Vaishvik Hindu Rashtra Mahotsav (2024) Day 5 : Efforts to Protect Temple Culture
Ramnath Devasthan – Corruption related to the donations and ornaments received in the temple donation box of the Shri Tuljhabhavani Temple was unearthed. Contractors and trustees conspired to loot the funds. The government launched an investigation under the CID only after they were pressured to act against those involved in corruption in the Tuljapur shrine, but no action has been initiated in this matter yet. Advocate Suresh Kulkarni petitioned the High Court. The court then ordered that a suit be filed against the trustees. It has been 50 days since this order was passed, but no action has been taken on it. Indian Administrative Service officers and temple trustees are involved in this corruption. The investigation is crawling slowly. Efforts are on to suppress the matter. So a mass movement must take birth in every single district against this corruption.
The Mayan, Aztec, and Incan civilisations in America were associated with Sanatan Dharma – Praveen Kumar Sharma
Sanatan Dharma is universal. It is not limited to India. Sanatan Dharma was spread all over the earth. In the past, civilizations like Mayans, Aztecs, and Incas in America were associated with Sanatan Dharma. Due to the extreme tolerance of Hindus, that culture could not survive everywhere. The sects that arose later dominated the world by the sword and did a great deal of damage to Sanatan Dharma. Aggressors from Middle Eastern countries invaded India. The culture here has been damaged. They destroyed out books but they could not destroy our culture, said Praveen Kumar Sharma (Vedic preacher and international Hindu researcher)
He further said that the Vedas are the world’s constitution. Sanatan Dharma pervades every atom and molecule. Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (The whole earth is one family) and ‘Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinaha (May all beings be happy) are our teachings. Earlier, Shriram and Garuda were worshiped all over the world. Yagya culture was prevalent everywhere. Sanatan Dharma contains all knowledge. Sanatana Dharma is natural. It is without beginning or end. Only Sanatan Dharma will protect us in times of calamity.
Crime to end if Mathas and Temples provide Sanskars – Madanmohan Upadhyay
Mathas and temples are the pillars of Sanatan Hindu Dharma. If people are inculcated with good sanskars, their thoughts will change. This will end crime and that is achievable through Mathas and Temples, asserted Madanmohan Upadhyay, founder of Mission Sanatan.
He further said, “Earlier in the temple, the priests used to give medicated prasad after seeing the illness of the devotees. There were goshalas, music schools, and mallashalas (wrestling schools) run by temples. The youths emerging from those akhadas protected the society. Currently, a temple is built with crores of rupees, but for the worship of the Deity priests are hired for a pittance and more work is expected from them. So temples need to keep appropriate priests, and temple trustees need to make efforts for their sustenance. Along with this, rich temples should adopt financially weaker temples. Mission Sanatan runs 3 Gurukuls free of cost in which 1 thousand 8 children are obtaining education. It is planned to enroll 20 thousand children in Gurukuls over the next 5 years.
Devotees can administer the temples better – Pradeep Vishnu Tendolkar
The involvement of locals is necessary for good management of the temples, and the locals should also involve themselves in the management of the temples. Where the government system fails, temples must come forth. If sincere efforts are put in to properly manage temples, if other NGOs and society come with us, and if the management makes small changes, then the temples can have a large contribution to the GDP of the country, asserted Pradeep Tendolkar (President, Shree Jivdani Devi Sansthan) on the 5th day of Vaishvik Hindu Rashtra Mahotsav (2024).
Mr Tendolkar, while speaking on better management of Temples, said, “Jivdani Temple is at a height of 1,500 feet. So one had to climb 1,400 steps to visit the temple. Therefore, for the convenience of the devotees, the temple presented the government with a Funicular Ropeway Train proposal on a BOT(build-operate-transfer) model. 100 crore was expected for it, but the government could not do it for 13 years. Then the temple management completed the work in two and a half years at a cost of only Rs 32 crore.
Millions of coconuts were coming into the temple. They were sold outside the temple. These same coconuts would come back to the temple with devotees. To avoid this, the temple started preparing coconut burfis. So earlier the 6 lakh coconuts were being sold and 66 lakh revenue was generated. Now, the same coconuts are used to prepare barfis which are given as prasad, generating a revenue of 2.5 crores.
On behalf of the temple, 2 mass marriage ceremonies are organized every year for the tribals and poor people of the area. A school is run by the temple, in which 3 lakh students study. A lot of silver was lying in the temple. After selling it, a neglected Datta temple was restored with that money. A heavily subsidised dialysis center is run. Along with this, the NCC cadets of local schools and colleges assist in organising the annual festival. This is how we have managed the temple affairs for 35 years.
Maha CM’s intervention stalls demolition of legally built shops around Maruti Temple in Kandhar (Nanded District)
There is an ancient Maruti temple at Kandhar (Nanded district, Maharashtra). Ganesh Mahajan, a trustee of the temple is in Goa to attend the Vaishvik Hindu Rashtra Mahotsav. He received information that administration has sent bulldozers to raze legally built shops in the vicinity of the temple. It would have been unfair to the shopkeepers to allow this to happen. He informed this issue to Sunil Ghanwat (Hindu Janajagruti Samiti Coordinator for Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh, Coordinator Maharashtra Mandir Mahasangh). This was conveyed to Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde who immediately took note. The bulldozers then returned.
The information that the bulldozers of the administration have reached to demolish the shops in the area of this temple was informed by the Trustee of Maruti Temple Shri. Ganesh Mahajan received. As all these shops are official, demolishing them is unfair to the shopkeepers. Therefore, he informed this to the organizer of states and the coordinator of Maharashtra Temple Federation Shri. Given to Sunil Ghanwat. After this, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra state Shri. Reached Eknath Shinde. Chief Minister Shinde quickly took steps. After that, the bulldozers that had arrived to demolish the temple shops left the spot. This sequence of events was narrated by Ganesh Mahajan in the Vaishvik Hindu Rashtra Mahotsav.
Hindu organisations should cooperate with the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti – Ganesh MahajanAfter obtaining the information that the bulldozing operation has ceased, Ganesh Mahajan said, “The Hindu Janajagruti Samiti’s organisation stratagem is very good. It should be supported by all temple trustees and Hindu organisations.Then no one will dare to look at you wickedly.” |
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