“The
construction of a temple, Buddhist or Hindu, was an important political act,
indeed as much an act of war as it was an act of peace,” says John Keay in his
book, India: a History. Religion has always been inextricably
intertwined with politics. Christianity
would probably have been wiped out from the face of the earth unless it had
succeeded in enlisting Emperor Constantine’s devotion. One of the first things Constantine did after
embracing his new Faith was to construct a huge church in Constantinople, his
new capital. He also constructed the
Church of the Holy Sepulchre at the place where Jesus’ tomb was/is believed to
have been.
All
powerful kings and emperors built enormous churches, temples or other places of
worship. Most of the fabulous temples in
India were constructed by powerful rulers in the ancient days. The purpose was not so much worship of god(s)
as proclamation or exhibition of worldly power.
Heavenly gods and earthly kings have joined hands for various purposes
throughout the history of mankind. The
churches and the temples stood bearing witness to the various conspiracies.
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| Akshardham Temple, Delhi |
In
a recent article,
the renowned Malayalam novelist, M Mukundan, wrote about the innumerable
threats he received when he had expressed his view that the Akshardham Temple on the banks of the
Yamuna in Delhi reminded him more of a Bollywood movie set than a place of
worship. The fact remains that the
temple, which charges a hefty entrance fee, offers more infotainment and
brainwashing than inspires spirituality of any sort. The temple is a blatant display of power, an
impressive exhibition of the political clout of a community of people. The threats hurled at Mukundan were symbols
of the multi-dimensional invincibility of religion.
When
Aurangazeb or any other such puerile-minded ruler demolished certain places of
worship or replaced them with others, they were in fact asserting their earthly
power rather than bringing spiritual solace to their people. When some of our contemporary political
leaders mimicked the ancient ashwamedha ritual in order to consolidate a
demolition squad of frenzied devotees in Ayodhya a few years ago, what they
were actually trying to do was to become present day Aurangazebs proclaiming
the power and glory of their religion, and through the religion, of themselves.
The show is still on though the actors
have changed their seats.
Spirituality
is a matter of the heart. It is well-nigh
impossible to attain spiritual states of mind in places that obscenely display splendour
and affluence. But who is concerned
about spirituality?
But who is concerned about spirituality? nobody ! This all is game of power . I agree with you
ReplyDeleteIf a lot more of us begin to see this truth clearly, the world be saved from gods and their henchmen.
Deletenobody is concerned about spirituality... and i totally agree with the post. Everything around us is so manupulated, staged and conspired that, the truth has become just a word.
ReplyDeleteTruth can still survive, Lata, if you and me and a few more wish. After all, we belong to a country whose motto is: Satyameva jayate. And truth will win, I'm sure, provided we don't buckle under political pressures.
Deleteyes you are right... and its a slow process and todays generation are more aware about the happening... so i am sure things will change ...
ReplyDeleteToday's generation has gone far beyond insipid religion. Good
Deletevery interesting.
ReplyDeleteThanks
DeleteWhen I visited Akshardham a few years back, I too felt the same way as Mukundan did....there was everything except spiritual vibration..!
ReplyDeleteMukindan lived and worked in Delhi and wrote two novels set in the city.
DeleteLove the last line..nobody is interested in spirituality..including the priests, politicians, even devotees who just want to bribe Gods.
ReplyDeleteLove the last line..nobody is interested in spirituality..including the priests, politicians, even devotees who just want to bribe Gods.
ReplyDeletePerhaps, no one is concerned about spirituality. How many of these plutocratic politicians would have thought of God once in a day! These people do not follow any religion, they are not even fully human.
ReplyDeleteGods are mere tools in their hands, Namrata. If they could understand what spirituality is, our country would have been a developed one long, long ago. Instead, they chose to play games using gods....
DeleteThat's the sadness about worship places. You have to pay... in order to visit and worship GOD.
ReplyDeleteHow sad can that be!!
Akshardham is more of a tourist spot than a temple, I think.
DeleteI loved Akshardham Temple in Delhi and visited it often to point out the intricate craftsmanship of the pillars and the beautiful boat ride under artificial cosmos.... But don't mix religion with it . Mr. M was right to say it resembles a SanjayLeelaBhansali set- opulent and grand..fit to be a minor palace. I solely love it for its aesthetic value .
ReplyDeletereligion..spirituality ?... No way .
Most grand temples and other such religious places were constructed with the primary purpose of asserting power, display of grandeur, and claiming superiority. Since Akshardham belongs to our own time it looks more outlandish. Maybe, over time it will begin to evoke some spiritual feelings too. But that will depend on how history handles it and how our politicians handle history.
Delete