Thanks for the links, TruthFinder. I’ve found them very helpful. I’ve always been interested in Jainism because of their belief that it is wrong to harm any living thing.
I have some more questions. I hope you won’t find any of them offensive. First of all, I’ve heard people speak of “rat temples” and people who “worship rats” in India. Can you tell me if there is any truth in this, and if not, how where these ideas may have originated?
Secondly, how are Hindu-Muslim relations in India? Is there prejudice against Muslims? I’ve heard stories of religious conflict (like the whole Babri mosque thing) but then on the other hand Azharuddin was captain of the Indian cricket team. Also, I’ve heard that both Muslims and Hindus in India really hate Sikhs. How true is this?
Last of all, do Indians think that the 1947 partition was a bad idea? Is there a name for this line of thinking? I know that pre-1947 people who were against the idea of partition were called Unionists. Does that still exist today?
There is a quite well-known temple in Rajasthan dedicated to Goddess Karni Mata at Shekhnote which kinda honours rats. There's a story which kinda prophesises that even the rats in the temple will return to this earth as holy men. Kinda like to show u how sacred the temple is and how all living beings are inter-connected. So its not really a rat temple.
The topic of Hindu-Muslim relations in India, my friend, is worthy of a whole book.
Anyways, Here’s what my experience has been over the years.
Most Indians don’t really think in terms of who’s Hindu and who’s Muslim. That kinda discriminating mindset doesnt exist for the huge majority of both the populations. Case in point is Azharuddin. The fact that he was Muslim never even entered anyones mind.
However, the situation is not all roses either. U’ll always have some fanatic fundamentalist hard-liner somewhere, who’s going to preach his particular brand of thinking. Or some mischeivous criminal elements which will try to exploit this religious duality. Or politicians whose only agenda is to prey on communal forces. And the subcontinent has no dearth of external factors either.
The tragedy in India has been that the moderates have not always been successful in stopping these fundamentalist forces. And thats when tragedies like the Babri masjid incident happen.
And about the Sikhs, I think the same thing applies. U always feel that if u just allow things to settle down , things would gel together but something or the other always turns up to stir the whole thing up.
About partition, I think most people feel about it like losing a dear friend. U just cannot fathom how things could have gone so bad. But there’s also a finality to it. Pakistan and India today are 2 different nations with their own distinct identities. Though some people still wish there could be some re-conciliation, Most people agree that there’s too much conflict between the 2 countries for it to be realistic today. There’s no mainstream movement today that I know of which pursues re-conciliation.
Are u from Pakistan? If yes, I’d love to know what the opinion is in ur country.
Thanks for your reply. Yes, I am from Pakistan. As you probably know, the population in Pakistan is almost completely Muslim. There is a small Christian minority but I’ve never encountered any Hindus or Sikhs so it’s a bit difficult to get any information about them. For example, I have no idea what Pakistanis think about Sikhs. But I know that there’s a lot of resentment against Hindus, probably due to feelings stemming from Partition, stories of Hindu-Muslim conflict in India, and the constant threat of war between the two countries. At the same time, though, I think people recognise that India is culturally very much like Pakistan. Pakistani people love Indian movies, much more than Pakistani or American movies. Girls have crushes on Indian movie stars and cricketers (I really loved Sachin Tendulkar myself!) and women always want to go to India to shop for jewellery and clothes. The claim that something was bought in India is quite an effective brag.
The good thing is that the younger generation in particular seems to be pretty tolerant and open-minded about their neighbours. I think the only thing standing between them is Kashmir.
By the way, what do you think about V. S. Naipaul winning the Nobel Prize for Literature? I’ve always been a big fan of his. I like Rohinton Mistry as well…
Thanks for starting this thread. My boyfriend is Indian &Hindu but I usually don’t ask him too many things about his culture, as I always inadvertantly piss him off somehow.
I’ve gotten several different replies to this question, and don’t know which one to believe:
What does the color of a bindi signify (to those of you who don’t know, a bindi is the dot Indian women wear between their eyes)? I’ve heard everything from marital status to caste to “it matched my sari today”. Are all of these explanations true?
Why do some Hindu gods have the faces of animals? (ex: Ganesha and the monkey god who helped Krishna, I can’t remember his name)
Why is it a custom to shave a baby’s head when it is a few months old?
Why is red considered a sacred or lucky color for Hindus?
Dhanyavad! (BTW, what part of India are you or your family from?)
According to some local Hare Krishnas I’ve talked to, Hinduism teaches that people can and often do reincarnate as animals. However, some folks at the local chapter of the Theosophical Society in America (I was a member for a couple of years back in the '80’s) told me that this is a minority view among Hindus and that the majority maintain that people reincarnate as people. In other words, when you reach the human level, you stay at the human level, no matter what, until you achieve liberation from the life/death wheel of kharma. Which view is really the majority view among Hindus today? I’ve probably phrased this rather poorly (it’s late and I’m tired) but I think you know what I mean.
How central is the concept of reincarnation to Hinduism? Is it possible to disbelieve in reincarnation and still be a Hindu?
Each of those explanations for the bindi are actually true in their own different contexts. Traditionally the red circular bindi is for the married woman. But for the woman of today, for the girl-on-the-go, She needs something more cool, more jazzy. So now U get all kinda shades and shapes.
The Monkey-God, Lord Hanuman is worshipped coz although he’s an ape, he also is the foremost devotee of Lord Rama. There is a wonderful story about how Lord Ganesh got to have an elephants head. Hinduism basically belives that there’s God in every thing. There are Deities of Lakes, Gods of Fire,Wind,Lightening , almost all the forces of Nature. And further there’s a belief that all living being are interconnected thru God. So its not a big stretch for Hindus to worship Gods with animal faces. Now that I think of it, Why should the Gods of all Living Things have exclusively Human forms ?
As pennylane has pointed out, The custom of shaving the baby’s head seems more of a cultural thing. Though sometimes shaving the head is also held as a form of sacrifice for some deities.
The colour Red is the colour of kumkum, thats the red powder used during religious rites. I dont think it’s considered lucky/sacred in itself. Red kumkum blessed by a particular diety is considered sacred.
I come from the western state of Goa, a tourist destination full of wonderful beaches and temples and churches. If u ever visit India, I’d recommned visiting Goa.
Firewalking is more a show of faith, a mind-over-matter thing for wowing the crowds. So, Its not really of religious significance.
LonesomePolecat:
From what I gather, Hare Krshna preaches that there are different cycles of purification that the human soul goes thru and sometimes u come back as animals based on the souls past deeds. But I think the majority view today for those who believe in reincarnation would be that people come back as people.
About reincarnation and how basic it is for Hinduism, Its really a matter of personal opinion. For most common people when a person dies, he’s cremated, The soul leaves the body and is judged on the basis of his karma. If u were good then u get to be one with God, if not then ur soul or atma suffers. Its kinda hazy if the suffering is thru re-incarnation back on earth.
I’m really happy for him, too. He is quite critical of both India and Pakistan, though, so I heard that there were some fears about the reaction to this. Right now I’m reading An Area of Darkness, which is one of his non-fiction works about his experiences in India. It’s quite fascinating for me as I’ve found that many of his observations about India are true for Pakistan as well, but I wouldn’t recommend it to everyone as it is a bit negative.
Anyway I have a more mundane question for you now. I went to a fair in Dubai a while ago where my family decided to get dosas for lunch. I asked for something which was called set dosa on the menu. It wasn’t big and crispy like the others, it was smaller and thicker, like an American-style pancake. It was really great but I haven’t been able to find it at other Indian restaurants. Is it not a common thing or does it have another name?
From my viewpoint, Indians seem rather uptight about sex. For example, I’ve heard that no kissing is permitted in movies. And yet, I’ve seen some pictures of ancient Hindu temples where figurines are depicted engaging in some pretty wild sexual acts.
Some I’m a little puzzled on what to think. If my impressions of current attitudes are correct, where did these conservatives beliefs about sex come from - are they remnants of British rule, or do they originated from Hinduism, or what?
From my viewpoint, Indians seem rather uptight about sex. For example, I’ve heard that no kissing is permitted in movies. And yet, I’ve seen some pictures of ancient Hindu temples where figurines are depicted engaging in some pretty wild sexual acts.
Some I’m a little puzzled on what to think. If my impressions of current attitudes are correct, where did these conservatives beliefs about sex come from - are they remnants of British rule, or do they originated from Hinduism, or what?
Also, I know a little about the Parsees. How are they perceived by you average Hindu nowadays? Are there tensions between the two groups, or are there too few Parees for anyone to care?
TruthFinder, I’m glad that you started this thread. I look forward to learning alot about Hinduism as more people ask questions.
When answering questions, I think that you should make the distinction between Hindu philosophy (from the scriptures) and Hindu/Indian culture. There’s alot that goes on in the Hindu/Indian culture that has very little to do with Hinduism. For example, I was taught that there are no written rules or “commandments” in the Hindu religion. God allows people to choose what is right and what is wrong for themselves, instead of dictating morality. There is no “Thou shalt not kill”, because as in the Bhagavad Gita, there are times when even killing someone is the moral thing to do. Even meat-eating is not forbidden. There are no sins. And people are equal. The caste system and women being second-class citizens has nothing to do with real Hinduism.
This leads to the culture. Over time, parts of the culture have learned that it is not right to kill animals. So this becomes part of the Hindu way of life. I just think that it’s important to point out the difference between the culture and the religion.
Also, I think that people should be aware that there are thousands of cultures within India. India should be viewed as if you’re viewing Europe. It is probably even more diverse. So, while most people are Hindu, their customs and beliefs vary greatly.
Do you think Hinduism is going to start becoming obsolete soon? I mean, look at India now. They are increasingly getting more westernized. The Internet has arrived, and India is becoming more technologically advanced. Do you think this will lead to the decline of Hinduism? I mean, will people realize that it’s kind of asinine to believe in Monkey Gods when they have a Pentium 3 on their desk?
Maybe a better way of phrasing this … it seems that Hinduism is a more “out-there” religion, which would do fine in third world enviroments, but doesn’t it seem a little too silly for the truly educated and modernized?
I don’t mean to cut in on TruthFinder’s answering of these questions, but I really feel the need to address this one. And I hope that TruthFinder educates us all even further.
But here are my 2 cents:
I don’t think that it’s wise to compare religions, as they all have their merits. But Hinduism is one that is truly unique and will always survive. Monkey Gods aside, Hinduism involves understanding the cycle of life. The goal in everyone’s life (or series of lives) is to someday arrive at a state of absolute truth. The material world is simply a series of diversions that cause you to stray from this path. The closer one gets to this absolute truth, the closer he or she is to the state of godliness. And until this state is reached (when you finally become one with god/truth), you’re automatically reset on the earth to complete your mission. There is no escape from this cycle. Whether or not you believe in Hinduism is irrelevent. You’re still part of it and must complete it, or remain stuck in it for infinity.
A Hindu swami once explained it all to me visually, and I’ll never forget it. (BTW, this guy - Swami Tilak- was so impressive that he knew over 30 languages and understood the Bible and the Koran better than just about anyone). He basically told me that everyone has a version of the truth based on perspective. Christians, Jews and Moslems are not wrong in their beliefs. They just all have different perspectives on the truth. He gave me the example of an ant crawling in a garden. The ant crawls over rocks, finds its food and lives its life. From the ant’s persepctives (from his ant’s-eye view) he believes that whole universe consists of soil, rocks, dead worms, etc. Then there the dog. The dog knows better. The dog has seen rivers and lakes and understands more than the ant. As humans, we even see more than the dog. We know that there are vast oceans and huge mountains. We even know that you can actually stand on the moon and see earth along with other parts of the universe. But we should understand that there are others who even have a better understanding of the truth. To them we are only a few steps higher up than the ant. And finally, there’s god. God is the only one who has the absolute version of truth. And when you reach God’s level of understanding, you will finally be free from the life cycle.
So no matter how modern and technologially advanced our world becomes, the search for absolute truth continues. Sure, Pentiums and satellite TV make the search more difficult. But there is no escape and everyone must continue their own pursuit of truth.
Hindu mythology (including its monkey gods) exists for the purpose of getting the religion’s messages across. Whether or not a giant monkey flew to Sri Lanka to fight on the side of Rama is irrelevent, just as it is not important whether or not Eve took a bite out of an apple, or whether Prometheus stole fire from the gods. The point is to understand the messages being given. They are designed to help you get closer to the truth.
About 3 years ago I went to (Indian) Kashmir. Its the most beautiful place Ive ever seen but it was extremely dangerous - we could hear the sound of gunfire at night and at one point I had a gun pointed at me by an Indian soldier.
I got the impression from the people I spoke to (mostly muslim) that they would be quite happy if Kashmir were to be made into an independent country, separate from both India and Pakistan. The Kashmiris are a trading people more than anything else and they could clean up from tourism if only there wasn’t an ongoing war all the time.
Do you think Indians would consider this an acceptable solution?
I understand that, in Hinduism, the use of marijuana is ok as long as it is being used for spiritual purposes.
This is probably ignorant of me… but with regards to eternalstudent’s question (demeaning as it were)… I’ve heard it explained (perhaps by people who didn’t know what they were talking about) that Hinduism without the mythology is essentially Buddhism. That is, Buddhism takes the central ideas of Hinduism, the cycle of life, collective consciousness type stuff, and presents in a framework that doesn’t require “Monkey Gods” and the like. Is this the case? Could EternalStudent’s predicted decline simply result in people casting off the mythology and practicing buddhism?
Well, I think most of these conservative values come from the strong emphasis on family life in Indian culture. I'd say, Most western cultures also evolved from similar uptight views on sex.
About the erotic carvings in Khajhurao, or the Kama-Sutra, these are definitely a part of Indian history. But so are tens of thousands of temples and carvings all over India which do not have any erotic meaning. So, in essense Khajhurao and Kamasutra only serves to emphasize that Indian culture has evolved thru various influences and influx of ideas to where it is today.
I dont really think Hindusim has anything to do with it.
I'll give u a generic reply to this kind of question.
India has the largest Hindu population in the world, the second largest Muslim population, possibly the largest Parsee population, largest Sikh population, largest Jain population and a significant Buddhist population. Add to this 25 distinct languages and scores of different dialects and possibly hundreds of different cultures and sub-cultures.
This diversity has existed for centuries. I doubt there's any other country in the world thats has this degree of diversity.
The reason its possible for this diversity to exists, is that there's a huge degree of tolerance and mutual respect being practised by all these various communities and religions.
So how an average Hindu percieves a Parsee is basically how any Indian percieves any of the myriad of diverse cultures that exists. Most times religion or ethnic background just doesn't enter the picture. And even when it does ( like during festivals and religious times ) Its mostly treated with respect and tolerance.
Now speaking specifically on Hinduism, consider this. Hinduism has a multitude of mythological deities that they worship. However, These are all manifestations of a single and central idea of God. You worship each of these separate entities ur whole life But in reality u r only praying to that central Idea of God. And most Hindus recognize and accept this. So Hinduism, at its very basics, is saying that there is one essential Divine Truth, We all strive through our lives to understand, and achieve this Divine Truth. But each of us can take a different path. Christians, Muslims, Parsees, people worshippping all of the 38 million deities of Hinduism are all seeking God in their own respective unique ways.
So essentially, for Hinduism, each and every religion is a valid path to God.
moodtobestewed, one of my favourite Indian writers is Parsi. I’ve mentioned him already on this thread - Rohinton Mistry. Take a look at this link: http://www.emory.edu/ENGLISH/Bahri/Mistry.html. You will find a short passage about his Parsi heritage, a list of his books, and a link to more information on Parsis and Zoroastrianism. I would definitely recommend reading any of his books; they are all very good, and they are usually about Parsi characters.
The first Parsi novel to be internationally published was The Crow Eaters, by Pakistani writer Bapsi Sidhwa. Another of her books is called The Ice Candy Man. They’re both pretty good and they also relate to Parsi subjects. I prefer Rohinton Mistry, but Sidhwa is perhaps more critically acclaimed. Anyway either of these writers would give you a good idea of what it is to be Parsi.
