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senthil
so whats the point,
when an actress can have a temple,why not Father of the Nation-Gandhi.

Most of folks esp the new genx do they know about Gandhi and his values and principles ? forget genx even among our generation how many of us care for all these things.
so I would say nothing wrong with this. As long as they practise what is being taught.
 

I do amire Gandhi a lot. But this is really sick. Not only this, but also the other deities like Khushboo. Is there someone promoting all this?
 

sen

whats with all the anti-hindu posts? whats wrong with the "great hindu" tradition of having a thaayar sannidhi ?

dude - follow your path whatever it is. leave us alone, let us worship trees, donkeys or pigs.

gawd! tn is full of folks like you brainwashed by evr and the like.
 

Question: How can i forget someone's teachings?.How can i make sure i dont even attempt to understand someone?.

Answer: Make him a god and workship him.

There is a valid point which you are driving here .Instead of really following Mahatma's teachings ,you tend to follow your 'emotion' than the intelligence .This emotion by itself blinds the idea behind it and it blurrs the thought of 'mahatma ' .I agree with this angle of thought ,if this is what you have expressed .

BUt let us look at some other angle - What if this deity is seen as a rememberance of Mahatma ? Suppose if i have a statue of say ' Vivekananda' - Every time i see his statue ,i remember some quality of him and that inspires me to do some thing good .We are ruled only by 'Finite Forms' in our lives .

SO combining both the views ,i see that it is the attitude with which the worshipper or the viewer sees the statue is the most important .

Why single out Mahatma ? If u go to calcutta u can see people pseudo-worshipping Carl Marx ,Jyoti Basu ?( which is against communist ideals ) How do we explain that ?

I think its an expression of reverence -its good so long as the thought behind the worship is clear !!
 

Guys,
My view is simple.what is being taught by making gandhi a god??.Nothing except the fact that he is a face of god with an unattainable character that could only be workshipped.

The greatness of this man lies in viewing him as an ordinary human being, who through his constant personal development was able to acheive so many great things.You can awe at him only when u see him as an ordinary human being, not as a god.

By making god out of everyone we are distancing ourselves from their idea.we shut our minds and only use our eyes and heart to derive the mental pleasure of thinking about this great person and romancing his greatness.

Ganesh
The point is both of them should not be having temples.

Jo,
I also do admire him, but i dont want to workship him.

anon,
I dont know anything about EVR.Its just common sense man.

Ramki,
Iam against anybody workshiping any person.may it be karl marx or kushboo.

If you want to remember a leader, u can have a picture of him,why an idol,pooja,temple??.
 

Sen ,
What do you say does have truth !There are people who do that .

But there is one fundamental point which i want to point out -By the word 'worship' consicously or unconsiously we are tending to associate only with people who have forget the idea behind it and do some rituals with no meaning .

Also when we refer 'God' ,probably we are assuming an unknown entity ,unexplainable person /thing and hence we tend to think that if somebody is elevated to God ,it means that we forget his ideas ,his life ,his teachings .

But i think that happens with some people -but not for all .


If you see Krishna ,Rama ...down to Ramakrishna ,Vivekananda ..They were all people like us( with great spiritual intrests and insights ) .Why were they elevated to God ?What has happened after they have elevated to god ?

I guess there are Pros and Cons of doing this .We can't live with just thoughts .We need forms for it-associated forms ,may be as a person who brought out this or as an artistic representation of that thought .When we have a form for that and we greatly respect that thought behind that form ,there is no other way - but it will lead to Idol worship .You can take any sphere - this will be true !
 

Has Kushboo's consequent tryst with burned effigies ring a bell w.r.t. Gandhi, now? ;)
 

Just like to add ..a temple was never built for usboo ..its afalse news ...

if u refer some 10 years-before issue of ananda vikadan...

some crap guys who wanted publicity for them ,had a frame of kusbhoo with some incense sticks etc ...that is for publicity and not worship!!
 

Hey senthil,
I understand your irritation, it is very normal for one to get irritated at things like these. All said and done I somehow feel that people like Jo are only here to glorify christianity and admonish idol worship. I think its time for you to write about the christian missionaries who come and convert people brainwashing them into believing that blood of christ is the only salvation. It is very sad that they formed a religion called christianity which I am sure Jesus himself did not want to be formed. Atleast being born a hindu I know that people in my family or other hindus do not make fun of other faiths. But the christians in some of the churches I visited started talking ill about the hindu society and proclaimed that christ is the only way to god. I totally understand your point but I feel irritated that it gave the opportunity to people like Jo to shout foul when he himself is no secularist.
 

I would also like to add that even though worshipping idols of people like gandhi would not be what they wanted, they do serve as a reminder that model people like those existed. Their teachings might have been disregarded and forgotten but people will atleast be reminded of them. One such inspired individual (It might be even you) will surely come about and question the intelligence behind this. But till that time this will atleast remind people about a great person called GANDHI.
 

RObbie,
Nope buddy, jo does not have anything against hinduism... will write in detail... right now iam accesing internet at the los angeles terminal.Wanted to escape from the cold in dc and its cold here too man.
 

@Robby -- "People like Jo"? I feel really sorry for you. I have had good discussions about these in my blog and I have admitted the intolerance part of Christianity. But I am against idol worship as I recently pointed out in my blog. I'm being a Christian, has nothing to do with my view on idol worship. Even if I was born as a Hindu or Muslim I would hold on to my views very frankly and my views will not be changed to please any person, religion, or system.

Do you think I haven't read about Gandhi? Even at a time when a friend of mine (a Hindu friend) argued that I blindly support Gandhi and he said Gandhi is responsible for the partition, I bought a book "Freedom at Mindnight" and gifted to him. I told him it was Nehru and Patel behind it and begged him not to accuse Gandhi for this.

"Their teachings might have been disregarded and forgotten but people will atleast be reminded of them."

And you say it is great to remind of him with his idol when people really do not follow his teachings and it can be 'disregarded'? Maybe its just me, but I think that's a dump idea.

@Sen -- I hope you understand my take on this.

@Ramki -- In the Communist party, party is important than leaders. Suppose there is a leader who influence the people more than the party does. But if the party find him as guilty of something, he wouldnt be execused just because he is the most popular figure of the party.

And thanks for the info on Khushboo's temple.
 

Jo,
People like you are the only reason blogs like this exist. People who have zero tolerance towards other forms of worship or other religions other than their own. You certainly are one of them, your blog is filled with anti idol worship which is a central part of Hinduism. I for my part do not follow any religion and therefore my observations on you must be pretty accurate. You have been behaving like a christian fanatic. It is very natural for you to get offended at what I have written in my previous comment and I did expect a reply like this. This is the difference between a true secularist and a chameleon like you who claims to be one. Go learn to be a true human being and be true to yourself. Do not go around admonishing other peoples faith before you do that atleast try to be strong in your own faith.
 

"I'm being a Christian, has nothing to do with my view on idol worship. Even if I was born as a Hindu or Muslim I would hold on to my views very frankly and my views will not be changed to please any person, religion, or system."

whoa! what bull shit. So you formed your opinion about idol worship independently not affected by your being born christian? Do not bull shit here dude! Your whole argument revolves around your own religion being superior. I have read your blogs, so full of religious crap.

"And you say it is great to remind of him with his idol when people really do not follow his teachings and it can be 'disregarded'? Maybe its just me, but I think that's a dump idea."
Dont you chrisitians remind yourself about Jesus christ with a picture (atleast some sects in christianity do follow that) I am sure you have a picture of christ in your brain when you worship him. Do not write something for the sake of argument. I would really advice you to think before you argue. Your motive is pretty clear and it is not in the least secularist, so go do the convincing to someone else. Accept that you are a christian fanatic or else do not argue.
 

Keeping aside the arguements about whether or not a temple needs be built for Gandhi, why do you think worshipping him and making him God will make people to forget his teachings/make people not understand him?

Books and movies(biographical) do not reach the masses. If I am not wrong, learning (must have)started in religious places [for that's where learned people t(pr)eached in those days, isn't it?]

In our country, worshipping a person is the way to show their respect, devotion etc. This might even kindle the interest of people to know, 'oh! so, he was not the father of Sonia Gandhi! Then, who was he? what did he do?'.
 

JO,
Iam not passing any judgement on communist .I don't know much about them.But in general ,i find them corruption -free .

My knowledge abt gandhi is limited .There have been contrasting opinions .I would like to read freedom at Midnight and get some opinion.Thanks !

My point is that u can't avoid idol worship .The thought of 'worshipping ' an idol will exists even if u are DK guy !!!!You may not garland flowers ,may not light incense sticks or tell mantras -But it will come in some other form in some other way .Instead of mantras u will have slogans ..thats it .

As far as we have a 'person' who has brought a 'great thought' and we appreciate that 'thought' in our hearts of hearts -idol worship will remain in one form or the other!!!
 

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
 

@Mumbai Ramki -- That's a very interesting book. Go for that!

I understand your thoughts on idol-worship and please go through my reply to Robbie above. I know this exists in Chrsitianity as well. As you sead slogans instead of mantras. and please read this too.

And lastly, am also not free of all these. (but am trying so hard). It is because I (or any other person) was raised that way since the childhood and it is hard to get rid of all this. But I think I can pass on these thoughts to my children, the next generation, and will let them decide.

What do you think about this?
 

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
 

@Robbie -- You have not read my blog really, have you? If you had, you would notice that my post was against any form of the idol worship in any religion. Why are you wearing this secularist mask, Robbie when you hold such intolerance before even reading my blog in detail?For your knowledge, am quoting some lines from my post about this:


This is what I wrote about the idol worship:

Here is what I think about the idol worship -- I know its hard to worship the emptiness so that we need idol (or atleast a picture) as a symbol of God. But why shouldn't we take the part "God is Love" and start living in harmony with people instead of static idols? Thus we will get the idea that God is in everyone of us. Because the idol worship has failed to help the people progress to the idea that God is inside them. People are stuck with the idols, they do not reach a state when they forget the idols and find the God inside themselves and thus keep their mind and body clean.

Well, this idol worship is not only in the Hinduism, but can be seen in Christianity also, especially in the Catholic churches.

I couldnt stand the idea of saints act as mediators between man and God and people pray to these saints. And hey, I do argue about this offline too. I'm not someone writing one thing in the blog for argument and live a completely different life offline. I have talked about this to so many priests I know and a few of them supported and few of them kept telling the church teachings about this.

Even when one of the blog readers mentioned...

And though Catholic Churches do have statues, they are only kept as a REMINDER of the God whom we worship. We definetely do not worship the statue itself (thereby not making it an idol).

I asked her...

I do agree that the protestant churches and syrian catholic churches do not have statues. But as for what you said about the statues in our catholic churches, can you please explain how does that differ from the idol worship in Hinduism? In our churches, we are having so many statues of saints and people pray before them.

I have also mentioned that...

And lastly, am also not free of all these. (but am trying so hard). It is because I (or any other person) was raised that way since the childhood and it is hard to get rid of all this. But I think I can pass on these thoughts to my children, the next generation, and will let them decide.

I don't care to convince you whether I'm a seularist or not. But you wrote it in here, hence the reply. And I don't know whether you are a Hindu fanatic, but you sure sounds like one.
 

Jo sir ,
naan christanity pathium ethum comment paNNala ...religion a bad a solrathukku neriya knowledge vaenum .But to tell something good ,limited knowledge is sufficent .I have limited knowledge .

yes - u are right .But bringing up the child is a delicate issue .We have to make sure that we don't stuff our ideas on them ,but do show them what is right and what is wrong till some age .I really don't have good expereince in this .Probably after my marriage ,i will try to learn these topics ..:)
 

Saraswathi is an உருவகம் to the word Education/ART. :)

"உருவம்" and "உருவகம்"
if you understand the difference between these 2 words, i am sure everone would apprecitate why Hindu's opted for idol workship.
Just my 2 cents..:)
 

@Mumbai Ramki --

We have to make sure that we don't stuff our ideas on them ,but do show them what is right and what is wrong till some age.

Very true.

I really don't have good expereince in this .Probably after my marriage ,i will try to learn these topics ..:)

Haha... am also a bachelor! :D
 

wow, lot of views expressed here..

Zero,
Two misunderstood people :).

Robbie,
As i said before jo didn't mean anything like what you thought.I have been following his blogs and i know it.We can definitely point out the mistake's of other religion, but the fact still remains that lot of things on our side is messed up.And i dont want to be a saviours :).We have been waiting for kalki bagavan and saviours for a long time.unless and until everyone does his part, nobody is going to come to save them.
 

srikanth,
Uruvagam or elevating things to godly status is unnecessary after all the scientific advances we have made.

if u look at ur example itself u can find the irony.Education that is supposed to 'enlighten' you with the truth is started on an unsure/ignorant fact that arts and science is saraswathi.

Again this elevation is also not working.If arts and science are godly why is that 80% of them are studying professional courses.why is that very few people study B.A history or political science??.When it is the matter of bread and bed, god takes back seat.

And also the moment you beleive in that idea, you are restricting yourself into a religious limit.Arts as a form of expression gets limited.In that perspective, there is no room for an aethistic song or for a painter to paint god in a glamourous way.


ramki and the rest,
i will follow up with another post.
 

Are effigies idols?

;-)


It's a free Country. Everyone is free to worship anybody the way they like. It's none of your business to complain. Each one his own.
 

slogan murugan,
It's a free country everybody has their right to raise their opinion/complain.why do you think it is your buisness to counter argue??.

you have a post on your blog on, how many indians are illiterate.It is a free country, why do you think everyone should be literate.It is cause you personally feel that it is the root cause for many prblms in india.Well i feel this is also a problem like that.I think building a temple for kushboo is part of an ignorant mindset which has to be changed.