NEEDED IS
THE HARMONIOUS CO-EXISTENCE BETWEEN
HUMANS AND ANIMALS
TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER'S
EVOLUTION AND SUSTENANCE
AS THE CREATOR DESIGNED & PLANNED....
The article in this posting submitted by SRii
chmpklaal Daajibhaai misTRii of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada with
the preceding write-up.....is meant to be one of the many information and
knowledge articles published from many submissions to
PVAF AASHRAM NEWS..... to keep this page updated daily to empower
YOU to have
A BETTER DAY TOMORROW WITH
MORE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT
YOUR FIT INTO THIS CREATION AND LIFE....
In ancient times in veDik lifestyle,
may be there was a reason why temples kept elephants......As per history in
texts of veD, an elephant was used to
choose a king from among the citizens if an heir to an existing king was not
available or if the king had to be replaced for any reasons as per the dictates
of DHARm and
shaasTR.....
But the tradition of keeping an elephant anywhere in present lifestyle seems
more and more outdated.... and sometimes keeping any animal in an enclosed and
controlled environment by humans often appears to be only a form of cruelty to
animals as the present veDik lifestyle
has so many limitations in the present time era called
kli-yug........especially when in
kli-yug almost 75 percent of the humanity does not want to live
their daily life by the rules and regulations of
DHARm or by shaasTR knowledge
in veD.....
Please click on the next line to read an interesting phenomenon happening in
bhaart (India) regarding the above subject matter and especially
focused on the chaining of elephants in some
bhaartiy temples......
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Unchain these temple
elephants
SUDHA PILLAI
TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ THURSDAY, APRIL 01,
2004 07:30:56 AM ]
While KN Somayaji explains how elephants came to be in temples, Sudha Murty
says it’s time we had a rethink on ancient traditions
SHOULD elephants, an endangered and protected species under the Wild Life
Protection Act, be owned by temples, especially those that neither have the
resources nor the inclination to care for the animals? Before we answer that
question, we should understand how these animals entered the precincts of Hindu
temples in the first place.
Somayaji, dharmadhikari of Sringeri Sharada Peetam and founder director of
Kalpatharu Research Academy, explains the origins of elephants in our temples:
“Aeons ago, elephants played an important role during wartime. They would ferry
the king to the battleground and after winning the war, the king would make his
victory procession on the animal. After which the elephants would be given to
the temples to be taken care of until the next war. They were worshiped as
symbols of strength and victory. The second way by which elephants came to be in
our temples is when some people, in order to obtain a divine favour or to atone
for their sins, would vow to serve at the temple full-time. Since it was
impractical for people to leave everything and be attached to the temple 24
hours a day, they would gift an elephant to the temple in their name — a
symbolic representation of the devotee. The elephant would then be used to
perform various tasks in and around the temple. Thirdly, elephants were
worshiped because of Lord Ganapati. The pachyderms were also used for gajapooja,
a ritual performed before going to war and invoking victory.”
What is the significance of elephants in an Aiyappa or a Gayatri temple? “None,”
says Somayaji. “There is no connection between these gods and the elephant.
Honestly, a majority of the temples in the city use these animals as showpieces.
Elephants are worshiped and taken care of only in three temples, Sringeri,
Dharmasthala and Guruvayur. Here, in Bangalore, they are treated as attractive
propositions to make money.”
Is it necessary to have elephants in our temples? Mayank Sharma, marketing
executive, says, “It is traditional to have elephants in Hindu temples. It is
considered auspicious to be blessed by one. I think we should retain the
tradition. However, it is important that these animals are well looked after.”
Sudha Murty, chairperson of Infosys Foundation says, “We cannot blindly follow
thousand-year-old traditions. Elephants are meant to live in the forests and not
in concrete jungles. These animals have as much a right to their lives as we
humans do.. I think we shouldn’t have elephants in our temples, especially if
they are not cared for properly.”
Manasi, advertising professional, visits temples often. She says, “What drives
us to a temple is our faith and the desire to commune with self and God. Faith
does not need accessories like elephants. You go to a temple to become a better
person, yet you are unmoved by the sight of an elephant in chains and bleeding
in the trunk. Then what is the point in going to a temple? How much value does a
wounded elephant add to your prayers?”
Is it time for us to usher in new traditions that would protect our endangered
species from the ills of old ones?
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