CU Hindu Cultural Society Newsletter for Michaelmas 99 A message from the president: Namaste, I would just like to start by welcoming back all our old members and welcoming all our new ones. Over the course of the term, CUHCS will be endeavouring to bring you a wide, diverse and quality range of events. Indeed, there will be fortnightly discussion forums which usually see people from differing backgrounds offering very different opinions on what tend to be lively, thought provoking occasions. And then we have had all the fun of Raas Garba with the local community to celebrate Navratri and to look forward to we have the highlight of the term, our annual Diwali dinner and Pooja, where you can treat yourself to fine, Punjabi home made cuisine in a warm, candle lit ambience. We will also be offering you the opportunity to go and spend part of your summer in rural India, working on the Chitrakoot project. The project was an immense success last year and this year has aroused media interest whilst the Deputy High Commissioner of India has offered to grace us with his presence following the visit of 10 students to the project last summer. We hope some of these events appeal. In addition to this, we also have a library of books on Hinduism which is open to all members whilst more about the society can be gleaned from our website on the Cambridge University Societies page. It should also be stressed that we would most appreciate any suggestions or comments you may have. We certainly look forward to seeing you and trying to make CUHCS a worthwhile exercise as we try to provide a social, philosophical, spiritual, musical and cultural milieu of enjoyment. Whether or not you can find a place for CUHCS in your busy schedule, I wish you the very best for the remainder of this term and your time at Cambridge. Rajan Jain Trinity Hall Event Calendar Michaelmas 1999 2 nd November 10 th November 16 th November 30 th November Squash Raas Garba DRI Talk Discussion Forum II Diwali Pooja & Dinner Discussion Forum III Discussion Forum IV CUHCS is also online at: http://www.cam.ac.uk/cambuniv/societies/cuhcs/ A library is now available containing a wide range of books on Hinduism. For more information please contact Soumitra Mukerji (skm21). 1
ELEMENTS OF HINDUISM The following has been extracted from The Hindu Prayer Book by Pandit Krishan Kant Attri and Dr Anand: Hinduism is like an all-encompassing ocean. Here in the West only rational thought is considered essential for science and faith for religion. Hinduism stresses the whole consciousness which also includes rational thought and faith, and is more universal. It is a living philosophy of life. Hinduism is the oldest living religion of the world. Hinduism is not formally enunciated by any one individual or prophet. It is the collection of revelations to several saints during their period of rigorous and disciplined meditation (Tapasyaa). This collection of revelations is known as the Vedas. Hinduism is a natural way of life. It is not a constructed main road but a self-formed footpath trodden by the continuous walking of masses by their own will and choice. Hinduism is never imposed on any body at any time and does not believe in conversion. Hinduism is a symbol of unity. It is not a single religion, but a composite one where people of various religions were put together under a single shade. The diversity of rituals, belief, castes, food, dress, social behaviour, languages and politics have not been able to destroy the deeper spirituality of Hinduism. Hinduism is a religion of experience. It is not based on dogmas and creeds to be accepted blindly, but is based on self-realisation. Hinduism allows absolute freedom in the faith and mode of worship, not insisting that God could be reached through only a particular name, place or path. Hinduism is unique in having sacred scriptures written by women saints. Hinduism states that God is everything and everywhere. Hinduism is a religion of love and gratitude, and of tolerance and patience giving due respect to all religions. NAVRATRI Navaratri is known as the festival of nine nights, which takes place during the month of either October or November. The Hindu goddesses, Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati, are used to represent the belief that the strength to overcome evil and the power to protect the weak are feminine qualities. Durga is the goddess of Shakti (or strength), Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, and Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge. The nine nights of Navaratri are divided into three days' worship for each of these three goddesses. There are many stories relating to the feminine power to eradicate suffering and the injustice that causes it. Some of these stories feature the slayer of many demons Mahishasura, the tigress-like strength of Durga, the pure white embodiment of Amba and the ferocity of Kaali. The tenth day is known as 'Vijay Dashmi', meaning victory day, and has a special significance: celebrated as 'Seemollanghan', meaning 'crossing the barrier', it aims to send out the message to every individual, that one should always attempt to surpass one's current limitations. People come together for Navaratri and so these nine nights are also supposed to create feelings of goodwill in society. During these nine days, Hindus pray and many fast as well. At night on each of the days, many Hindus dance around the image of the goddess Durga. These dances, called Garbas, are very popular with the Hindu community in Britain. They offer a wonderful combination of dance and worship. The women wear the best of their saris, the men dress smartly and they all dance in circles to devotional songs accompanied by the rhythmic beat of Indian drums, called 'dholaks'. All of the dancers gathered at the garbas carry small decorated wooden sticks which are struck in rhythm. The colliding sticks among the various circles of dancers gives the impression of a mock war. However, with all of the singing, dancing and worship, it is a celebration of victory of good over evil. The dancing and worshipping over the nine days commemorates the nine-day war that took place between Rama and Ravana. Rama represents good and Ravana, evil because despite his wealth and intelligence, he allowed the forces of jealousy, anger and arrogance to influence him. So there has been a long-standing tradition of enacting the 'Ramayana' or 'Ramalila', the epic that tells the story of the battle between Rama and Ravana, during the course of the nine days. During this festive season, drama plays an important role in portraying the idealism personified by Shri Rama. Tushin Shah 2
DIWALI FESTIVAL Diwali or Deepwali, apart from being the most widely celebrated is perhaps one the of the most pretty Indian festivals. It is a festival of joy, splendour, brightness and happiness. It is described as the "festival of lights", symbolising the victory of righteousness and the lifting of spiritual darkness. Focussing on the story of Rama, this festival commemorates Lord Rama's return to his kingdom Ayodhya after completing his 14-year exile. Twinkling oil lamps or diyas light up every home and firework displays are common all across the country in celebration, symbolising the triumph of good over evil. This festive occasion also marks the beginning of the Hindu new year and Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed god, the symbol of suspiciousness and wisdom, is also worshipped in Hindu homes on this day, as is Lakshmiji, the goddess of love, beauty and wealth. The occasion of Diwali sees the spring-cleaning and whitewashing of houses; decorative designs or rangolis are painted on floors and walls. New clothes are bought and family members and relatives gather together to offer prayers, distribute sweets and to light up their homes. Rishika Sinha *CUHCS will be celebrating Diwali by performing a pooja, followed by our annual diwali dinner. The pooja is free to all, and a few tickets are still available for anyone who wishes to come to the dinner. CHITRAKOOT PROJECT IN INDIA Interested in spending your summer in rural India? Well, read on, and find out how you could enjoy an experience that will last you a lifetime. This summer, a group of ten students from Cambridge visited the Deendayal Research Institute (DRI) in Chitrakoot, Northern India. We were inspired by hearing Nanaji Deshmukh, the founder of the DRI, give a talk to CUHCS last year, in which he invited students from Cambridge to visit Chitrakoot, and participate in his model of rural development. The DRI is a charitable organisation involved with implementing a model of rural development for a cluster of 500 villages around the area of Chitrakoot in Northern India. Their ethos is Total transformation through holistic development, with people s initiative and participation. The latter part of this statement is especially important, since development with people s initiative brings self-reliance and hence self-respect. Holistic development involves considering all aspects of human life - education, life-long health, sustainable agricultural practices, and rural industrialisation. The ultimate aim is to develop complete self-reliance for the villagers, and thereby reduce the perceived pressure on them to migrate to the cities. Chitrakoot is a particularly appropriate place to found this project, since it was here that Lord Ram (an important historical figure for Hindus) showed the way of all round development to the oppressed tribals when in exile, even though he did not have any state power. After an induction period of three days, where we got to know the other members of the group, and settled in to the way of life in India, we spent 15 days in Chitrakoot, which was to be the central part of our visit. We spent most of our time stationed near the villages, staying there during the daytime. We were all initially quite sceptical as to how the rather idealistic approach of the DRI would be implemented in practice, since almost every NGO makes similar claims, with varying degrees of success. By the end of the stay however, we were quite amazed at the amount of change that had occurred, and the rather unique way in which it had been achieved. Central to the DRI project, is the Samaj Swasthya Shilpi Parivar scheme. This involves placing a graduate couple in each village, whose role is to live with the villagers for 5 years, and lend an invisible hand to the development process. The concept of a couple is quite important, not only because single workers tend to be regarded with suspicion, but also since it allows them to fit in to village life more smoothly, and to initiate change through example. Furthermore, certain issues, such as those affecting women can only be effectively dealt with by a woman. Working in harmony with the existing culture of the villages is extremely important, since it ensures that the development will be both acceptable and lasting. The aim is that after five years, the village will become self-sufficient, allowing the couple to leave them and move on. 3
But how exactly is the DRI encouraging self-sufficiency? Their motive is to work on changing the attitudes of the villagers, rather than offering them free handouts. One of the problems that has occurred since independence, is that people in India have become reliant on the government to do things for them - to provide schools, hospitals, jobs, without realising that the most potent force for change lies within themselves. An example of this is in the field of education. When the couple arrived in the village, although there were two schools (one of them government funded), attendance was extremely poor, at 10%. The reason was that many villagers did not see the need for educating their children, despite the existence of government infrastructure. The couple initially would gather the children together, and teach them basic concepts of hygiene (such as the need to always cover water, and wash regularly), always teaching by example. Being naturally inquisitive, and lacking the prejudices of their elders, the children were quick to learn, and adopted the new practices at home. Eventually, this led to the parents seeing the benefit of education for the children, and also adopting these practices for themselves, since they could see that what the couple was teaching was for their benefit. When we visited, after one and a half years, attendance was almost 100%, and literacy had risen from 20-70%. The DRI has various other initiatives, located outside the villages. An education research centre is working on devising more appropriate methods for delivering the government syllabus, which at present, is geared towards city dwellers. Interactive means of delivering the education are used, and the centre also has a mobile unit, which allows older children to gain experience of hi-tech equipment, such as information technology. One of the most impressive of these initiatives is the Arogyadham, a research centre into Ayurveda and Yoga sciences. Ayurveda is a system of medicine that has developed over thousands of years in India. It places emphasis on life-long health, and considers the body as an integral whole - a unit of mind, body, intellect and soul. The Arogyadham is performing much leading-edge research into giving Ayurveda a quantitative basis, thereby enhancing its credibility in the scientific world. In addition, it also acts as a hospital for the villages, where it uses the latest allopathic equipment for diagnosis. The area itself is located on a beautiful island, surrounded by hills on three sides, and really feels like paradise! Some of the many advantages of Ayurveda include lower cost, fewer side effects than allopathic medicine and the emphasis on prevention as well as cure. It also removes dependency of the villagers on large pharmaceutical firms. It should be possible for clinical medical students to perform their electives here in the very near future. There are numerous other initiatives that there is unfortunately not enough space to describe here. These include an agricultural research centre (KVK), researching into means of developing and implementing sustainable agricultural practices. A rural industrialisation programme is also underway, to allow competitive, small-scale industries to be set up in villages, reducing the need for urban migration. What we can do in this project as students? Our visit was intended as a pilot run, to assess the feasibility of involving students in this project. Although we only stayed for a short period of time, the couples there really felt that we had made a difference, by working with them, and raising various issues with the villagers. The next group, planned to visit in the summer of 2000 will stay for a longer period of 6 weeks in the villages, to allow them to make a more significant contribution. Our trip also included many visits to areas of cultural and religious significance, which allowed us to appreciate and understand more of Indian culture. And, although this has become a well-worn phrase, seeing a society completely different from our own really did force most of us to reconsider our views, and appreciate what we do have. Soumitra Mukerji If you are interested in spending your summer in Chitrakoot, or just finding out more about the project, please contact Priya Agrawal (pa220). 4
MASTANA Mastana, CUHCS's cultural explosion of dance and music, returned to Peterhouse Theatre last March, and an explosion is exactly what it was. Indeed, this year's Mastana was perhaps the best yet and the highlights ranged from the climaxproviding and very loud bhangra through to the quieter and more serene flute solo, not to mention a Dandiya dance and classical dances like Bharat Natyam and Kathak. The wonderful and soul-stirring entertainment enjoyed by a capacity audience further comprised a sarod recital, a tabla and sitar duet, bhajans and a medley of Bollywood tunes. However, words cannot ultimately do the show justice and one really had to be there in order to appreciate the unique experience and the efforts and hard work put in by so many different people. It should also be noted that all of the money raised from the show will once again be going to SEWA International, helping to provide education for under-privileged children in India. Last year we raised 600 for charity through Mastana. Rajan Jain *Mastana will be taking place once again this year, towards the end of lent term. Details will go out at the beginning of next term. Anyone wishing to take part in this year s production is invited to send in their details. WHAT CAN HINDUISM OFFER THE MILLENNIUM? In modern times, more and more youth seem to be becoming disenchanted with religion. Thus, as we approach the millennium, questions arise over the role of religion for the next century. I would submit that religion will, in fact, be necessary if the human race is to celebrate the end of another thousand years. Hinduism has universal and timeless values which can help to create a better world, one of peace and one where people and planet both have a future. Religion has in the past torn people apart (for example, the persecution of Jews during the tragic Holocaust) whilst religious tensions continue to divide today (the problems in Northern Ireland, Israel and Palestine being obvious examples); against such a background. Hinduism provides a constructive lamp of respect and tolerance which can instead to help to unify and heal. And it is precisely this unification which is needed both for the next century and the future further ahead. It is perhaps not surprising that so many people are turning away from religion when we consider the many wars that have been fought in its name, from the crusades to the various wars between Protestants, Catholics and Muslims bedevilling sixteenth century Europe right through to the present day with the genocide in Bosnia. In addition to this, there is the terrorist activity of religious extremists, which continues to create instability and unrest in many parts of the world. The point is that not only does this serve to destroy the deeper essence of spirituality but further to this, we cannot allow this to go on if we are to survive. Nuclear weapons are now held by even developing countries (one recalls the recent controversy surrounding India and Pakistan) and were World War 3 to break out, one cannot help but fear for where it would end. Religious cleansing is wrong and the true spirit of religion should be to bring people together. This is why Hinduism does not believe in conversion and instead looks to respecting all religions of the world. David Frawley, chair of the American Institute of Vedic Studies, writes, "It is time we stopped making other human beings alien. This only ends up causing enmity and war. If we examine all cultures we find in each all the same basic needs and goals culminating in the search for the Divine or the eternal. A humanity divided against itself cannot stand. Recognising this we can integrate the world in our own minds. This is the goal of Vedic knowledge. We cannot heal the world without first healing our idea of the world within our mind. To do this we must see the world within us and our self in all aspects of the world" (From the River of Heaven: Hindu and Vedic Knowledge for the Modern Age). Indeed, Lord Krishna in The Bhagavad Gita says that, "Know that knowledge by which one sees the one imperishable state of being in all creatures, the undivided among the divided, is purely constituted" (ch.18, v.20). This holistic and universal vision of love needs to be embraced; it is a vision leading to joy and fulfilment, as has been testified to by some great poets (as pointed out by Professor Juan Mascaro). Dante in his Paradiso writes, "Within its deep infinity I saw ingathered, and bound by love in one volume, the scattered leaves of all the universe. The universal form of this complex whole I think that I saw because as I say this I feel my joy increasing", whilst William Blake wrote: 5
To see a World in a grain of sand, And Heaven in a wild flower, Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand, And Eternity in an hour. A similar sentiment is expressed by Wordsworth in The Prelude when he says, I felt the sentiment of bring spread O'er all that moves, and all that seemeth still, Wonder not If such my transports were; for in all things now I saw one life and felt that it was joy. Humanity is connected by the common existence of God as each individual's soul. The Hindu greeting of Namaste is derived from this idea; thus, when you bow with folded hands you are, in fact, symbolically bowing to the divine soul within that person. God, in whichever form he may be worshipped, is the God of all spreading his love through the universe. Significantly, the New Testament also declares that, The kingdom of God is within you. Recognising the soul within us is the very truth of our consciousness and being. According to the Spanish poet, Jorge Guillen, "To be. No more. This is all. This is the joy supreme". Professor Juan Mascaro, using The Bhagavad Gita as a base to reflect on the other religions of the world, writes, ".. we find one spiritual faith, and this faith is based on a vision of Truth. Not indeed the truth of the laws of nature gradually discovered by the human mind; but the Truth of our being". Mahatma Gandhi wrote, "A man may not believe in God but still call himself a Hindu. Hinduism is a relentless pursuit after truth" whilst the Mundaka Upanishad declares, "Satyam Eva Jayate" ("Truth is victory"). Dante, Blake and Wordsworth seem to have seen this Truth; if we can all see it, we would not only have a better understanding of ourselves but a lot more compassion for those around us, for whatever religious values they may hold, they are ultimately part of us through our Being. It is thus that the Atharva Veda says, "The whole world is one nest". Hence, it can be seen, how by adopting this vision contained within the Hindu scriptures, the human race can co-exist in harmony. Arnold Toynbee wrote, "In the Atomic Age the whole human race has a utilitarian motive for following this Indian way... Yet... the primary reason is that this teaching is right - and is right because it flows from a true vision of spiritual reality". It may be said that it is too simplistic to discuss the conflicts mentioned earlier purely in terms of religion given that they also involve large elements of politics. Nevertheless, it remains true that the differences in the first place are based on religion. Moreover, it has often been said that Hinduism is much more than a religion - it is a way of living which includes politics. Indeed, a new religious attitude with different perceptions of the world around us can lead to a different political outlook. Above all, Hinduism and its principles offer the millennium a sense of hope. However, it is up to us to try and realise that hope. Rajan Jain CU Hindu Cultural Society Committee Members President Vice President Secretary Treasurer Publicity Rajan Jain, Trinity Hall Soumitra Mukerji, Peterhouse Khushi Kukadia, Downing Tushin Shah, Jesus Nitin Kumar Goel, Fitzwilliam rajanjain_uk@yahoo.com skm21@cam.ac.uk kk231@cam.ac.uk ts254@cam.ac.uk nkg25@cam.ac.uk Committee Posts Rishika Sinha, Kings rs280@cam.ac.uk Rewa Vaidya, Newhall rdv20@cam.ac.uk Anurag Sharma, Clare as332@cam.ac.uk Soujit Ghosh, St Johns sg229@cam.ac.uk *Anyone wishing to get involved with the activities of CU Hindu Cultural Society is advised to contact Rajan Jain 6