoJ;!.g all sects and lin­eages; 2 . To inform and inspire Hindus world­wide and people interested in Hinduism; 3. To dispel myths, illusions and misinformation about Hinduism; 4. To protect, preserve and promote the sacred Vedas and the Hindu reli­gion; 5. To nurture and monitor the ongoing spiritual Hindu renaissance. We invite our read­ers to share these purposes with us by writing letters, contributing reports and articles on events, sending news clippings and encouraging others to subscribe.

Publisher: Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami Admin. Dir.: Paramacharya Bodhinatha Editor-in-Chiej: Acharya Palaniswami Publisher's Aide: Acharya Ceyonswami Deputy Editor: Acharya Kumarswami Managing Editor: Sannyasi Arumugaswami Graphics Director: Sarmyasi Natarajnathaswami Mauritius Editor: Sannyasi Sivamurugaswami Mauritius Staff Writer: Sarmyasi Sivadevaswami Prod.lPromotion Mgr.: Sannyasi Sivakatirswami Managing Ed. 's Aide: Tyagi Saravanarmathaswami Dep. Managing Ed: Tyagi Karttikeyanatha Editor-in-Chiefs Aide: Yogi Yuganatba Advertising Manager: Sadhaka Jothinatha SubScription Manager: Sadhaka Adinatha Correspondents: Gowri Shankar & Anandhi Rama­chandran, Chennai; Choodamani Shivaram, Bangalore; Rajiv Malik, Prabha Prabhakar Bhardwaj, Mangala Prasad Mohanty, Delhi; V S. Gopalakrishnan, Kerala; Basudeb Dhar, Bangladesh; Archana Dongre, Los An­geles; Lavina Melwani, New York; Dr. Hari Bansh Jha, Nepal; Parasram Ramoutar, Ani! Mahabir, Trinidad; Dr. Devananda Tandavan, Chicago; V G. Julie Rajan, Philadelphia; Shikha Malaviya, Minnesota; Rajesh Jan­tilal, South Africa; Tara Katir, Hawaii. Sanskritist: Dr. S. Jayaraman, New York. Artists: A. Manivelu, S. Ra­jam. Cartoonists: Barry Geller, David Lourie, Mario de Miranda, Manick Sorcar, Gary L. Stair, Bob Thaves. Photo Contributors: Thomas L. Kelly, Stephen P. Huyler, Dev Raj Agrawal, Phal S. Girota, ':Q1ny Stone Images, Photobank, Art Wolfe Inc., Gordon Wiltsie, Indivar Sivanathan. Web Masters: Deva Seyon, Sad­hunathan Nadesan. Scanning: Vikram Patel, New York. Distribution: USA: Ingram Periodicals, New Leaf, EBSCO Subscription Services, Indo-US Books, One ~urce, Ubiquity, Total Circulation.. Services. Canada: Gordon and Gotch. Europe: SWETS Sub­scription Service. Malaysia and Singapore: Sanatbana Dharma Publications. South Africa: Atlas Printers. In­dia: Central News Agency Limited, New Delhi. Printer: Banta Publications Group, Kansas City

"

Finding Peace In M 'other Ganga's Lap Nothing for sale in America compares to the spiritual bliss that comes for free in India

BY BHAGAWATI

SIT IN SILENT JOY, THE cooling Ganga rushing

, across my toes. A young __ local ashram child whom I

love as my own sits in my lap, nuzzling me with the back of her head. My vision is filled with the boundless, ceaseless current of Mother Ganga. The setting sun's light dances off her waters, reflecting into my eyes, making them tear with joy. Lord Siva sits midst of Ganga's waters in all His towering glory. The fiberglass statue, erected for the Kumbha Mela, appears to have been there for eternity.

Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji sings "Swagatam, sharnagatam, shubha swagatam Gange," "Hail, 0 holy, Ganga! We have come to you for refuge." My body is filled with the coolness of the ghat and the warmth of a divine child; eyes burst with the darshan of Lord Siva and Mother Gan­ga; ears are filled with the song of God­sung during the day by Pujya Sant Ram­eshbhai Oza in his Katha, and sung in the evening by Pujya Swamiji on the banks of this holiest of rivers. The mind, the senses, the memories of any other life have left, for there is no more room for them.

"But don't you ever miss America?" Peo­ple ask and I laugh. I came to India in 1996" as a tourist, on a short vacation from my clinical psychology Ph.D. program. I planned to travel, explore, relax_and then to return to the white, upper class We tern life in which I had been raised. In the West we are taught that happiness can be "acquired" and "obtained" as though it were a commodity. But having had every­thing Western life has to offer, I was still not deeply happy. Sure, I was happy on the outside, content, "satisfied." But never had l even dreamed of the joy that ran straight to the core of my being the fIrst time I stood on Ganga's banks, bathed in the sound of

Swamiji's voice. Never had I even dreamed of such blissful peace as given by life in the lap of the Himalayas.

To be in India at all is a bless­ing. To be there for KimIbha Mela is due only to God's grace, a time when India's true spirit emerges. It is a time when the essence, the bloodstream, of Indians across the world comes

alive and calls them home. They rush, they flock, they flood as though the call came from so deep inside as to be unavoidable. And for what? To listen to great saints speak divine truth. To bathe in holy waters. To offer ghee t9 rising flames. To cleanse themselves of sins. To imbibe of what their scriptures say is the nectar of immortality This is the incredible spir~t of India.

For what will Americans, the "richest" people in the world, flock in such num­bers? For what will they withstand crowds, heat, inconvenience? Perhaps a major sports event, a rock concert? Perhaps a free McDonald's french-fries giveaway? So, -when asked if I miss America, the answer is a resounding "No." But it is more than "no." It is "yes" to India, a country filled with people who will spend their last ru­pee (and days on buses) to bathe in the holy water of our Mother. It is "yes" to a country overflowing with hungry and shoeless children whose eyes and spirits yet shine with the' light of God. It is "yes" to India where everyone understands the ecstasy I am experiencing as I sit with my toes dipped in the holy waters of Mother Ganga, my eyes tearing at the sight of the sun streaming from Lord Siva's open palm, my' soul being carried to Heaven as Swami­ji leads the arati, the Worship with Lights.

PHOEBE GARFIELD, 27, a former us Ph.D. student, doing seva for Swami Chidanand (Muniji) at Parmarth Niketan in Rishikesh.

SEPTEMBER, 1998 HINDUISM TODAY 13

/

SAIVITE WORSHIP The authentic Agama tantra of

ritual worship in the home for daily sanctification and divine protection.

Mantras are given in Sanskrit, along with English transliteration, translation and

instruction on mudras, procedures and visualization. It's all here, with

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practice tape is a must. CBC ring bound, 8W' xii:' 90 pages, $15.

Saiva Atmartha Puja

MONK)S COOKBOOK Practice Tape: $10.

A tasteful arrangement of South Indian and Sri Lankan dishes perfected in homes and temples as offerings to the Lord. Indian ashrams serve the finest cruelty-free meals enjoyed anywhere, and the monks at Kauai's Hindu Monastery carryon that 6,000-year-old tradition. Believing that good food is humankind's best medicine, they are sharing their secret collection of recipes

gathered over the years. Includes a comprehensive intro-duction to ayurveda as it applies to nutrition and health, including the values of spices and herbs and their effects on the body. Sturdy wire binding, 8W'x U:' 104 pages, $1695.

THE VEDIC EXPERIENCE Back when we were gathering Vedic verses for Dancing

with Siva, we could hardly believe our eyes when we came upon this thoughtful anthology from the Vedic Samhitas,

Brahmanas, Aranyakas and Upanishads and other scriptures. This Vedic epiphany tells the story of the universal rhythms

of nature, history and humanity. The translation

and abundant commentary are the work of renaissance

thinker Raimon Panikkar, the fruit of twelve years of daily sadhana in Varanasi

between 1964 and 1976 while he lived above a Siva temple on the Ganges. He

considers it his most significant literary

contribution. We agree. Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi,

1977, smyth-sewn, case bound,

cloth cover, 5W' x 8~:' 1,000 pages, $35.

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RUDRAKSHA PRAYER BEAD NECKLACES It's very hard to find rudraksha prayer strands of this quality, and the price is unbeatable. The beads are sacred to Siva and endowed with healing properties. The beads are of uniform size, 3/8 inches in diameter, in two styles: 108 beads on flexible thread, or 54 silver capped beads. Can be worn as a necklace or around the wrist. $25.

With this handsome piece of Indian jewelry

for men or women, you can wear the most sacred Saiva mantra, "Aum Namasivaya," all day as a reminder of God's grace at work in your life. Best quality, made in India from silver, copper and brass, with the mantra in Sanskrit Devanagari script. Band is five-eighths inches wide. Excellent for gifts. $30.

SACRED AUMS CD If you've ever looked for Indian culture graphics, this is your answer! Now you can have hundreds and hundreds of Aums, sacred symbol of Hindu­ism and Source of all, in styles you've never dreamed of. Use them in publications, on the Web, as framable art, wall­paper, bumper stickers, T-shirts. It took years to

collect these from the far corners of the Earth. High-resolution images in Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. For Mac and PC. Special introductory price: $4995.

DANCING WITH SIVA

Special Hard Cover 5th Edition

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1 questions to quench the soul's -"=--~ thirst for God- and Self-knowledge.

Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami spent 50 years in deep study, medi­tation and samadhi to create this mas-terpiece. Clearly written and lavishly il­lustrated, woven with 600 verses from Vedas and other holy texts, 165 South

Indian paintings, 40 original graphics, a 40-page timeline of India and a 190-page lexicon. A spiritual gem and a great value.

"The most comprehensive and sensitive introduction to the living spiritual tradition of Hinduism .. . a feast for the heart and the mind." (Georg Feuerstein). Smyth-sewn, case bound, 5W'x 8~:' cloth, gold embossed cover, $51 • Softcover edition (pictured) is $2495.

loVING GANESA 800 Lavishly Illustrated Pages on Ganesa

by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami. Learn about Ganesa's powers, pastimes, mantras, miracles, nature,

science, forms, sacred symbols and much more! There is no book about Ganesa that's more complete. The Lord of Dharma comes to life through the pages of

this inspired masterpiece. Loving GaIJesa makes approaching Ganesa easy and inspiring. '~copy of

Loving Ganesa should be placed in every library and Hindu home (Sri Om Prakash Sharma}."

Softcover, 800 pages, 5 W' x 8 ~:' $1995.

THE PRINCIPAL UPANISHADS This excellent, classic English translation by Dr. S. Radha­krishnan is of eighteen principal Upanishads, the mystic.al and

philosophical culmination of the Vedas. It includes a superlative 145-page introduction to the Vedas by this renowned monistic theist, brief running notes on the texts and English transliteration of the original Sanskrit verses. Harper/Collins, India, 1994, perfect bound, 5W'x 8~." 958 pages. $25.

THE PENGUIN BOOK OF HINDU NAMES Baby on the way and you need to choose a name? This is the best book of Hindu names we know of­Maneka Gandhi's compilation of approximate­ly 20,000 Hindu names, with definition, source, gender and Sanskrit diacritical marks. Penguin Books, India, 1993, perfect bound, 523 pages, 5W'x 8~." $20.

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It includes secrets from ancient sastras

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hatha yoga. CBC ring bound, 8W' x

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Send order and payment to: Himalayan Academy Publications, 107 Kaholalele Road, Kapaa, Hawaii, 96746-9304 USA. Or fax order with credit card number and expiration date: 808-822-4351 • Tel: 800-890-1008, ext. 238 • books@hindu.org· Add 20% for shipping and handling. Seamail delivery outside North America. For airmail rates please inquire.

/

EDITORIAL myself on-line with Echelon and downloaded the following exchange. Destroy this page after you read it.

A Top-Secret Spy ' . System Is Watching You

8114: This is a priority 2 trans­mission from India's Minister of the Interior, MOTI. "Tell Tally-Ho, we are set for Operation God For Sale. Big Ears advises' that CIA and M-6 have no knowledge of our plans. MOTI"

8115: <Tally-No here in NY. Advise changes in plan before we launch."

Echelon, a satellite-based eavesdropper, is sifting through,all the world's phones, 'e-mail and faxes

8115: "Red Book plan is tweaked due to intelligence that Americans are now buying foods without calories and beer without alcohol. They are ready for God without form. So, Formless Absolute Reality will be included in '

BY THE EDITOR

ABOUT BIG BROTHER AND THE LOSS OF PRIVACY.

enough for a year's supply of government conspiracy plots on the X-Files. Only, it's real. Reported fIrst in il Mondo, an Italian newsmagazine, it's enraged Europeans who call it an American invasion of the world's civil liberties. The details

are simple. A top-secret network, code named Echelon, run by the US National Security Agency in cooperation with four English­speaking nations (UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.) is us­ing satellites and supercomputers to intercept, sift and eavesdrop on most of the world's telephone, e-mail and fax communications.

According to the World Press Review's report in July, all of these communications, even if encoded, can be intercepted and processed through an extremely powerful computeFized database. Key words guide human spies to the most relevant material, giving, the non-member nations cry, <1\nglo-Saxon corporate interests an economic advantage" (the system was alleged­ly; used to help America win a giant contract in Malaysia). It's nothing new, really. After the end of the cold war, the massive machinery built to spy on the Soviets was not dismantled, but recommissioned to focus on global non­military telecommunications traffIc. The sys­tem has fIve large bases that intercept all data and voice information going through the 25 international telecommunication satellites (In­telsa1;s) used by phone companies throughout the world. It handles a mind-boggling 3 billion messages and conversations a day, searching for "sensitive" words. The bad news is your personal' e-mail is probably part of the ~ daily harvest, and you should probably not ~ ...... name your new kitten "Tamil tiger." The good ... " news is not even the well-funqed US National ~ Security Agency that is charged with data ~ analysis can make sense of so ml!ch stuff As ~ noted by WPR, the system failed to capture Q;j)

even a hint of India's nuclear experiments, missed the 1974 revolu­tion in Portugal, the fall of the Shah of Iran and the Iran-Iraq war. So, do not despair, it will probably miss your little battles, too! [NOTE: New readers be advised that while the foregOing is factual, our intrepid editor now leads us on a journey beyond truth 1

Wanting to see for myself what the system could do and seeking a way for India to get even for recent sanctions, I logged on using a code developed by Kimo Therapy, a local Hawaiian chiropractor and coconut husker who can crack just about anything. I found

16 HINDUISM TODA;Y SEPTEMBER 1998

the package with classic original-recipe theistic Indian divinity. MOTI" J

8121: "Big Ears submitted advisory 0300 hours: Courts have not resolved efforts by US companies,to patent turmeric and neem. Monsanto aggressively exploring addi­tional natural chemicals to trademark, thus hamstringing Indian producers. BE confirms his team's search of us Copyright Office shows no God protections now exist. TH"

8126: "All trademarks and copyrights for God With and Without Form (GWWF) in US jurisdictions arrived Delhi today. Stand-by to receive digital resources for advertising agencies. MOTI"

g/5: "Agencies completed campaign layouts. Attorneys say we can lock up all use of the terms and are negotiating fees. TH"

g/6:"Launch Project Poetic Justice License. Have lawyers advise all churches, synagogues, mosques, yoga schools, Tv, film industry and publishers of our license to extract royalties due for each refer­ence to God, written or spoken. Update algorhythms to invoke roy­alty for all citations to Impersonal Divinity and New Age Oneness

definitions. Invoke pre-set Internet banking chan­nels for direct digital movement of funds to Delhi. AdViSe when complete. MOTI"

g/14:"Done. Funding strearr: in place, with US$125,000per hour (at 10¢ per verbal use, 4¢ written) generated by GWWF offensive. American religion leaders are counter-attaCking, but the Supreme Court today accepted India as the origi­nal and first author/inventor of the conc,ept of God, securing India's ownership of the word and its derivatives, while allowing non-royalty use of specific terms like Jehovah and Allah. The Vatican has asked US Bishops tQ limit references to God until budgets can be revised to cover Indian copy­right fee~. White House has offered to lift nuclear bomb penalties if India will return the use of God-. terms to public domain. It would seem we have succeeded in cornering the market on God here, and now that swe6r words are included fees •. exceed monetary impact of nuclear sanctions and US bio-piracy. On your command~ will move to

Europe, Africa and SE Asia. As no one mentions God in China, we' propose to skip it. FYI: After shouting "These Godless Indians and their God-forsaken plot" in the Senate, Jesse Helms was fined 20¢ and sent to his room. Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reported today that 64% of us code. writers are of Indian origin, and has uncovered proof we have l"rained them to secretly reprogram cor­porate and banking systems to India's advantage. AdVise TH"

g/15: "Be indignant. Call it all an inane media fabrication and proceed with Phase Two. I'm off to the Mela. M OTI out."

I

"Pilgrims plodded for months in h'eat to get here, worn, poor and hungry, but susta'ined by unw.avering faith."

American author Mark Twain, after witnessing the 1895 Kumbha Mela in Allahabad

© 1996 Randy Glasbergen. E-mail: glssbergen@

"There was a tuuoel and a bright wltite Ught and a souvenir sllop. I brought bacl{ T~shirts for the ludst"

Our technological know-'how is very well, but our ancients were understanding things much better. Something is there, something which I am not exactlyJmowing, some­thing which is hidden; something whioh I may bot be able to prove technically, but which I know to be there in my soul. Agra, India engineer A.K. Sharma, 48, reflecting during his pilgrimage to the 1998 kumbha mela on the delightful phenomenon of In­dia's forging into the technological age while Simultaneously maintaining ancient traditions, as witnessed by the mela's draw­ing twenty-five million-plus pilgrims. .

As my own gUru, Harry Cohen Baba, used

the world. Therefore, look upon rain as the nectar of life. Tirukural, Verse 331

It's amazing. Here is the population of all of Israel! I was amazed that even in the cold of night, they kept going in the water. 4-raeli tourist Noam Zaradez, who came from Rishon-Ie-Ziyyon outside Tel Aviv to wit­ness the kumbha mela at Haridwar

Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.

I just got lost in thought. It was .. unfamiliar territory.

to say, "If we stopped following the herd A minister in King Akbar's court hated and followed the unheard for a change, the Birbal. He couldn't understand why Akbar world, would be a more peaceful place." ' made such a fuss over a Hindu. Akbar said, Swal1li Beyondananda speaking of Pranava "It's not because he is a Hindu that I have Aum, the soundle,ss sound him here, but because he's so intelligent

It is the, unfailing fall of rain that sustains

and helps me, whenever I have a problem. I don't think there:s a single problem that he

can't solve or a single question he can't answer." "What exaggeration!" the minister thought. One day the minister said to Ak­bar, "If there is any question Birbal can't solve, will you make me prime minister?" Akbar laughingly agreed. The next day in court, the minister asked Birbal, <'Tell me how many stars there are in the sky." Birbal requested ten minutes to think of an an­swer, left the court and returned with a goat. He said, "If the minister wants to know how many stars there are in the sky, he should count the number of hairs on this goat. That will give him the exact number."

DID YOU KNOW?

Golden Buddha

'I HE 1995 EDITION OF THE

guinness Book of World Records lists the above flfteenth-century

solid-gold Buddha image at Wat Trim­itr in Bangkok, Thailand, as the world's most valuable sacred object. The image is ten feet tall and weighs an estimated fIve and a half tons. At the June, 1998,

price of US$290 per fIne ounce, its in­trinsic worth is US$51,040,000. The solid gold image was found under a plaster exterior only in 1954.

SEPTEMBER, 1998 HINDUISM TODAY 17

/

18

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19

By M .P. MOHANTY, DELHI HESE PILGRIMS HAD COME FROM·ALL

India; some of them had been 1'UU"'"U~ on the way, plodding patiently

in the heat and dust, worn, poor, but suppOJ;ted and sustained by

an unwavering faith and belief It is wonder­ful, the power of a faith like that." So stated American author Mark Twain, who wit­nessed the Kumbha Mela of 1895 in Alla­habad, India. Now, in 1998, the same scene is repeated-almost-in the holy city of Harid­war, 180 kilometers north of New Delhi. Newspaper reports state 25 million pilgrims participated in the four-month-Iong festival, with ten million'on the single day of April 14. The Kumbha Mela originates from a tradi­tional story that drops of amrita, the divine nectar of immortality, fell at four holy places, including Haridwar. To share in this blessing, devotees bathe in the sacred rivers at each site on auspicious days in a twelve-year cycle [see pages 32-35 on the Mela tradition)'

I was apprehensive as we departed Delhi on April 9, as a fight among the sadhus on March 25 which left some dead and a hun­dred injured [page 39] had only enhanced the very real danger of disastrous stampedes in the incredible crowds. "But what is there to fear?" Uday Kumar Singh of Uttar Pra­desh asked to solace me. "Life is given by

22 HINDUISM TODAY SEPTEMBER , 1998

Him. One who dies in a holy place attains salvation."

As soon as we boarded the Shatabhi Ex­press, a religious calm settled upon me. The compartment was full of saints and pilgrims, some discussing the Kumbha Mela, others chanting "Jai Ganga Ma"-"Hail Mother Ganga"-while devotional music played over the tr'ains sound system. Upon arrival, we found Haridwar neat and clean, much better than normal. The cool evening river breezes were a relief from Delhi's hot polluted air.

Every form of accommodation was crowded, hotels were charging outrageous rates, and most devotees were ensconced in vast tent cities scattered between Rishikesh and. Haridwar, or sleeping under makeshift tarp shelters. Everyone was here, from Ra­jasthan, Orissa, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Ut­tar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Nepal, and a smattering of nonresi­dent Indians and nationals from dozens of countries [see page 7 interviews)' They came mainly to take a bath in the holy river at this auspicious period for the betterment of their spiritual selves. They could see and even meet some of the tens of thousands of saints and sadhus who converged here for the event.

Reporter Nikki Lastreto of California de­scribed the scene: "Everywhere were flash-

es of orange cloth, wooden sandals, jata (matted hair) and rnalas (recitation beads) made of rudraksha or tulsi. As I strolled down the muddy lanes where the akharas, or distinct clans of sadhus, pitch their camps, I caught glimpses of a lifestyle that dates back in time. Past millennia mingled with the almost~21St century as devoted chelas gently and lovingly massaged their guru's feet while television sets glared and radios blared in the background." One sub­mission to modernity was the daily posting on the Internet of Mela events [see page 56).

With no vehicles allowed within Harid­war, pilgrims found themselves trekking ten to twenty kilometers a day. "My wife could not walk," said Singh. "She got tired and started crying. The lack of transport has caused us a lot of inconvenience. Still, with so many people, vehicles would create a problem." Singh praised the overall organi­zation. "The arrangements were so system­atic. We could easily bathe without hassle, and there were special ghats for women. Un­like the last Mela, there was no pickpocket­ing. We loved meeting people from allover India and the world." Singh was obviously not a wealthy man, and complained the high food prices had caused his group to spend RS.700 (US$!7) each for their entire pilgrim­age. Fellow HINDUISM TODAY correspondent

Rajiv Malik observed, "The pilgrims who flocked to Haridwar were of two cate­gories-very rich and very poor. The middle class Hindus are indifferent to the occasion."

A major boon for less wealthy pilgrims was the numerous langars, free feeding tents set up across the Mela area~ Ram Swarup Shastri, for example, traveled 700 kilometers from Jodhpur in Rajasthan to set up the Ram Snehi Annakshetra which fed 3,000 pilgrims a day. Radheshyam Sharam of the Guru Nanak Annakshetra Bhandara was feeding,,10,000 people a day with a staff of twelve cooks, and Shiv and Satish Kumar from the Punjab had 35 cooks serving 30,000 people daily. "We do not bother about money," Shiv said. "By doing this, we get peace and satisfaction. We have become richer, not poorer." By an intricate combina­tion of langars, restaurants, ashrams and open-air cooking by devotees, tens of mil­lions of pilgrims are adequately fed.

I would have thought local merchants were making great profits. BtU Ved Prakash

Fire and water: (clockwise'from left) Naga sadhus find fulfillment in their holy bath, while downstream a rrwther tenderly towels her sons. The evening fire offerings to the Ganga were a focal point of worship. Police in their glass tower joined in prayer with pilgrims below as the offerings unfolded.

of Shiv Ratan Kendra admitted, "There is not much difference in business. People are coming to take the bath, and with the police barricade, they are not able to stay long. So it is really business as usual." Anil Gupta of Navatatan Kendra has four shops in Harid­war well stocked with religious items, but he too said, "It is mostly the ordinary, poor peo­ple who come to the Mela. We have more business, but you cannot call it substantial."

Some of the pilgrims seek out their fami­ly panda, a local Haridwar priest. One, Kul­deep Gautam, said, "We maintain a record of devotees that is 300 years old, going back to the time of the Moghuls." These priests assist 'with and record the rituals, especially the samskaras (rites of passage) for children such as head shaving.

Initially criticized as unprepared for the huge event [see page 41], the government administration won high praise for their handling of"the Mela. More than 25,000 po­lice were deployed throughout the area, and

. a larger number of army personnel stood by in the event of an emergency. The police worked 12-hour shifts, but found time to take their own bath in the Ganga eac'h day. Said Deputy Superintendent of Police Har­bans Singh, "We keep our fingers' crossed that everything passes peacefully. In the evening when people turn up in large num­bers at Harki Pauri for arati [offering of

lamps-see photo opposite page], there are real challenges." Constable S.p. Sharma said, "We perform our duty with namrata [easy­goingness]. We know these people have come from far-off places for their religious rites, so we do not use force to maintain law and order here." The most common emer­gency was people swept into the swift wa­ters. One of the 300 river police, Prabesh Yadav, said he had rescued 20 people, most of them women.

Getting lost was another very real hazard, and a huge system of information centers dealt with the missing. The lost- thousands a day- go to the centers and make an an­nouncement in their own language which is broadcast on 18,000 loudspeakers covering an area of ten square kilometers. The one or two left at the end of the day are helped with accommodations by certain groups, and even given bus fare home.

Despite early fears, ~e fmal bathing day of April 14 passed without mishap, and we were on the train back to :pelhi the same evening. There was so much to see, people in different dresses, different colors. While taking their bath, they looked heavenward with such sin­cerity, so much faith and trust! Hundreds of thousands were assembled here, still it was so very peaceful. As I was leaving, in everything I saw- people, shops, temples, roads, bill­boards-I saw the imprint of God. ....I

... PHOTOS CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Q THOMAS L . KELLY; Q THOMAS L. KELLY; PQRS INDl AiPHAL S. GIROTA; DEV RAJ AGARWAL; DEV RAJ AGARWAL

SEPTEMBER , 1998 HINDUI S M TODAY 25

EYE-WITNESS

Holy Procession Cold daunts no sad'hu

IRST IN PROCESSION ON MAHA SIVA­

ratri, March 25, came the Naga sadhus . , of the Juna Akhara, reputed to be the

__ fiercest sadhus, naked except for a gray layer of ashes all over their bodies. The lead sadhus wielded large swords, dancing down the street like mighty demons. They were followed by scores and scores of more sedate Nagas, who filed slowly past, some two-by­two with fingers linked. They looked so cold and naked in the dismal weather blowing directly down from the freezing Himalayas.

Those in tents and those intense: (clockwise from right) Sacred ado1]lments differ, from the auspicious red kumkum paste mixed with rice to the bare Naga's white holy ash. Simple swamis sat beside gurus of large as­cetic orders in mass f eedings which hoped to sanctify the sponsor's entire wealth. A vast temporary tenp city was erected with areas for sadhus, police, administrators, press and pilgrims who chose to linger.

I was astonished by the numbers of them. They just ke.(lt corning! Some with 'shaven heads, others with dreadlocks down to the ground, some stick-thin and others quite pudgy, young and old, dark and light. These men came from every corner of India and from every sort of background.

Once at the main ghat (steps to the river's edge), the sadhus waited respectfully for their particular gurus to enter the sacred

water. As soon as they saw his or her um­brella make the dip, the masses of them would follow, all splashing about like chil­dren on holiday. Once their turn was up and it wastime for the next group, they ran back up the steps and skipped jubilantly back to their camps, dripping wet in the freezing cold, but obviously ecstatic, with their devo­tion keeping them warm. -.J

By Nikki Lastreto, San Francisco

OUI'-youth go to convent schools and get Westernized. This is digging up the roots of our own culture.

Its s'aid that whatever the king will do, people will follow. Today top peo­ple do things of low level, so every­thing is bound to be of low level.

Hindus must seek out traditional ways of thinking, culture, medicine, etc., and question modern, watered­down versions of such things.

Mahant Machendra Puriji Sri Shubh Murti Ma ,Ji Ram Puri

HERE WAS NO PROPER MAP OF THE SADHU CAMPS

available to us, so in the 420 celsius (1080 F) heat, I and ph.otc)gr:apller Dev Raj Agarwal trekked 15 to 20 kilometers a

on divine guidance and good luck to meet the prominent saints in residence. As we traveled about, we found the sadhus' camps wore a festive look, with huge

wooden gates at the entrance to welcome visitors. The grounds in­side were filled with tents used for discussions during-the day and sleeping at nigllt. Some camps were surprisingly luxurious, with electricity, water, telephones and televisions. Often my photogra­pher teanlffiate was rudely, if temporarily, stopped from taking photographs by the lathi-wielding sadhus in charge of security. There was significant tension in the air regarding the final bathing day, April 14. The administration had banned. the event, fearing a repeat of the earlier violence among the sadhus. Conse­quently senior monks of the various akharas (orders) were in­volved in high level arbitration, and were difficult to access. Many saints were not granting interviews to the press, but upon s~eing the good WOI:k done by HINDUISM TODAY, most agreed to talk. These leaders, whose orders include tens of thousands of sadhus, shared their views on a wide range of subjects.

On youth: "Today's youth at 14 years are busy watching movies and enjoying material comforts," complained Mahant Kapil Puri, one of the pillars of the Juna Akhara. "This is not the job of the youth. Their job is to brighten their dharma, future and life. If dharma is destroyed, the worl(;i itself would be no more. Our histo­ry is the history of young people. What was the age of Adi Shankara? He raised his flag [as a sannyasin monk] when he was just fourteen years old. What better example can be given to the youth than this?" His fellow sadhu of the Juna Akhara, Swami Lokeshanand Ji, added, "This mela is, in fact, meant for the youth and not for the aged. The youth must come to it and become bet­ter physically, mentally and spiritually." "The youth today do not have love or truth, nor the spirit of sacrifice," lamented Sadhvi Meera Puri, a leader of the lady sadhu's wing of Juna Akhara, sev­eral thousand strong. "Without these attributes," she said, "they still want everything, which is impossible. But if they woUld be!'iin meditating, they could solve their problems in life such as earning money and getting along with people."

30 HINDUISM TODA.Y SEPTEMBER, 1998

On corruption: Speaking out boldly on the subject was Santoshi Ma of Niranjani Akhara: "Today there is corruption because there is a race for materialism. But our country has never given impor­tance to bhoga (materialism). The earth of this nation has this spe­ciality that even when one's feet are in bad shape, even when one is not wearing proper clothes, even when one is leading a very low level of material life, still the happiness and contentment of the soul are there. Because we are giving less importance to character building, our ancient heritage and 4igh moral values today we are going downwards." Several saints, such as Mahant Vijaygiri of the Mahanirvani Akhara: sets an example by forbidding bribery and other corrupt practices by their institutions. "'?Ie are waiting for the time when corruption will end and our country will become one of the top countries of the world." Sadhvi Vid,yotma Yati, who owns a private ashram in Haridwar, was even more forceful. She said, "oui forefathers never did this wrong thing of earning black money. The parents who earn money by wrongful mean~ and spend it on their children further the reach of corruption. We have forgotten the soul and just remember the body." Summarizes Ma­hant Kapil Puri, senior member of Juna Akhara, "Today we are stepping back in spirituality and marching ahead in materialism. By doing SQ, we are walking into the mouth of 0ur own destructit;m."

Naga sadhus: Certainly the most distinctive feature of the entire Kumbha Mela is the presence of thousands of N aga [naked] sadhu~, covered only with ash. These men, about one in ten of the sadhus, go about like this the entire year, regardless of the weather. The ar­ticul~te Ram Puri of Juna Akhara offered some insight into their lives. "Naga sadhus are an esoteric society, even a secret society. They are not involved much in the world, nor concerned about their image. They see themselves having a very specific type of role. They are involved in a reality which goes beyond that seen on the surface. One cannot easily cross these two worlds, the world of Igg8 and televisions, ana. the internet, and the world of mythology. Another way of looking at it is that one of the things that the Naga sadhus do is fight. The place they live is an akhara, which means a wrestling place, primarily intellectual wrestling. Every sadhu in the akhara is constantly open to challenge and to be challenged. Re­member the akhara is a social thing. The akhara is not where you do sadhana-that place is the jungle or the mountains. The akhara

To my sisters, I say do not give im­portance to the idea that a woman is weal}. Go with self-confidence in life, then no one can discourage y'Ou.

A sadhu is a sadhu from his heart. But to reach tpis state it takes a lot of time. This situation cannot be ...

Indians should not feel inferior. The 'West has learned a lot from us. We learned only materialism from the West, which is of little significance. brought within a day. •

Santoshi Mata Ji Swami Nirbhaya Puri SadhvLMeera Puri

is concerned with the bottom-line preservation of Sanatana Dhar­ma, Hinduism. Traditionally, the Naga sadhu is a sign of auspiciol!ls­ness. This is also something that easily turns to fear, because the wrath of the Naga is something that no one wants to see. Its fright­ening, even if the wrath is directed to some other place. And yet in a sense the bottom line is the wrath of the Nagas, which, as they see it, is the ultimate resistance or defense of Sanatana Dharma."

New saints: Several spoke about the selection and training of their young monks. Swami Lokeshanand of Juna Akhara proudly announced they had giv~n initiation to 5,000 sadhus in Igg8. Ma­hant Machendra Puri of the same akhara said, "Those newly initi­ated are kept under observation for a few years. First we see their spirit of service, and then the final initiation is done/to make them sadhus." Mahant Rudra Giri of Atal Akhara reports that "thousands of sannyasins have been initiated at this Mela." The young ones, he explained, were sent to Sanskrit school, the older sannyasins given duties according to their education. In the Niranjani Akhara, Ma­hant Lalita Giri explained, they initiate "a limited number of de­serving people, not too many. In our tradition the final initiation is given oply when the mind of the person is firm about becoming a sannyasin and not a householder." Santoshi Ma of Nirar;jani Akhara told us, "I have given initiation to some sadhvis [lady sad­hus]. They were not very educated. They only wanted a direction in which they could move forward and do Gods bhajana [singiJ).g of sacred songs]. With these feelings, many old ladies also under­took sannyas. They could not do something for society, but at least they could do something for themselves." Sadhvi Meera Puri of Juna Akhara has a unique function with regard to her male coun­terparts. "A part of my duty is to identify the fake sadhus aDd de­prive them of their saffron clothes. I can understand in one minute whether the sadhu is a genui:Q.e one or a fake one." •

Abortion: Every saint who commented on the issue condemned abortion. Mahant Ganga Puri of Mahanirvani Akhara said, "Due to the ultrasound machine, hundreds of thousands of girls are being aborted. I have read that eight out of ten children are killed through abortion in India-the highest rate in the world. Abortion is like killing a sO'ul. People even come to the sadhus and. tell them that they had the child aborted because it was a girl. This is a very big sin taking place in our country, a very inhuman act." Santoshi

Ma agreed, 'Today's man is so much influenced by the Western thought and so immersed in materialism that he has no time to un­derstanc;J. his ancient scriptures. The result is doing this deplorable crime of abortion in such an easy manner. We do not approve."

Coed ashrams: This has become very much the norm in the West, where unmarried men and women live in the same facilities at nearly every ashram. This form of religious commune is now be­coming the pattern in India as well. Mahant Vijay Giri of the Ma­hanirvani Akhara said, "Men and women do not stay together in our ashrams. The women stay where there are women mandalesh­wars [abbots]. Mahant Govind Das of Bada Udasin Akhara said "Buddha said that when the bhiksunis women sadhus enter the

, I '

ashrams, his followers will undergo decay. I feel men and women sadhus must stay in different ashrams so that they can li~e in a dig­nified manner." Swami Chidanand Saraswati (Muniji) said, "The point is not to avoid the contact of women. Yes, this is one way of doing it, and it is the way chosen by many of the ancient sects. Of course, ther~ must be limits, but the real point is to purify our eyes and hearts, to see women as divine, not as sweet wine." Mahant Lalita Giri of the Niranjani Akhara said, "Whenever women and men stay together, there will be problems, so our institution does not approve of it. Married-men with their wives and family serve as managers of the women's ashrams." Sadhvi M'!.era Puri of Juna Akhara said, "For a true sadhu who does not have any feeling of being a male or a female, it really does not matter whether you stay togethe'r or not." "But," she warned, "prakriti [nature] will play its role." Her order has thousands of lady sadhus. Sadhvi Vidyotma Yati, lady head of a Haridwar ashram said, "I do not approve of men and women in the ashrams. Whenever th.,ey stay together, wrong things happen. I have seen it with my own eyes."

Kumbha Mela: Swami Lokeshanand observed on the Mela itself that, "People are transformed because they have to do a lot of sa-

.dhana [spiritual disciplines] and face a lot of hardship to come here." Santoslil· Ma offered another benefit. "Bharatiyata, the cul­ture of Indil!-, is vividly explained here," she said. "People have come from East, West, North and South. They have different lan­guages, eating habits and lifestyles. Despite so many differences in us, we are all one. It is here at the Kumbha Mela that we can have a glimpse of this unity in diversity." _

SEPTEMBER , 1998 HINDUISM TODAY 31

I

HE TENS OF MILLION..'> OF HINDUS

came to the Kumbha Mela at Haridwar this year were ~arly all of modest means. After days of travel, many spent a mere 24 hours in the holy city at the gateway to the Hi­

malayas. They chanted Jai 'Ganga Ma­"Hail Mother Ganga"-took their sacred bath in the frigid river, collected a pot of holy Ganga water and then headed home. One typical pilgrim, an illiterate woman, traveled with her family by crowded bus from West Bengal, slept in the open and ate at the free feeding tents. "We are poor, but

32 HINDUISM TODA.Y s PTEMBER , 1998

we have enough. I asked God not for money but for peace and salvation':-so easily did this humble villager capture the essence of the world's greatest act of pilgrimage, the Kumbha Mela.

For her and millions of others, the reli­gious ritual of pilgrimage-one of the fIve obligatory duties of every Hindu-began with the fIrst plans to attend, and encom­passes the entire process of getting ready, freeing oneself from worldly affairs, travel­ing to the site, taking tHe bath, meeting the sadhu-mendieants or just observing them from a distance, and the return home. At

nearly every mela, pilgrims have been killed in one misl{ap or another, so each who came duly considered the possibility, however small, that they might not return. For the true devotee, pilgrimage is among the mos profound religious practices, one in which material gain-so often the motivation for their prayers at local temples-is superceded by higher aspirations.

The Kumbha Mela takes place every four years in rotation at Haridwar, Prayag (Alla­habad), Nasik and Ujjain, according to the placement of Jupiter in the Zodiac. A mod­ern innovation, there are also popular half-

melas, ardha-kumbhas, every six years at Haridwar and Prayag. It is at Prayag, where the Yamuna River joins the Ganga, that the largest number of human beings in history gathered-IS million on February 6, 1989. Haridwar, logistically less cofivenient, man­aged ten million on April 14, 1998. Still, that's fIve times this years 'two million Mus­lim pilgrims who journeyed to Mecca for the Haj, the second largest gathering.

Every religion, as a matter of doctrine or custom, engages "in the practice of pilgrim­age to holy places. Among the world's prime destinations are Bedh Gaya, where Buddha

attained enlightenment; Jeru­salem, sacred to three reli­'gions; Lourdes in France; Amritsar; the Ise Shrine in Japan; and the various Jain sites throughout India. .

The Kumbha Mela is unique for its sheer size, and for being a meeting both of ascetics and lay people. Some of the as­cetics are naga sadhu , naked monks who practice the sever­est austerities and leave the mountains and jungles only for· the mela. Just the sight of them-and there are thou: sands-is a blessing to the lay pilgrims.

Wi'thin the several-month period of the mela are set aus­piCious bathing days, usually coinciding with festivafs of the period. Most important are the days for the shahisnan, "royal bath," in which the saints, the naga sadhus fIrst, go in procession to the river.

Asked the origin of the event, nearly every pilgrim will narrate the '¥lcient story from the Puranas of the time when the devas (gods or an­gels) and the asuras (their ri­vals) cooperated to "churn the Ocean of Milk"-an act which promised to yield countless treasures. With Mount Meru as the post and the serpent Shesha as the churning rope, they set about their task. They agreed to share the most cov\­eted result-the pot (kumbha) of nectar (amrit), by consum­ing which anyone would be­come immortal. As they churned mightily, the fIrst substances to be released were deadly fumes and gases. These Lord Siva took upon Himself to consume and neu­tralize, thus saving the world's inhabitants from certain

death. These poisons turned His throat blue and resulted in His name, Nilakantha. After many aeons of churning, the ocean yielded a series of reasures, the last of which was Dhanvantari, the great healer, who held in

-his hands the desired chalice of ambrosia. The asuras immediately demanded their

share of the prize, but the devas reneged on their agreement, knowing that if theJrivals were to drink the nectar they would be eter­nally lIDbeatable, and too great a power to keep in check. The asuras, sensing their po­sition, snatched the kumbha and fled. With the asuras momentarily distracted by Lord

, Vishnu, the devas retrieved the pot and fled. In their haste they let one drop of nectar fall at Haridwar, Prayag, Ujjain and Nasik.

"SiIl-ce the beginning," explains Sri Ma­hant Rudra Giri Ji, of the Atal Akhara, "the KJ.npbha Mela was attended by 350 million devas and 88,000 rishis. It was started to promote and propagate our ancient heritage. Even now these devas and rishis partici­pate." A few of the angelic beings, devas, are able to return with each pilgrim to their home, carried" in a mystical sense, in the pot of Ganga water that each pilgrim collects and places on his home altar. Thus the bless­ing of the pilgrimage is extended months, " even years, beyond the actual event.

Esoterically, it is. taught that the kumbha represents higher consciousness, the sahas­rara chakra. The amrit that it holds symbol­-izes mankind's attainment of that higher re­ality-the true source of immortality.

According to researcher Subhas Rai, the cosmic alignments associated with the festi­val are chosen so as to increase the effIcacy of the pilgrims' bathing. He believes the combined power of river Ganga and the aus­picious planetary positions generates unique purifying power.

Pilgrimage to sacred rivers is an ancient practice, believed by historian S.B. Roy to exist in India as far back as 10,000 BCE.

Megasthanes, the 4th century BeE Greek visitor to India, described what could have been a Kumbha Mela, but the likeliest fIrst reference is by the Chinese pilgrim Hiuen­Tsang, who resided in India from 629 to 645 CEo He wrote that King Harshavardhan at­tended, on every fIfth year of his reign, a month-long, "ageless festival" at Prayag that attracted up to half a million people from all walks of life.

When references to the Kumbha Mela ap­pear clearly in the 14th century, the mela has all of its modern characteristics-the places, the bathing, the hoards of pilgrims and le­gions of mendicants. Many believe its orga­nization to be the work of Adi Shankara, the great 8th-century Indian saint, though noth­ing-in his writings supports the assertion. By . the 14th century the pre§.ence oflarge num­bers of militant sadhu orders was also ~ clear feature, especially after the wholesale slaughter of Mela pilgrims in 1398 by Muslim general Tirmur, shortly after he leveled Del­hi because the reigning sultan was "too toler­ant" of Hindus. Similar,martial monastic or­ders have developed in other religions, such as the 12th-century ~hristian Knights Tem­plar and Hospitalers in Europe-also to pro­tect pilgrims against Muslim oppression-the Shao Lin monks of Kung FU martial arts fame in China, the Buddhist monastic police of Tibet and the Zen master archers and swordsmen of Japan. Sadly, through the cen­turies mendicant militancy has led to fre­quent murderous Kumbha Mela battles over

SEPTEMBER, 1998 HINDUISM TODAY 33

/

who gets to bathe closest to the supremely auspicious moment-the very issue which caused this year's fight.

Many orders of sadhus gather at the Mela. A large portion are members of a dozen or more orders called akhqras, the most promi­nent being the Juna and Niranjani- the two who tangled this year. Q!:hers include the Agan, Alakhiya, Abhana, Anand, Mahanir­vani and Atal. Most orders are Saivite, three are Vaishnavite and a few are Sikh orders patterned after the Hindu monastic system. Akhara is Hindi for a "wrestling arena," and can mean either a place of verbal debate, or one of real fighting. Each akhara may con­tain monks of several different Dasanarni or­ders-the ten designations- Saraswati, Puri, Bana, Tirtha, Giri, Parvati, 'Bharati, Aranya, Ashffima, and Sagara-regularized by Adi Shankara in the 8th century. Thus, the akharas overlap with the Dasanami system. There are also sannyasi orders, such as the Nathas, that exist outside the Dasanarni sys­tem. The akharas' dates of founding range from the sixth to the fourteenth .century. The development of the akharas and the Khmbha Mela took place over the same time span and are likely related. Akharas may in­clude thousands, even tens of thousands, of sadhus. SeverciI akharas run hundreds of ashrams, schools and service institutions.

The Kumbha Mela is a time to elect new akhara leadership, discuss and solve prob­lems, consult with the other akharas, meet with devotees and initiate new monastics. During Muslim and British times, the mela gathering of pilgrims and sadhus was a sig­nificant force in the preservation of Hin­duism and the continued identity of India as a Hindu nation. "Khumba weaves our nation into one," said Mahant Ganga Puri of the Mahanirvani Akharll.~

One little-known purpose of the Mela is to review smriti, the codes (shastras) of law and conduct which govern Hindu society. Unlike the Vedas and other revealed scrip­tures, these codes are meant to be adjusted according to changes in time and circum­stance. Ramesh Bhai Oza explained, "The saints from all over India should get togeth­er at the Mela to discuss not only religious and spiritual matters, but also the problems faced by the contemporary ~ociety. Their sdlutions offer a new system and a new sm­riti." Ramesh is a world reno...Wned per­former of kathak (preaching through song and sermon on the life of Lord Rama and other Hindu heros).

Many are the motivations and benefits for Hindus to attend the Kumbha· Mela, the most popular pilgrimage of the day. It is a time to gain a new look on life, to purify oneself and to 'regain the sense of Godly as­piration as the central purpose for this earthly incarnation. ..,.,

With Jono Lineen, British Columbia

34 HI~DUISM TODA,Y S 1\..PTEMBER, 1998

TIMELINE

10,000 bee: Historian S.B. Roy postulates presence of ritual bathing. ' 600 bee: River melas are mentioned in Bud­dhist writings. 400 bpe: Greek ambassador to Indian King Chandra Gupta reports on a mela. ea 306 ee: Roy believes present form of melas crxstallizes. Various Puranas, written texts based on oral traditions of unknown antiquity, recount the dro1?ping of the nec­tar of immortality at fOUL sites after the "churning of the ocean." 547: Earliest founding date of an akhara, the Abhana. 60b: Chinese pilgrim Hiuen-Tsang attends mela at Prayag (modern Allahabad) orga­nizea by King Harsha on a five-year cycle. ea 800: Adi SharIkara believed to have reor­ganized and promoted kumbha melas. 904: Founding of Niranjani Akhara 1146: Founding of Juna Akhara 1300: Kanphata Yogi militant ascetics em­ployed in army of King of Kanaj, Rajasthan 1398: Tirmur lays waste to Delhi to punish Sultan's tolerance toward Hindus, proceeds to Haridwar mela and massacres thousands. Hindu ascetics arm themselves. 1565: Madhusudana Sarasvati organizes fighting units of Dasanarni orders. 1684: French traveller Tavernier estimates 1.2 million Hindu ascetics in India. 1760: Saivites battle with Vaishnava sects at Haridw~; 1,800 are killed. . ea 1780: British establish the order'for royal bathing by the monastic groups (the same order is followed today). 1820: Stampede leaves 430 dead at Harid­warmela. 1906: British calvary intercede in mela battIe between sadhus. 1954: Four million people, one percent of India's population, at­tend mela at Allahabad, hun­dreds perish'in a stampede. 1986: Most recent Haridwar mela. 1989: Guinness Book of World Records proclaims 15-million­strong mela crowd at Allahabad on February 6 "the largest-ever gathering of human beings for a single purpose." 1992: Most recent mela at Ujjain and Nasik 1995: "Half-mela" (at six-year in­terval) at Allahabadhas 20 mil­lion pilgrims by official estimates on January 30 bathing day. 1998: Haridwar Mela attracts 25 million pilgrims in four months, ten million on April 14. 2001: Next mela at Allahabad 2003: Nexf mela at Nasik 2004: Next mela at Ujjain 2010: Next mela at Haridwar

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Injured: Sadhus tend to an injured elderly holy man at a Haridwar hospital after the, clash ~

CONTROVERSY

Deadly Melee of Sadhus Mars Mela

Ancient rivalry erupts violently at bathing ghat

1 HE OFFICIAL REPORT IS THAT A HUN­

- ) dred holy men were injured but none killed in the clash between two monas­t ic orders on March 28 in Haridwar at

the Kumbha Mela. Yet SadhvfMeera Puri of Juna Akahara told HINDUISM TODAY corre­spondent Rajiv Malik, "There was a clash, and many dead bodies were seen in the af­termath of it. I heard the sound of bullet shots even from here, where I sit now." This wasn't tb.e fIrst such clash of militant ascetics in the history of the Mela, nor nearly the deadliest [see Timeline page 341. The issue has always been the.same, the order in which each of the 13 akharas take their sacred bath on the auspicious day As elsewhere, it's a mat­ter of rank and of ego as to who goes fust.

"The incident happened," Swami Nirbha­ya Puri of Niranjani Akhara, told HINDUISM TODAY, "because the people coming from our backside in the procession, that is, the Juna Akhara, were not stoppe"d from coming forward. Fifty feet was supposed-to be kept between us by the police.' This started the problem. Then, instead of taking their own route back from the ghats, Juna Akhara fol­lowed us and tr~d to stop our procession. There was a fIght between a few of our sad­hus and theirs, both were hurL Then they set fIre to our gate, and we pelted them with

stones. The police came, and it turned into a fIght between the police and the Juna Akhara sadhus. It was total anarchy On that day people literally fled from Haridwar. A wrong message went out to the common man." As a result, the Mela administration banned the next procession of sadhus, scheduled for April 14. At the last minute, the ban was lifted, but the Juna Akhara and its allies boycotted the procession.

There was widespread criticism of the fIght. "IYPical was the lament of Mahant Govind Das of the Bada U dasin Akahara, "Soci~ty has given us a lot of love and affec­tion, but what we have given them by this incident we must think. We have spoiled the grace and serenity of sainthood." .J

Militant sadhu orders have existed for a thousand years. Fights among them could be likened t o jealous clashes between rival branches of a country's military forces. But

. there is rio longer a need, as there was even a hundred years ago, for ascetics to be armed for their own and others' protection against hostile elements and forei~ in­vaders. The government now provides that security, and these fIghts are the last ves­tige of a tradition past its time. Defense of dharma today requires mental, not physical, armament. ..."

Abbot Attacked ...

During Mela Assailants unknown

c ,N THE SAME DAY AS THE CLASH BE­',tween two sadhu orders, Swami Mad­

. 1 hvashram was brutally attacked in his ·tIJ"Haridwar ashram. After he was '

knocked to the floor, to save his life a quick­thinking lady devotee covered him with a sheet and wailed, "He's dead!" The attackers then ransacked the ashram, burned six cars ·and fled. Madhvashram is one of three claimants to the position of Shankaracharya of Jyotir Mutt in Badrinath, one of four car­dinal monasteries that Adi Shankara estab­lished in the 8th century. Naga sadhus were blamed, but Swami has a1lother theory. "Those who attacked me were hired hooli­gans who were given the garb of Nagas," he told HINDUISM TODAY in an exclusive inter-

Recovering: Shankaracharya ofJyotirmath

view in New Delhi. "I g.elieve this mob of 125 people was hired to kill me by Swami Swaroopanand and Swami Vasudevanand [rival claimants to the post-both deny the charge]. My disciples heard a lady in Harid­war scold her husband, 'You posed as a naked sadhu, took so Illuch risk and got just 300 rupees.'"

The ShankarachaIJ'as of the other three mutts were asked to comment, but only Swa­mi Nischalanand of Puri in Orissa, respond­ed. He told HINDUISM TODAY, "This act should be condemned by everybody and the guilty punished. The feud over the mutt has been going on for many years. All con­cerned should meet and reach an amicable settlement acceptable to all." ..."

SEPTEMBER , 1998 H INDUISM TODAY 39

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, PREPARATION

Coping with Crowds Dram~tic overhau~ reinvents the city

By PRABHA PRABHAKAR BHARDWAJ, DELHI

ENIOR INDIAN ADMINISTRATION SER­~ vice official J.P. Sharma smiled con­

tentedly as he detailed to HINDUISM , TODAY the massive preparations under­

taken prior to the ' Kumbha Mela. As Mela Chief Officer, you could tell he was in con­trol, especially with uS$25 million from the Uttar Pradesh state government and 25,000

not daunte& "Sectoring and one-way traffic is .a first in Mela history"-designed to avoid accidents and stampedes like those of past gatherings (the 1986 Mela claimed 47 lives). Every thoroughfare, including 32 bridges (ten of them newly constructed) was one di­rection only. No one was allowed to return in the same way they had come. No shops could e~tend their stands onto streets, and 220 bui1Clings were demolished to increase

circulation area. Bathing areas were extended

to ten kilometers, with private ashrams allowed for the first time to construct ghats "on con­dition they're public," said InfOF­

mation Officer Dinesh Sharma. Twenty-nine new parking lots handled vehicles, none of which were allowed inside the city. In past years, special accommoda­tions were made for VIPs, which caused disasters, But this time, "Everyone who wants to take a dip will be treated as an ordi-

Before, after: The 'river is diverted yearly for repairs . nary citizen," warned Sharma.

How can a small city (popula­tion 400,000) cope with sanita­tion for ten million pilgrims? Build 15,000 new latrines, what else? The state Chief Minister declared it a "fly-free zone," with health departments thor­oughly cleaning the city, 'includ­ing purifying 92 streams.. To maiptain the Ganga's cleanliness as much as possible, eateries were k~pt far from the river, vegetarianism was strictly en­forced and no soaps or oils were permitted during bathing.

« policemen under his command. "We've con-sidered all angles, with 23 governIl!ent de­partments joining to make this Mela com­fortable, safe and memorable for all," said Sharma, He accomplished it, and here's how.

The Mela area covered 130 square kilo­meters, divided into 31 sectors. Each sector had ~ magistrate, one senior police officer, medical doctor, representatives of electricity and water departIhents and basic pilgrim fa­cilities. Haridwar is small and congested, relative_to other Mela sites, but Sharma was

To avoid violence, Indian Po-" lice chief B.K. Singh had barri­ers "raised at entry points, every­

one was systematically searcheq and passed through metal detectors, and sniff~r dogs plus anti-mine equipment were on hand."

Then there were animals to deal with. They're at every turn-cows are so used to being fed and worshiped, they express strong displeasure if ignored. During the Mela, all animals were relocated outside city limits, with a special "Cow Ghat" where bovines were fed and worshiped as part of required Mela pilgrimage rituals. With men and beasts reined in, the city was ready. wi

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HINDUISM TODAY

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KAPAA. HI 96746- 9304 USA

AFFIR MING SAN ATANA DHARMA

HEALING

Cool, v,vfndy, Dry-':' How to Acclimate We can harmonize with the fall season by adjusting our diet and hatha yoga exercises

BY DEVANANDA TANDl\VAN, M . D .

HE MONTHS OF OCTOBER,

November and December constitute in the northern hemisphere the fall, autumn

or early winter season of the year. This is the time when there is withdrawal of water from na­ture, the winds increase and the temperature falls due to decrease in sunshine. There is an increase in the vata dosha (th~ air humor, governing such functions as breathing and movement of the muscles and tissues) at this time of year and a tendency for more vata disease to become evident, especially in those who have a vata constitution. It is a good time to review our diet and way of life and make changes according to the needs that arise by the withdrawal of heat and moisture.

The pitta and the kapha types may find some relief with the ,dawning of this sea­son; but they too shbuld review and revise wherever necessary. At this time w~ need more moist and warm foods. There can be an inprease in the sweet, sour and salty tastes with arelative decrease in pungent, bitter and astringent. We can eat avocado, berries and figs. We may also add brown rice and other grains to give us the earth connection we need; but we will still spar­ingly use barley, corn and millet. Yogurt relieves excess vata, as do sesame and corn oils. Shun cruciferous vegetables (mustard greens, cabbage, cress, etc.) as they ,. increase vata, as does celery anq okra. Cucumber, radishes, sweet potatoes, car­damom, ginger, clove, mustard seed, salt and sesame tend to relieve vata.

The seat of vata within the' body is the lower pelvis. The daily hatha yoga asanas sfi'buld be changed to include more posi­tions that apply pressure to the pelvic area, such as backWard bends, plough, cobra, knee to chest and the headstand. All of these will aid in keeping the vata in its

natural location, as will a light circul~ massage of the lower abdomen with castor oil.

The ailments that are most common at this time of the year are dryness and cracking of the skin and corners of the mouth, aches and pains in the joints and accumulation of gas in the bowel. There may also be some minor temporary diffi-

culty in remembering. If the vata becomes unbalanced, there may be instability and lack 'Of tolerance. If these should pop up, dietary.changes are indicated.

As the seasons change, our bodies are more susceptible to colds arid flu. Thus it behooves us to be specifically cognizant of the i"ncoming changes and make enlight­ened adjustments to our life style, especial­ly diet. Our main dietary regimen would still be that of our constitutional dosha; but we would make minor adjustments such as eating more of the seasonal vegetables of our particular area. Use very sparingly vegetables tl].at are not native to yoti} area-especially fruits that are grown far away, picked while still green and shipped long distances.

'" At this time of year, going from pitta season to vata, we would eat fewer cold salads, cold drinks, substitute room temper­ature red wines for the chilled white wines and avoid dry and uncooked foods and raw fruits. We may eat half our c;l.iet from our constitutional dosha list and half.,from the seasonal dosha list. Use more of the spices consistent with the 'seasonal dosha. Do not be alarmed at this time by an increase in appetite, but do not overeat.

DR. TANDAVAN, 78, retired nuclear physi­cian and hospital staff preSident, lives in. Chicago, where he specializes in alternative healing arts. Visit his hOme page at the HINDUISM TODAY website.

44 HINDUISM TOD./\,Y SE TEMBER, 1998

EVOLUTIONS PASSED ON: Blr Narayan Chaudhury of eastern Nepal, on April 20, reputedly the oldest man in the world at 141. He didn't make the Guinness Book of Records though, for he had no birth certificate­nor did anyone else born in 1856. In 1996, Choud­hury told the Kathmandu Post: Chaudhary, 141

"Oh, God! It's too long a life. I am tired."

SENTENCED: Somla Tamang of Nepal to prison for 12 years for killing a neigh­

bors cow two years ago, after an appeals court up­held the verdict. The cow is Nepal's national animal, and the penalty for killing a cow is the same as for murdering a

A protected cow person.

COMMISSIONED: Classical Indian dancer Nillmma Devi, by the US Smithsonian Discovery Theater, to present Hindu, Buddhist and Muslim stories for chil­dren on May 8 in Maryland. The event marked the 50th anniversary of India and Pakistan's founding. She mixed Kuchipudi dance, music, narrative, mime and hand-crafted puppets to tell three stories that share a focus on dis­covering truth. In the Hindu tale, baby Ganesha learns from his mother how to live peacefully with animals.

POORER: Financially, anyway-miner Subash Limaye of Nagpur, India after donating the world's largest double star ruby (1,275 carats, about nine ounces) to "its rightful owner," Lord Venka­teshwara at the Tirupati temple. Limaye said he wasted two years trying to auction the "Jewel Rudrak­sha," because po­tential sponsors wanted him to hand it over merely on the as-

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surance they Ruby in the rough would pay him a promised amount after its auction.

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One Pilgrim's Story Nothing stopped this Canadian crew

S IT POSSIBLE TO FILM THE KUMBHA Mel~ in all its complex, wild and unruly grandeur? Vancouver ' director Alan Morinis was optimistic before flying to

DelHi in early ApriL ''Armed with a solid budget plan and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's committment to air the film on TV, Qoors opened for the $150,000 fund­ing," he told HINDUISM TODAY. Airing later this fall, the film tracks a devout Hindus pil­grimage from Vancouver to the Mela. Upon his return to ,Canada, Alan said, "Our insur­ance company had refused to cover us be­cause it was Indja, meaning they anticipated many problems! A 1989 Mela team lost their

, cameraman for two days in crowds. In fact, we encountered almost none. Nobody got sick, no equipment was lost, stolen or bro­ken, and good, clean food was available. To me, that was the gift of India to our project."

The team didn't quite know what to ex­pect, but found it all well organJzed-tent camps, barricades, policemen at every cor­ner and clear rules. It was difficult, as they sometimes had to walk five kilometers lug­ging cameras, tripods, extra tapes, acces­sories and lots of water. "The only unhelpful restriction was that filming at the bathing ghat was restricted to one tower, leaving us with a narr ow angle," says Alan. Otherwise, all was magical. Led by a Hindi-speaking guide HINDUiSM TODAY found to help the team, they stumbled into natural sets

serendipitously, like when shooting a simple evening scene of flame-lit temples. "We sud­denly spott~d colorfully-costumed, flashy­eyed people and peacocks performing the dance of Radha and Krishna," recalls Alan­a perfectly unexpected, spice in the script.

All were receptive to being filmed, con­trary to warnings about ~aga sadhus. Prior to the main procession, a policeman said, "You aren't our family. We aren't your rela­tives. We can't protect you if the Nagas de­cide they don't want to be filmed. If that happens, run for your life!" The cameraman, Len, blanched. But after he showed them proper respect, the Nagas responded enthu­siastically. In another humorous inst~ce, t4e crew caught a red-turbaned policeman dancing enthusiastically to the tune of drummers-a break from his usual stern de­meanor while keeping crowds under control.

But the Ilighlight-voted so by the hole team-was evening arati. Alan described the scene. "The Ganga arati song played on loudspeakers, ten million people sang along: the light got darker and evening colors deep­ened. Priests waved eight-foot flames over the river. Voices of the people, the song and the. river all twined together. All the people haC!. a common, powerful primal devotion. This ceremony is the climax of oill film."

For updates on documentary airtimes, vis­it the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's website at: www:tv.cbc.calmanalivel _

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'" WESTERN MEDIA tended to be less interested in the Kumbha' Mela than other religious cel­ebrations at the same time," despite

the Mela's size. According to an analysis by internet whiz Peshala Dikel, a totlll of 70 stories on the Mela could be found on ma­jor news websites between January and May, 1998, whereas 435 could be found on the Haj, the yearly Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, and countless numbers on Easter and Passover. Mela reports tended to be brief, and focused on the exotic side-the San Jose' Mercury, one of the largest circu­lation. newspapers in America, even put their May 19 report under a section called "News of the Weird," ap.d noted 300 million gallons of sewage enter the Ganga daily; an­other report referred to "snake charmers." By contrast, the Mercury (as did other ma­jor papers) carried several long articles on the Raj, including excellent pilgrim profiles,

-but incorrectly lab~led the pilgrimage "the world's most -attended religious event"-a distinction which belongs to the Mela.

A NINE-YEAR-OLD BANYAN and four-year-old neem tree were recently "wedded" amidst Vedic chanting at a temple in Kerala, India. It was necessary, oecaus~ according to tra-

dition, a banyan grows best when wedded to a neem tree. A huge . banyan tree (over 1,200 years old) was uprooted at the same spot in 1989. That old

The solemp. banyan tree tree-considered a Brahmin- was

cremated with traditional rites, and this new sapling planted in its /place.

WHAT'S A TEEN TO DO AFTER SCHOOLWORK is fInished? Get religious-that's what 800 en­thused youth did big time in Sydney, Aus­tralia, in April, holding dynamic karma and reincarnation conferences and workshops inspired by a Malaysian, Dato J. Jagadee­san. Forming a Community 6f Hindu TRAC (Tradition, Religion, Aspiration, Cul­ture),-the youths' aim is to '''re-affrrm tradi­tional values that form the cornerstone of the Hindu faith." Weekly TRAC meetings include insightful talks on Hinduism plus classes in rangol( and garland making, tra­ditional cooking and more.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: MELA AUTHORlTY; THE WEEK. THE ~EK> HINDUISM TODAY

ON JUNE 3 THE US CONGRESS UNANIMOUSLY passed a "tithing bill" that insures secular charities and religious institutions can re­tain donations given by people who later file for bankruptcy. The bill was in response to a case in which a bankruptcy trustee de­manded and got the return of $13.45.0 giv­en to a church by a couple in the year prior to their bankruptcy fIling.

MUSLIMS IN HYDERABAD, INDIA, incensed by Islam-bashing pamphlets, attacked Hindus ill June for several days, the riots leaving nine dead and forty injured. The pam­phlets included drawings of Islamic sym­bols under the foot of Lord Ganesha, with text claiming Ganesha the "God of all." The source for the pamphlets was unclear. '"

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN is'wide­spread in Nepal and while 95 percent of the country is aware of it, nothing is being done, says Dr. Arzu Rana-Deuba, wife of former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deu- _ ba. And its still common else­where. liIut so are efforts, now, to pro­vide outlets for battered wives. What To Do When Love Turns Violent (Harper Perennial) is a great resource, written by a lady who spent three. years preparing to escape with her children from a violent husband. The U.N. says 20 to 50 percent of married women worldwide are domestically abused.

THOUSANDS OF BUDDHISTS greeted Buddha's tooth when it arrived in Taiwan from India in April. "We pray for Buddha's blessings," said Taiwanese Premier Vmcent Siew. The tooth, one of three reportedly found after Buddha was cremated 2.400 years ago, is said to bless and protect those who 'live where it is housed. Taiwan needs blessings, being recently hit with violent crime, cor­ruption scafldals and aviation disasters. China disputes the tooth's authenticity,

. clainling only two have been found-one in Beijing, the other in Sri Lanka.

SHADOW PUPPET MASTERS WORLDWIDE :held a rare conference in Larissa, Greece, to ex­plore ROW to resuscitate their flaggn;g craft. It was found that India has preserved one of the purest forms of shadow theater, and de-

spite years of waning popularity, it's making a cqmeback there. Nagabhushana Sarma, an English professor, spent two decades en­couraging family troupes to continue per­forming their elaborate all-night shows in Hindu temples during festivals. "When there are no rains, villagers ask puppeteers to come and p~rform religious stories," he said. And the rains come!

INDIA'S HINDU MAJORITY IS UNCERTAIN, ac­cording to a research fIrm in Baroda. A 1991 census (cover.ing 19~h-1991) shows \ the Muslim population increased 32 per­cent and Hindus 23 percent. A reason com­monly cited for this difference is lack of ed­ucation among Muslims, because less educated people have higher birth rates. But this may not be true, because in the Muslim-dominated state of Kerala-with its 100 percent literacy rate-Mtlslims in­creased by 25 percent and Hindus just 13 percent. If the present rate of increase con­tipues, in 2161 the Muslim population in India will reach 5.3 billion and surpass that of Hindus, who' will be 4.9 billion.

EIGHT YEARS AGO LOCALS thought Budhdeo Yadav, 70, was mad. How else could they explain his plan to carve 528 steps up to the hilltop Sidhnath temple in Bihar, In­dia? But "Yadav is well respected now," says Kedar Bharati, the temple priest. Before he built the steps, devotees had to scramble through dense brush. Though the gov­ernment con­structed a flight of .steps on the other side of the hill in 1995, most devotees prefer Yadav's stairs .

.r ".

TREMORS FROM THE AYODHYA Babri Masjid demolition six years ago (riots left 1,200 dead) are strong in India's parliament, in­tensifIed by lobbying for construction of a new Rama temple. Me1}Ilwhile, Rajasthan artisans, unaware of the debate and Supreme Court order to maintain status quo on the disputed site, are quietly shaping pink sandstone pillars-each 16 feet high­as per directions from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. Thirty pillars have already been shipped to Ayodhya. The proposed temple will be 268 feet long, 140 fe~t wide and 128 feet high, and cost uS$l2.5 million.

SEPTEMBER, 1998 HINDUISM TODAY 49

CONTRIBUTORS

Meet Our 'Mela Press Corps .

Hinduism Today's Intrepid Team

tHE CREATION OF THIS SPECIAL ISSUE REQUIRED A RARE AND

.. eclectic collaboration of journalistic and graphic specialists, th~ likes of which we have never attempted before. Eac~ in his

_ ,own way admirably displayed unique competence, devotion and determination. Spearheading the effort were our Delhi cor,re-spondents, M.P. Mohanty and RajiY Malik, here photographed wait­ing, exhausted, for the train back home [above, Rajiv at right]. Pro­viding accommodations and other assistance to the team was Swami Chidanand Saraswati (Muniji) of Par math Niketan [top

50 HINDUISM TODA.Y SEPTEMBER , 1998

right, with Ramesh Bhai Oza holding evening arati lamp]. Com­pleting our editorial staff were Prabha Prabhakar Bhardwaj, who went in December to survey the preparations [bottom right, with her husband, Col. Bhardwaj] and Nikki Lastreto of California, there in March [bottom center, dancing with devotees in the streets of Hardwar]. A dream team of professional photographers included Thomas Kelly there in late March [above, Thomas-at left-with friend Pagalinanda Baba], Dey Raj Agarwal and his brother Rajeey Gupta of Dellra Dun [below left, barely surviving the 42°C Hard­war heat], whose photos encompassed the entire four months of the Mela, and Amit Kumar, who accompanied Mohanty and Malik in April. Last but not least was Vikram Pat~1 of Pixeltone in New York, who painstakingly scanned all major photos. We believe this isslle built with their hard worls is a unique historical record. To our team, HINDUISM TODAY and all our readers say, "Thank you."

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MISSION STATEMENT

Hindu Heritage Endowment is a publicly ~upported, charitable organization 'r~cognized as tax . , exempt by the IRS o~ April 22, 1994. Its ~mployer ID ~umber is 99-0308924. FOl,!ndeq by Satguru

~

Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, its philanthropic'mission is to provide secure, professionally man-'" I •

aged financial support for institutions and:religious leaders of an lineages of Sanatana Dharma.

SEJ,JTE~~ER ' DONOR PROFILE

When the Shiva Vishnu Temple of Livermore, California, decided upon major renovations they turned to p~ominent San Francisco Bay Area contractor, Deva Rajan. His honesty, the quality of his firm's work and his love of and dedication to JIinduism are known through­out the Bay Area. It is little surprise that this"successful businessman is also a consistent donor to Hindu Heritage Endowment. Over the years Deva has helped start·several impQrt~nt endowment funds, and he was happy to step fo;ward as the first donor to the pooled income fund. With such dedicated individuals, the sacred truths of Hinduism will be kept str~mg for many generations to come.

FUND OF THE MONTH

Some people wan\ -to form an endowment to support a' favorite temple or ashram, but they also need income for their own retirement. They may not want to b~Gome involved in the process of investing the funds, or they may want to rest assured that their spouse has a stable income even if they die. A pooled incomejund can provide an ideal sol1}tion. The individpal's donatio.!' is held in trust by the First Ha,waiian Bank, contributions are invested/ and the donor (and~ or someone designated to succeed them) receives the income fo~ the duration of their life. It ~s like a personal endowment! Upon their passing the principal goes into one of the HHE endow­ments; proVIding a permanent income for their favorite temple or ashram. At;..right is the staff of the First Hawaiian Bank trust and invest­ment department who are partnerirtg with HHE to manage and invest .the funds. Standing

I. to r.: Frank G. Jahrling, Vice President, Anthony Goo,

Vice President, Bradford Harrison, Vice President. Seated:

Robert A. Aim, Senior Vice President'a~d Manager, Financial Management Group, Gail Maruyama, Administrativ.e Ass't.

" A PROFESSIONAL'S PERSPECTIVE: The Hindu Heritage Endowment Pooled Income Fund has been established to allow individuals to give generously and yet maintain their own income levels.

The Pooled Income Fund combines the gifts of m.any< donors into one trust, which is inve;ted and pays back to the donor (or one or two persons cl\os~n by him pr her) a percentage of the interest or dividends earned. It is common­ly used for donations of highly appreciated securities, producing a greater . flow of income without the burden' of taxes on long-term capital gains. At the beneficiary'S passirlg the gift is then given tp one @f the Hindu Heritage Endowment Funds, as designated by the donor. Nathan Palani, CPA for Hindu Heritage Endou;ment. For information, call1-SOS-S21-0294. ,

As a public 'service, HHE occasionally will offer the opinions of var\ous finanGial planners. However, it endorses neither these advisor~ nor their counsel, and recommends that all individuals seek P,fofesslOnal adVice from several sources before making unportant long-term declSlons.

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RECENT DONORS '

Hindu Businessmen's Association Trust Starr Barrie-Hull $171.00 Total $30.00

Vel Alahan $120.00 Dustin Baumann $534.00 Malaysian Hindu Youth Educational Trust Nathan Palani $60.00 Saiva Siddhanta Church $4,209.21

leyasreedharan $40.00 Satya Palani $51.00 Kailash Sivam Dhaksinamurthi $191.67

Total $40.00 Janaka Param $39.00 Hitesvara Giles $188.90

Deva Rajan $1,072.00 Chitravelloo Gunasegaran $64.72 Mathavasi Medical Fund

Total $1,342.00 Mohana Sundari Gunasegaran $60.08 Gowri Nadason $30.00 Kriya Haran $170.00 Matthew Wieczork $12.00 Hjpdu Orphanage Endowment Edwin Hawk $1,456.19 Total $42.00

Gunasekaran Kandasamy $50.81 Gunasekaran Kandasamy $165 .06 Mathavasi Travel Fund Vernon Shabunia $10.00 Toshadeva Lynam Guhan $198.80

V Srikanth $100.00 Erasenthiran Poonjolai $75.00 Ganesha Mathialagan $146.87

Peshala Varadan $10.00 Total $75.00 Nalakini Niranjana $169.09

Savitri Veerasamy $10.40 Umah Rani Palanisamy $87.08 Saiva Agamas Trust

Matthew Wieczork $36.00 Logadassen Raday $160.15 Matthew Wieczork $12.00

Troy Zukowski $5.00 Aran Sambandar $360.00 Total $12.00 Small Gifts to Fund $19.25

Ramsamy Pillay Samoo $70.72 Saivite Hindu Scriptural Fund for the Total $241.46 Padmini Samuthiran $326.42 VISually Impaired Hinduism Today Endowment 'frost Vernon Shabunia $242.34 Anonymous $15.00 Nils Victor Montan $15.00 Loganatha Shivam $600.00 Shiva Sookhai $20.00 V R & Indira Sanda $51.00 Palaka Shivam $600.00 Total $35.00 Robert Sorrells $180.00 Rodney & Ilene Standen $10.00

Del Underwood $25.00 Peshala Varadan $428.40 Sri Subramuniya Kottam Fund

Alphonse Van Well $50.00 Vayudeva Varadan $1,338.70 Andrew Schoenbaum $10.00

Total $321.00 Total $12,550.40 Total $10.00

Hinduism Today Distribution Fund Kauai Aadheenam Annual Archana Fund Sundari Peruman Memorial Fund

Appamal Athimulam $18.63 Ravindra Doorgiat $34.98 Markandeya Peruman $50.00

latinder Bhan $46.00 Hitesvara Giles $225.00 Total $50.00

Padmavadee Chellen $24.96 Ganesha Mathialagan $225.00 The Thank You Gurudeva Fund Satyavati/Geogia Ann D' Antoni $138.00 Kanthasamy Pillaiyar $110.00 Swami Sahajananda $197.Q2 Kamala Mootoosamy $24.69 Pakion Vedee Raday $49.92 Anonymous $10.00 Krish & Devika Murugavel $138.00 Puvaneswary Roberts $225.00 Total $207.Q2 Sinnathamby Muthusally $64.80 Ramsamy Pillay Samoo $212.15

Tirumular Sannidhi Preservation Trust Suguneswary Ponniah $53.41 Siven Veerasamy $275.00

Puvaneswary Roberts $185.00 Small Gifts to Fund $66.00 Shyamadeva Dandapani $31.00

Kevin Pillay Samoo $33.28 Total $1,423.05 Total $31.00

Sarkunavathy Sockanathan $9.27 Kauai Aadheenam Monastic Endowment Trrunavakkarasu Nayanar Gurukulam End. S. Thiruselvan $56.77 Gunasekaran Kandasamy $50.78 Deva Seyon $3.85 OmkarTiku $52.00 Kumaren Nataraja $8.31 Vernon Shabunia $10.00 Bhamar & Kanta Trivedi $50.00 Hitesvara Saravan $50.00 Total $13.85 Priya Devi Utchanah $57.00 Dhasan Sivananda $25.46 Small Gifts to Fund $15.05 Total $134.55 Total Recent Contrib. $17,525.19

Total $966.86 Total Endowments at Market Value

Iraivan Temple Fund Loving Ganesha Distribution Fund

As of May 31,1998 $2,514,425.13 Eric Mitchell $10.00

Anonymous $601.00 Stephen Sheehan $20.00

INVESTMENT MANAGERS AND CONSULTANTS: Franklin Management Inc.; First Hawaiian 'Bank, Trust & Investment Division; Brandes Investment Partners, Inc.; Pacific Century Trust (Bank of Hawaii); Alvin G. Buchignani, Esq., attorney; and Nathan palani, CPA. HHE is 'a member of the Council on Foundations, an association of 1,500 foundatiohs which interprets relevant law, inter:­national and domestic, and gccounting, management and investment principles.

-I WANT TO PARTICIPATE. WHERE SHOULD I SENo MY DONATION? You can send your gift to , an existing fund, create a new endowment or request information through the address below.

Credit card gifts may be made directly by E-inail. 0);, use the' HHE tear-out card in this magazine. to join our family of benefactors who are Strengthening Hinduism Worldwide. Thank you.

-' . HINDU HERITAGE ENDOWMENT

KAUAI'S HINDU MONASTERY 107 Kaholalele Road

Kapaa, Hawaji, 96746-9304 USA Tel: (800) 890-1008, Ext. 235

Outside US: (808) 822-3152, Ext. 235 Fax: (808) 822-4351

E-mail: hhe@ijindu.org

www.hindu.org/hhe/

VEGETARIANS

Don't Have A Cow

NEED WE ADD MORE

than Saint Tiruval­luvar's provocation in his Tirukural2,000 years ago, «How can he prac­tice true compassion who eats the flesh of an animal to fatten his own flesh?" Well, carnivors need a lot of convincing to end their muscle­munching and gristle­grinding, as well as al­ternatives dropped on their plate. Vegetarian Resource Group ( www.vrg.org) does just that. Feast on recipes from «Low-fat Indian Cui­sine" to 'a Taste From the An-

KUMBHA MELA

Memoirs

DIDN'T HAVE TIME

to visit the pilgrim­age spot for 1998? Not a problem. A great web­site (www.smsu.edulcon trib/relstlkumbhmela.ht ml) by Mela fan J. E. LlewellYn brings on-lo­cation phot0s and inter­views right to your com-

HINDUISM TODAY

des." Wondering how to get enough nutrition? 'Essays like «Healthy Fast Food for Pre­Schoolers" tell you how. Peaceful Palate and Meatless Meals for Working People are among numerous great books. You can sign up for free e-mail news or subscribe to the maga­zine Vegetarian Journal

(some arti­cles

post­edon­

line.) Eating out

or traveling often? Learn

how to take a «Vegetarian Va­

cation," or where to get the best veg­

ie meals in US and Canadian restaurants.

Last but not least, find out just how pro a vege­tarian you are by play­ing the «Vegetarian Game"-it throws some tough questions at you. Bon appetit!

puter. Professor at Mis­souri State University, he documents religi0us cen­ters in Haridwar, what happens at the festival, what the pilgrims do and why, major spiritual leaders present and roles played by Haridwar's permanent residents. Print the web pages to show and brag to your friends about the worlds largest human gathering!

107 KAHOLALELE ROAD KAPAA, HAUAII 96746-9304

These verses constitute a lifelong religious study CD - ROM

The Wisdom Weaver

SWEET ARE THE SOUNDS OF THE FLUTE

and the lute, say those who have not heard the prattle of their own children." This beautiful couplet is from the 1,330-

verse Tirukural, a revered scripture in Hinduism. Two thousand years ago the weaver Saint Tiru­valluvar etched the nature of virtue, wealth and love on ola leaves with a stylus. Could he have imagined they would later be digitally etched on round plastic '1eaves',? Well, it's finally here. Each verse is chanted in Tamil, written in Eng­lish and Tamil, and accompanied by a painting. US$39. Windows only. Write: Caltron Pte Ltd., 9 Kallang Place, #01-09, Singapore 339154, Phone: 65-295-2323. E-mail: caltron@signet.com.sg

A giant Mela structure for peiformingfire ceremonies

Time Traveler

IF YOU LOVE HISTORY

and ancient civiliza­tions, the elegant ffarap" pa website (www.harap­

,pa.GomJ will keep you, digging far int0 the mght with its «glimJi>ses of . . South Asia before 1947,." You'll browse through hundreds of rare photos and postcards of India and Sri Lanka, listen to numerous sound clips

of Mahatma Gandhi and other independence giants and watch movies of their struggles, as you witness the people who freed India. Tour the Harappa and Mohenjo­daro cities in the Indus Valley through slides of excavations, compute},' landscape'maps and even a 3-D movie recreating a walk through a Harappan gateway.

NON-PROFIT ORGAN:IZA'TION U. S. POSTAGE PAID LIBERTY, 1'10 PERI1IT 1'10 275