Saturday, October 25, 2008

SL: FREEDOM AND SAFETY FOR TAMILS ! POLITICAL SOLUTION NOW!!.....ACHC

Our people must be ensured freedom to live in their motherland - ACHC General Secretary of All Ceylon Hindu Congress (ACHC) Kandiah Neelakandan in his Deepavali Message said "Let us wipe the tears in the eyes of our brothers and sisters. There cannot be any doubt that a military solution is not the answer to the present crisis and therefore we urge everyone concerned to speedily find a political solution to satisfy the aspirations of the Tamil speaking people".

"We feel that the Government is morally responsible for the safety and well being of every citizen in this country".

"We are constrained to bring to the attention of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his Government that the situation has worsened. Tamil speaking people, most of whom are Hindus, are now perturbed because of utterances made by certain extremists as to whether there are moves to annihilate the Tamil community in Sri Lanka .The situation has been causing anxiety. Innocent Tamils have become victims of various circumstances for which they are not personally responsible", he said.

Deepavali is an important day in the calendar of the Hindus who are expected to celebrate this festival of lights, praying to His Almighty for dispelling the darkness in their lives and bestow on them the Divine light for betterment and a prosperous future, he said in his message.

"We pray to His Almighty Sivakami Samedha Nadaraja Peruman for salvation for our people.

"We are relieved to hear that India has expressed concern India’s reaction should be welcomed in good sprit and in the correct perspective . The greatest need of the hour is to grant relief to those who have become refugees in their own country and who are in a pathetic plight.""We appeal to the international community to encourage the Government of Sri Lanka to cease military action and to engage in finding a political solution without delay. On behalf of the Hindus ,we earnestly request and urge everyone to recognize the fundamental rights of our people and that would be the prayer of all the Hindus in this country on this Deepavali Day", Neelakandan said."We request all Hindus to observe Deepavali Day as a day of prayers and not to engage in meaningless celebratory activities. If any Hindu can afford to spend money, it should be channeled for the rehabilitation and relief of the several thousands who are suffering as it is our duty to wipe the tears in their eyes", he noted."No history of any country or nationality can easily be changed or altered. Our people strongly feel that they must be ensured the freedom to live in their motherland. So "Let us wipe the tears in the eyes of our brothers and sisters".

www island.lk

CAN HUMANITY DISPEL ITS ANIMAL NATURE!!!

Can humanity dispel its animal nature?
Mr. Bertram Perera has posed the above question in the Opinion/Letters page of "The Island" of October 16, 2008.

My answer to his query is a definite ‘Yes’ and I have no doubt that it would be the same answer from all right thinking Buddhists and Hindus the world over.

All long established religions, Buddhism, Saivism, Brahminism and Jainism - these four being the off-shoots of Hinduism - and also Zoroastrianism, have advocated abstinence from flesh food. Some even regard Hinduism as the ‘mother’ of all the other religions as no one seems to know for certain how and when it originated.

So if there is to be abstinence from flesh food according to these religions, it is crystal clear that there should be no ‘killing’ or ‘slaughter’ of animals (which includes fish - a cold blooded animal living wholly in water) for food.

Vegetarianism is a direct consequence to the adherence of ‘Ahimsa’ (compassion) and ‘Metta’ (loving kindness) advocated by both Buddhism and Hinduism.

I disagree totally with Mr. Bertram Perera that "Man, the animal, has no choice but to remain an omnivore": I would rather state that Man has every choice to be a herbivore like, for example, the elephant, (the strongest animal on earth), the horse (one of the fastest animals), the bull/cow, the camel, the deer, the monkey etc. if he has ‘reverence’ for animal life.

I agree with Mr. Perera that "Man’s superior intellectual powers are dependent on the food he consumes", but this does not imply that he should depend on a carnivorous or omnivorous diet. He need not be that to be a world class cricketer or an Olympic champion as revealed for example by Sachin Tendulkar (cricket) and Martina Navratilova (tennis) and Vassily Jirov, former Olympic (1996) Cruiser weight boxing champion.

Amongst other notable vegetarians the following may be cited:

Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, Sir Isac Netwon, Plato, Pyhthogoras, George Bernard Shaw, Shakespeare, Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, Aristotle, Seneca, Socrates Rajendra Prasad (the first President of Independent India), Abdul Khalam (a Muslim), the immediate past President of India and (Sir) Paul and (late) Linda Mc Cartney.

Even today, the misconception prevails amongst many, that certain people have special nutritional requirements and may have to eat meat, but this is not correct. Being a medical man myself, I would like to categorically state that medical opinion is is currently of the view that there is nothing more nutritious that could be obtained from a carnivorous (flesh) diet than what could be obtained from a well chosen lacto-vegetarian diet and I might add that this is accepted by the World Health Organization (WHO) as well as the American Medical Association (AMA).

Let me conclude by quoting Dr. Koshalya Walli: " Meat can never be obtained without injuring creatures and so by injuring sentient beings meat eating is detrimental to heavenly bliss and should therefore be shunned. One should consider the disgusting origins of flesh and the cruelty of slaying sentient beings and abstain from flesh eating.

He, who permits the slaughter of animals, he who cuts up, kills, buys, sells, serves it up and eats, everyone is a slayer of animals.

Meat cannot be obtained from straw or stone. It can be obtained only by slaughtering a creature, hence meat is not to be eaten."

So let us "Live and Let Live"

May All Beings Be Well and Happy!

Prof. M. Sivasuriya
Colombo 8

www island.lk

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

TAMILNAADU: VETTUVAN ROCK-TEMPLE.....!

Vettuvan Kovil : rock cut temple that withstood the test of time

A COUPLE of hundred metres from the Jaina bas-reliefs at Kazhugumalai, in the same chain of hills, is Vettuvan Kovil, a wondrously beautiful, monolithic rock-cut temple of the early Pandya period.
It is hewn out of a granite hill, starting work from the top. From above, the temple looks like a rising lotus surrounded by the hill on three sides. The sight gives one an ethereal feeling and drives home the sheer magnitude of the work that went into its making.

There is a folklore about why the temple remains unfinished. A rivalry between a father and his son, both sculptors, resulted in both sculpting two different temples.

The father began sculpting the temple on the hill and the son at the foot of the hill. When the son claimed that the father would never finish building his temple, the father, in a fit of rage, killed his son. Ironically, the Subrahmanya temple, sculpted by the son, is alive today, while the Vettuvan Kovil is abandoned.

Another story is that the sculptor-father asked his son to bide his time until he learnt the trade. But the son was in a hurry. When the father was sculpting the temple outside, he heard the sound of the chisel inside. Angry that his son had ignored his advice, the father killed him. Significantly, “Vettuvan Kovil” in Tamil can mean the sculptor’s hill or the slayer’s temple.

It is on the vimana of the temple that the sculptor has lavished his attention – the ganas, Dakshinamurti playing the mridanga, Siva with Uma, amorous damsels, Nandis, monkeys, rampant lions, and so on.

Sivaramamurti, former Director, National Museum, New Delhi, describes the two long friezes of ganas sculpted on the vimana, in his work Kalugumalai and Early Pandyan Rock-cut Shrines thus:

“The smiling faces beaming with enthusiasm give away their frolicsome nature. The drummer evidently listens with unsurpassed joy to the loud music produced by him. - Courtesy Frontline

Monday, October 20, 2008

MALAYSIA: BATU CAVE TEMPLE!...& HINDUISM


HINDUISM ............................................./courtesy:dailynews.lk


Batu Caves temple attracts million worshippers
R. Nadaraja

The Batu Caves Temple in Malaysia stands out as a monumental focal point of the significant contribution made by the Indian settlers in the development of Malaya and then Malaysia (1963). The 116 year old main temple, dedicated to Lord Subramaniar (Karttikeya), is lodged in a cave about 400 feet above ground level.


Batu Caves Sri Subramaniar Swamy Devasthanam, Malaysia

It is the main cave, the temple cave, in a hilly massif known as Bukit Batu, Rocky Hill. The name is derived from the name of a nearby river known as Sungai Batu, Rocky River in the Malay Language, the National Language of Malaysia.

Devotion, cultural heritage and love for the Tamil Language are the priorities for the Tamils. Wherever they reach, together they bring those fundamental qualities. The life-style of the Tamils is situated around the surroundings of temple shrine. They strongly believe that their life is destined by the supreme power.

Within the four seas, they travelled to search for fortune. In the 18th and 19th century, Malaya (now Malaysia) was no optional. The ancestors who came here, brought along with them the Divine Mother - Sri Maha Mariamman and his Gnana Kulantai, Sri Subramaniar to be worshipped and prayed for their protection. Thus Sri Maha Mariamman Temple was built in 1873 in Kuala Lumpur.

In 1891, K. Thambusamy Pillai, an influential descendent of Indian immigrants from Tamilnadu, India, the founder President of the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in Kuala Lumpur, installed the murti (consecrated statue) of Sri Subramania Swamy in what is today known as the Temple Cave. Since 1892, the Thaipusam festival in the Tamil month of Thai (which falls in late January/early February) has been celebrated there.

Thaipusam is grandiose affair. It attracts about a million worshippers and tourists from within the country and abroad over three days of festivities. Nowhere else in the world (not even India) is this festival celebrated on such a grand scale.

Thaipoosam or Thaipusam falls annually on the full- moon day in the Tamil month of Thai which occurs between January 14 and February 15. This is when the moon moves through the zodiac period of Cancer according to the Indian Calendar.

Throngs of people begin to converge at the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in Kuala Lumpur and Batu Caves on the eve of Thaipusam. The murti of Sri Subramaniar Swamy which resides in the Kuala Lumpur temple throughout the rest of the year, is bathed and elaborately decorated on the eve; and, on the following day, Thaipusam, a bullock drawn chariot winds its way through the city on its way to the Temple Cave - an annual journey to mark the occasion. The gleaming, elaborately lit, silver chariot towers to an awe inspiring 21 feet above ground level.

The chariot stops at several points along its journey to allow gatherings of devotees to offer prayers and smash coconuts on the roads as a mark of the supremacy of good over evil. For a period of a fortnight to a month, the devotee who has vowed to do penance observes fasts on prescribed days.

The devotee partakes of only vegetarian food, abstains from all forms of self-indulgence and remains chaste and clean in word, thought and deed. The devotee lives in seclusion or in the company of other fasting devotees.

From well before sunrise on the day of the festival, devotees with chests, backs, thighs, foreheads, tongues and cheeks pierced with silver needles or skewers, carry contraptions called kavadi.

The kavadi may be simple wooden arched semi-circular supports holding a carrier foisted with brass or clay pots of milk or huge, heavy ones which may rise up to two metres, built of bowed metal frames which hold long skewers, the sharpened end of which pierce the skin of the bearers torso.

The kavadi is decorated with flowers and peacock feathers imported from India. Some kavadi may weigh as much as a hundred kilograms.

After a bath in the nearby Sungei Batu (Rocky River), the devotees wend their way to the Temple Cave and with remarkable endurance they climb the flights of stairs to the temple in the cave. Devotees use the wider centre staircase while worshippers and onlookers throng up and down those balustrades off on either side.

When the kavadi bearer arrives at the foot of the 272 step stairway leading up to the Temple Cave, the devotee has to make the arduous climb against gravity- against the press of the bustling masses.

Once the kavadi bearers reach the Cave Temple, they offer prayers to the murti of the Lord Murugan who is now in the residence at the Temple Cave after His Chariot journey from Kuala Lumpur. Priests attend to the kavadi bearers.

Consecrated ash is sprinkled over the hooks and skewers piercing the devotees flesh before they are removed. No blood is shed during the piercing and removal.

Batu Malai Sri Subramaniar Temple is managed by the Board of Management of Sri Maha Mariamman Temple Devasthanam (performing the role of Hindu Religious Consultant to the Government of Malaysia in determining the Hindu yearly calendar), which also manages the Sri Ganesar Temple at Court Hill. The statue of Lord Muruga at the entrance of the steps stand at 130 feet tall, making it the tallest Lord Muruga statue in the world.


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Spiritual Leader Sri Chinmoy passes away
Internationally renowned peace leader and spiritual teacher Sri Chinmoy passed away on the morning of October 11, 2007 in his home in Queens, New York. The cause of death was a heart attack.

Respected and loved worldwide, Sri Chinmoy’s philosophy for world peace was manifested through a wide array of activities, ranging from literature to art to sports to music.

The universal nature of his philosophy embraced and encouraged people of all backgrounds, faiths and nationalities to work together for peace. Over 600 leaders, luminaries and professors had nominated Sri Chinmoy for the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.

He was one of the finalists for that year’s prize, which could not be awarded posthumously.

Hailed as a modern day renaissance man, Sri Chinmoy wrote over 1,600 books of prose and poetry, composed over 20,000 pieces of music, played over 800 Peace Concerts in venues like Lincoln Center and Charnegie Hall and was an avid runner, tennis player and champion weightlifter.

Sri Chinmoy was born on August 27,1931 in a small village in East India. Orphaned at the age of 11, Sri Chinmoy travelled with his six brothers and sisters to a spiritual community in South India, where he spent the next 20 years in intense prayer and meditation. Heeding an inner call, he travelled to the United States in 1964 and made New York City his home.

In the 43 years since his arrival in the West, Sri Chinmoy became a model of the potential of humankind. Opening centers throughout the world for peace and harmony he tirelessly travelled the globe to share his inspiration and goodwill.

A champion of interfaith harmony, Sri Chinmoy was beloved by religious leaders of all denominations. From Mother Teresa to Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II to the Dalai Lama, Sri Chinmoy was celebrated as a true servant of God.

Sri Chinmoy was an ardent supporter of the United Nations. Since 1970 he had served as the leader of the Peace Meditation at the United Nations, an association of delegates and staff he founded under the aegis of the third UN Secretary-General U Thant.

Sri Chinmoy took Mahasamadhi, passing away at the age of 76

Sri Chinmoy, a spiritual teacher who dedicated his life in the service of humanity, took mahasamadhi - the mystic process through which spiritual Masters exit the body - and passed behind the curtain of Eternity on the morning of 11 October 2007. In his 43 years in the West, he endeavoured to inspire and serve mankind with his soulful offerings - his prayers and meditations, literary, musical and artistic works.

Sunil Jayantha Wanigasooriya


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Hindu saints and the bakthi cult - 6:

Women Saints - Tilakavati
T.V. Vijeyaratnam

Tilakavati and Appar were born as sister and brother in a farmer’s family. When Tilakavati came of age, a marriage was arranged for her with one Kalipahai living in the neighbouring village. Just as the marriage negotiations were over word came that the Chalukiya King was invading the Pallava territory. In the general mobilisation Kalipahai who was also a soldier was summoned by the King.

He could not give marriage as an excuse. The country came first before personal life. Kalipahai went to the King. A detachment was given under his command and he was sent to the front. He fought valiantly.

The Pallava King was victorious. But unfortunately Kalipahai was killed in the battle. In the meantime, Tilakavati’s father died of an ailment and his wife too ended her life after her husband’s death. Having lost both the parents, the brother and sister were forlorn. The news of Kalipahai came as a shock to both.

Tilakavati has decided Kalipahai would be her husband and though the marriage ceremony didn’t take place, the man was to be her husband. On hearing news of his death, she got ready to join him in the nether world. But her young brother cried, “Sister, I am a little boy.

How can you abandon me? What would I do without you? You are now like my parent.” Hearing this Tilakavati was helpless. She did not want her brother to be an orphan. So, she decided to live for his sake but strictly as a widow. She kept indoors and led a life of austerity and penance.

Her brother became a learned man well-versed in all the subjects he studied. During a comparative study of religions he was fascinated by Jainism. He left his sister and entered the monastery.

He was named Dharmasena. His sister couldn’t bear it. She did temple service at a shrine at Tiruadibai and tither she went to plead with Lord Siva to get back her brother to Saivaism. Lord Siva appeared in her dream and told her that her brother would suffer from a colic and that would bring him back to the Siva fold.

Soon Dharmasena began to suffer from severe stomach pain. This became so acute and the medicines and magic of the Jain monks did not heal him. He sent the cook to his sister. He told her about her brother’s plight and insisted her to go to him. She sent word saying she wouldn’t enter the Jain quarters.

That night Dharmasena came to her, fell at her feet begging her to save him. She prayed to Lord Siva and applied the holy ash to his forehead and took him to the shrine at Tiruadihai.

There she prayed to God to help her brother. By the Grace of God Siva he was healed of his ailment and having realised his folly of joining the Jaints, he sang God’s praise and started doing manual service in the temples.

Tilakavati’s life was not as impressive as Karaikkal Ammayar’s or Mangaiyarkkarasiar’s, but Sekkilar enumerated her as a saint because she gave the world a saint (Thirunavukkarasar) who preached to the world that humility and service to God are also pathways to God realisation.

He taught the followers that to be in a state of complete surrender to God is another way to realise the Great Presence.

Anyway, Tilakavati brought back the prodigal brother to Siva fold. To know and to teach Lord Siva is God Supreme and the aim of all Atmas (souls) is to attain Moksha at the Lotus feet of the Lord God.

She is truly deemed a saint for she abstained from all mundane pleasures and lived to make her brother a renowned Siva devotee. Her bearing was saintly and she was an ideal woman in that she led an austere life and spent her time in serving God.


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Understanding Hinduism - 8:

Monism of the Hindus
K.S. Sivakumaran

Hinduism is one religion that is not rigid and it is flexible. It could accommodate many views. A Hindu can express his opinion on any religious problem just as much as he could adopt his religious life in terms of his convictions, irrespective of his age, education or social standing. This is his birth right. Taking advantage of this I have ventured as a humble seeker of truth to air my views on some basic features in Hinduism.

Hindu metaphysical philosophy as we know has two aspects: one claiming spiritual origin and the other physical- both from all types of phenomena.

If we flash our thoughts into the dim past and trace the developments of the revelation and rituals, we will see that all conceivable ideas on the subject from the crudest ones to the finest have been applied, tested and rejected.

Schools of thought like Atomism, Materialism, Spiritualism, Nihilism and ideas like Evolution, Involution had all their impact on thinking.

But it is almost impossible to think anything new which has not been thought of earlier and which had not been practised and rejected after trial. You would agree that all the ‘isms’ of the present day are mere modifications of the past ideas with new labels. It is perhaps for this reason that the Vedas are called eternal. All possible human thoughts have been recorded already and the human intellect was as piercing than as it is today.

Instinct, reason and inspiration are all names for the same instrument for different operations.

Human intellect is flexible and discriminative. It was able to raise its head from nature worship, ancestor worship, idol worship, Devas worship and the like until it recognised a primordial intelligence and consciousness; and the bedrock on which the whole phenomena depended. As the expanding universe was too great for the human’s investigations, the humans turned their search light inside themselves.

This was on experimenting that the investigation of a lump of clay could be sufficient to find the component parts of the whole earth.

All schools of thought in the Hindu religion accept the Vedas as authentic or as revelations.

The four Vedas have been strained by reason and experience and the result is the teaching of the 108 Upanishads, throughout it was clear even to an outsider not well-versed in the scriptures what the Vedas were hitting at: The unanimous verdict of the Vedas was Monism complete pure Monism.

Monism should not be confused with Monotheism. Monism is that there is only ONE, without the second. Conversely Monotheism speaks of only ONE GOD.

There are hundreds of sects in the Hindu religion that everything God is their bottomline conception. All phenomena originate in Him, rest in Him and emerge into Him.

This concept however could be acceptable to contending parties calling them ‘idealists’ and ‘materialists’ for the simple reason that Monism (that is complete pure monism) covers both those terms.

Many take this Monism as a working assumption without any pangs of conscience as Monism is the final verdict for Hindus. But a final solution to an infinite problem is not possible. We cannot embrace the all embracing.

However we can presume that the Spirit the Hindus speak of may be a superfine matter beyond the search of all human instruments both physical and mental.

The matter they speak of is only a visible manifestation capable of being examined by human intellect.

This process is called Sruthi, Yugthi and Anubavam in Thamil.

The teachings of the Vedas, our own reasoning, our own experiences are the means of ascertaining the truth and not parrot-like repetition of what others have said.

sivakumaranks@yahoo.com

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Thursday, October 16, 2008

I AM A SINHALA HINDU ! ALL SHOULD UNITE!

Sinhala Hindus
I am a Sinhala Hindu and I make no apologies for admitting it. I consider Lord Buddha as the tenth Avatar of Lord Vishnu and I worship him daily as I do Murugan (Kataragama Deiyo) Ganesh whose blessings I seek and I have indeed been blessed in abundance. Human nature needs religion just as the human body requires food. It is the spiritual hunger of men that has driven man in every age to seek God in whatever form. The idea of God has changed through the years and today the concept of a creator God is not being accepted as it has been debunked by the march of scientific inquiry. Civilised man has a more exalted and worthy conception of God. Man’s social and spiritual needs are represented through our concept. For example, Learning is represented as a female Goddess –Lakshmi, Music by Saraswathie, Wealth by Ganesh, Preservation and All that is Good by Vishnu, Power by Karthikeiyan or Murugan or Kataragama and so on. This concept of God is profound. If we have faith and belief, our minds will do the rest as the first stanza of the Dhammapada tells us.
It is an undeniable fact that 90% of us Sinhalese who call ourselves Buddhists also worship the pantheon of Hindu gods. Not only ambitious politicians, but children before examinations, adults who have problems matrimonial and otherwise, there are no exceptions; almost every Buddhist temple has a Devale. Thousands flock to Bellanvila and Kupiawatte; the Kapurales at Kataragama and elsewhere, other than in the North, are all Sinhalese. Let us therefore accept the fact that ours is a Hindu country or at the least a Hindu-Buddhist country.

A synthesis of our two religions is possible only when there is agreement on their essentials or fundamentals, and there is much in common, including the Kammic theory and re-incarnation; in this regard I should state that linguists or those in allied fields such as Phonetics, Phonology, and Morphology should seek to create a standard language which would unify this country and end strife for all time.

It is a most challenging project which President Rajapaksa should initiate which would make us great and remembered as Dutugemunu and Parakrama Bahu. I am indeed grateful to CB who commenced this debate and SA, in particular, for his contribution. Incidentally, the latter has left out the following verse from his translation of the Metha Sutta immediately before the ‘verse’ "Just as a mother would protect her only child even at the risk of her own life even so may I cultivate a boundless love for all beings" — come the following ‘verse’ which has been inadvertently left out. "Let none deceive another nor despise any person in anger or wish ill-will; Let us not wish harm to another".

This is followed by "Just as a mother would protect..." It is indeed a beautiful and meaningful Bhavana, with which Iam in entire agreement, if that’s the word, with every Hindu concept and the Dharma.

Ananda Silva

www island.lk

SL: In Dedication to the Goddess of Learning!

In dedication to the Goddess of Learning
K.S. Sivakumaran
As most of us know the Hindus consider Saraswathi- consort of Brahma among the pantheon of deities- is worshipped as Goddess of Learning. Even the Buddhists and maybe Christians too acknowledge this observation. A nine-day pooja in the name of Saraswathi was concluded a few weeks ago, all over the island. A few places in Colombo too had this function.

The Hindu Association of Lake House had a religious ceremony and cultural functions recently at the Hindu Congress Hall in Fort and also released a publication called Jaladeepam. There are a few articles which may interest readers who are not familiar with the Saraswathi Pooja.

I give below excerpts from some of the articles:

"The Saraswathi Pooja is celebrated to honour the God of knowledge which is observed by the Hindus world over. The festival reaffirms the Hindu faith in the triumph of god. Hindus believe that this Navarathri fast gives fulfillment of all desires." (Bandula Padmakumara- Chairman ANCL)

"Navarathri Fast or Shakthi worship or Saraswathi pooja in honour of the Hindu pantheon of Goddesses namely Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswathi is celebrated for nine nights. Goodness, prosperity and knowledge are the three aspects of Navarathri Pooja which have to be brought into our lives. Goddess Saraswathi is depicted seated on a white lotus draped in a white saree playing the Veena indicating that she sings the melody of life inviting devotees to merge into the Naada Brahmam. Further Goddess Saraswathi's appearance symbolizes purity and transcendence and perfection. The white swan is a symbol of spiritual transcendence and perfection and is worshipped for knowledge the wisdom which will guide us on the onward march to the final goal of liberation" (Chelvathamby Maniccavasagar)

In this publication there are articles in Thamil and Sinhala too. In Sinhala, Piyasena Rathvithana has written on Saraswathi. Ravi Rathnavel's article speaks about meaning and Dharma. A few articles in English are on other subjects relating to Hinduism. They are: Nanthy as Emblem of Hindu Flag (S. Ratnarajah), Siva Yogaswami: sage and mystic (Dr Vimala Krishnapillai).

The rest of the articles are in Thamil. They include messages from Swami Sarvarupaananda, Shanthi Naavukkarasan, Siva Subramaniam, Anannda Paalakidnar and Shyamala Devi Karunakaran. The other articles are by K.E, Dr Kumarasamy Somasundaram, A. Kanagasooriyar, K. Eswaralingam, Dr Chelliah Rasadurai, Chinniah Ratnavadivel, and the late Kannadasan.

Besides these there are also some notes relating to the association. The cover picture depicts Goddess Durga. Ananda Paalakidnar has written a note on the significance of the picture. There are also photographs in colour and black and white.

The publication was issued free and it is available from the publishers, the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited.

There are many of us who worship Gods and Goddesses and observe religions without understanding the meanings that are represented therein. Such publications help the laypeople to understand religions in the correct perspective.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

DRAMMEN HINDU CULTURAL CENTER - NORWAY

DRAMMEN HINDU CULTURAL CENTER/VÅR VEIEN 24/ÅSSIDEN,3024 DRAMMEN
DRAMMEN HINDU KULTURSENTER-ESTD:2004

YOUR SUPPORT TO DHKS/DRAMMEN PILLAYAR KOVIL: 2220.12.36960 ORG.NR:987791578
DHKS WAS ESTABLISHED IN DRAMMEN, BY SRILANKAN-TAMIL PEOPLE LIVING IN DRAMMEN,NORWAY IN 2004 MARCH AT FJELL SKOLE,DRAMMEN, NORWAY.

MAIN AIM:

TO PRACTICE,FOLLOW,KNOW,EDUCATE,PROMOTE HINDUISM/SAIVAISM AMONG HINDU/SAIVA TAMIL PEOPLE SPECIALLY CHILDREN AND YOUTH WHO WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR CULTURE,RITUALS AND TRADITIONS.

ACTIONS:

WE GATHERED EVERY FIRST FRIDAYS 18.00 AT FJELL SKOLE AND PRAY/SING/EDUCATE
ABOUT OUR RELIGION/CULTURE/TRADITIONS/RITUALS ETC.

CONTACT: SHAN NALLIAH/ LEADER/DHKS
EPOST:shanmugappirabunalliah@hotmail.com mobil.0047-91784271

WE DO POOJA/DEEPAARAATHANAI AND SING DEVARAM,SIVAPURANAM,TIRUVAASAGAM,TIRUPALLANDU,
TIRUVISAIPPA,TIRUPUKALH,TIRUPURANAM,TIRUKURAL,TINASARI TIYANAM,PAJANAI PAADAL ETC.
WE OFFER PRASADAM TO GODS AS WELL AS TO ALL WHO GATHER AT POOJA.

WE WERE TRYING TO FIND/BUY A PERMANENT PLACE TO PLACE GANAPATHI/VINAYAGAR/PILLAIYAR
STATUE AND SIVA/PARVATHI/MURUGA PICTURES AND PRAY EVERY FRIDAY.

...............................................................................
DHKS:19.10.08 kl.15.00 Public Meeting/Fjell Skole
53 families who were members were invited by telefon. 15 members participated.
TOPIC: About buying of Locality in Åssiden
Leader:NS explained to all and they all agreed to buy this locality.Partcipated Members signed the meeting protocol.
...............................................................................


DHKS/ 01.11.08 Report:
We bought a small locality in Åssiden,through Buskerud Nærings megling/Geir A.Andreasson,Bragernes Torg 6,Pb.296,Bragernes,3001 Drammen.tel.32234910/fax.32234919/mobil.41508380(08.10.08/23.10.08) in Vårveien 24/seksjon-6, Åssiden,3024 Drammen to pray/worship/ meditate, HINDU GOD:GANAPATHY/GANESH/PILLAYAR/ELEPHANTFACE GOD(Metal Statue bought in Mumbai, 2005 by NS and gifted to DHKS and established as Temple on 01.11.08. SIVA.PARVATHY.GANESH and SKANTHA/MURUGA LARGE PICTURES(Bought by NS(Gifted) in Kathirgamam Temple,SL,in 2002)

"Buying Contract of Locality" was signed by: DHKS/STYRE/2008

1.Nalliah Shanmugappirabu/Styre Leder/Lyngv 3B,3041 Drammen
2.Arumugam Muthusamy J/As.Leder..L.Hervigsv 37c, 3035 Drammen
3.Maheswaran Paramalingam/Secretary, Flata 12A,3025 Drammen
4.Kalamani Sriskandarajan/Kasserer, Austadv 95, 3034 Drammen
5.Ayanarasa Selliah,Stjernev Øvre 3A,3023 Drammen
6.Kobalakrushna Visvalingam,L.Hervigsv 115 D ,3035 Drammen
7.Inthumathy Sahadevan,L.Hervigsv 51A,3035 Drammen

*Establishing Pooja Celebrations with rituals/pooja/Archanai were done by Sivacharya:
Sivarajah Gurukkal(Inuvil/Navatkuli of Jaffna,SRILANKA)and Pangaja Gurukkal(Urelu of Jaffna,SRILANKA)(Kl.9.00...14.00)

There were about 50 Tamil devotees including women,children and men. Many families brought prasathams and dedicated to GOD and shared by all including Anett Glittfjell/
Blomsterbutikk.

Every friday kl.18.00 we hope to have pooja/Prayer/Meditation/Singing/Prasatham
First fridays we will have meetings too after prayer. First friday of January after pooja/prayer we will have Annual Meeting/Election of New Officials!(See Noticeboard)
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07.11.08 Pooja/Prasatham was sponsored by Das Family . 18.00..20.00..30 devotees.
Tamil Archanai/108 sulogam/Ganapathy/Devarams etc were sung.Membership forms,Undial collection,Postgiro were placed.
................................................................................
14.11.2008 Friday 18.00 Pooja by....SHAN NALLIAH
21.11.2008 Friday 19.00 Pooja by ....NS/SK/VG/GR all
28.11.2008 Friday 19.00 Pooja by....V.Vigneswaran(Ravi/Malathy)Family
05.12.2008 Friday 19.00 Pooja by
12.12.2008 pooja """"""""""""""""""""
19.12.2008 pooja 18.30
26.12.2008 pooja"""""""""""""""""""""
02.01.2009 pooja/Abisekam by Guru from Oslo;Radha family pooja.
Invited openly all members to select New Executive Committee!But no one showed interest! Then it was decided that the old EC shall continue!
09.01.2009 pooja
16.01.2009 pooja
17.01.2009 General Meeting and New Executive committee selection was held at Fjell Skole,Drammen,Gymsalen,kl.17.00 due to some members requested to do so in writing. Annual report+ Accounts were submitted and approved!

New Executive Committee/2009:
Election Committee: 1.S.Shiyamala 2.S.Paramanantham

President: Shanmugappirabu Nalliah
Vice president: K.Shanmugalingam
Secretary: V.Rajendran
Asst.Secretary:P.Maheswaran
Cashier: Mrs.Kalamany Sriskandarajan
Executive Members:
Mrs.Rajeswari Arumugam
V.Vigneswaran
S.Ayanarasah
V.Gobalakrishnan

18.01.09
We went to Lier/Sjastad to look for a Farmland to buy for Temple.But that is very expensive(4,5 million) and 30 minutes away from Drammen.We have to borrow lot of money.That is difficult and not practical.But we shall discuss later.

23.01,09 pooja /Shan

30.01.09 pooja/Shan+Malar+Viji

06.02.09

WORLD TAMIL HINDU FORUM: what? why?

*HINDUISM IS THE OLDEST CIVILIZATION/RELIGION IN THIS WORLD WHICH TELLS THE HUMANBEINGS TO LIVE IN HARMONY WITH NATURE AS WELL AS WITH FELLOW HUMANBEINGS.


*HINDUISM TELLS THE HUMANBEINGS TO AVOID OR CONTROLL UNWANTED NEGATIVE FEELINGS SUCH AS ANGER,JEALOUS,REVENGE,HATE,FEAR,HOSTILITY,SEXUAL-VIOLATION ETC!

AND ENCOURAGE THE POSITIVE FEELINGS SUCH AS LOVE,FRIENDSHIP,RESPECT,KINDNESS AND GOOD-THINKING,GOOD-WORDS,GOOD ACTIONS!


*HINDUISM IS DEVIDED IN PRINCIPLES INTO TWO:

1. SITHAANTHAM:FINDING TRUTH BY MIND CONSENTRATION/MEDITATION TOWARDS GOD:SIVA

2. VEDAANDHAM : FINDING TRUTH BY KNOWLEDGE OF BOOKS(VEDAs)


*HINDU GODS:THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL BASIC ACTIVITIES IN THIS UNIVERSE!


SIVA:THE DESTROYER

BRAHMA:THE CREATOR

VISHNU:THE PROTECTOR

MAHESWARA:THE BLESSER

URUTHIRA: THE ILLUSIONIST


*HINDU GODDESSES:THEY ARE HELPING TO FULFILL BASIC NEEDS OF HUMANS IN THIS WORLD!

DURGA: VALOUR/BRAVERY/SELF-CONFIDENCE/SURVIVAL-ABILITY

LUXMY: WEALTH/WELFARE/FOOD+WATER/MATERIALS/SHELTER/CLOTHS/SURVIVAL NEEDS

SARASWATHY: KNOWLEDGE/EDUCATION/THINKING-SPEAKING-WRITING ABILITY

*THERE ARE 3 IMPORTANT THINGS IN THIS WORLD:

1.PATHY/ GOD(OVERALL IN-CHARGE OF UNIVERSE)

2.PASU/ SOUL (NON-DESTROYABLE)(REINCARNATION POSSIBLE)

3.PAASAM/ LOVE(ON LIVINGS/NON-LIVINGS)


*THERE ARE 3 IMPORTANT NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF HUMAN CHARACTER:

1.AANAVAM/ EGO(SELFISHNESS,JEALOUSY,ANGER,STINGY,HOSTILITY,REVENGE,SEXUAL-VIOLATION)

2.KANMAM/ KARMA(+/- ACTIONS)(EARLIER LIVE/CURRENT LIVE)

3.MAAYAI/ILLUSION(UNREAL/DECEPTIVE THINKING/BELIEVES)

*HINDUISM HAS MANY BRANCHES WHICH FOCUS ON EACH GOD! BUT HINDUS WORSHIP ALL GODS!!

SAIVAM(SIVA)

VAISNAVAM(VISHNU)

SAAKTHAM(SAKTHI)

GANAPTHYAM(GANAPATHY)

GOWMARAM(MURUGAN/SKANDA)
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WTHF : AIMS!

1.EDUCATE/INFORM HINDUS AND OTHERS ABOUT HINDUISM/HINDUS/TEMPLES/HISTORIC PLACES.

2.UNITY/SOLIDARITY/HELP WITH POOR/OPPRESSED/IGNORANT/HELPLESS PEOPLE.

3.DIALOGUE/UNDERSTANDING/TOLERANCE/FRIENDSHIP WITH ALL OTHER RELIGIONS.

4.PRACTICE/FOLLOW/SPREAD HINDU TRADITIONS,CULTURE,RITUALS,VEGETARINISM/FOOD ETC.

5.TRAVELS,PILGRIMS,VISITS,CO-ORDINATION BETWEEN HINDU SOCIETIES/TEMPLES OF THE WORLD.