Hindu Culture

The Tmilian race of people is of an ancient stock. Some scholars are convinced that the Tamils originated from the continent of Lemuria that was later lost to the ocean. The Tamils were a sophisticated people in that they developed complex social structures.Their culture possessed spiritually sensitive art forms - prose and poetry; music; dance and drama. The exquisite Tamil language couched the esoteric essence of its people with intricate grammar. Some ancient literary works (6BC) place Tamils as the first circumnavigators.Essentially the Tamils were a spiritual people. Tamilians have practised twin form of spirituality namely Saivism and Thirumalismuntil the incremental invasion of the Aryans.

That is to say, that the Tamils acquired not only the worship of icons/idols but also the practice of offering fire sacrifices (Verlvi) as a result of northern invasion. Sivan or Thirumal worship in its purest form meant that the Tamils worshipped the ubiquitous Cosmic Spirit – the invisible One without any aid of iconography. Formation of such seminal thoughts could be traced in ancient Tamil literature including the Sitthar padalgal. For example, a Sitthar Tamil poem sings: “Natta Kallai suttriyai; Naalu puspam sathiyai; sutri vanthu mona mona yendru sollum manthiram yethadar; natta kallum pesumo nathan ullil erukaiyil?”The mystic through this song raises the question as to why one should worship an inanimate object while “Nathan” - the indwelling Spirit / the Masterof the universe is residing within one self. The divine interiority of each person was paramount to the Tamil mind. It is not far from the truth to say that the Tamils have adhered to a monotheistic framework and referred to God either as Thirumal or Sivan.We propose that much cultural/spiritual corruption came via the Brahmins as they conspired to enslave the Tamils, inter alios, politically, intellectually, and spiritually.Corrupting InfluenceAdvanced civilisation of the Tamils divided the habitable landscape into four distinct areas. That distinction of habitation reflected their art and culture respectively. The four separate areas were 1) Kurungee: mountainous terrain 2) Mullai: Forest and the surrounding area 3) Marutham: Cleared area of ‘green site’ settlements 4) Naithal: Sea and dwellings along thecoa......

The National Mission for Manuscripts (NMM) is taking India's priceless manuscripts - age-old data preserved in papers and palm leaves on history, astrology, medicine and religion - to the classroom.With the 'Living World', the school outreach programme aims at inculcating a sense of heritage conservation among youngsters, especially students, as there are almost five million such manuscripts in the country."Our students do not know much about India's glorious cultural heritage and the programme is conceived keeping that in mind. In Delhi, we have visited 10 schools to introduce the concept of preserving manuscripts," Prerana Prasad, the chiefcoordinator of the programme, told IANS. "The programme is to form a link between the past and the present," she added.The Mahabharata, the Panchatantra and Charak's medicinal experiments as well as astrological calculations are some of the historical resources handled by NMM.The mission has visited 10 government schools in New Delhi.

It is ready to go to Gujarat in October.Among the schools in New Delhi selected by the mission are ASVJ School, Birla Boys' School and Ramjas Girls' School in Old Delhi."After Delhi, the mission is going to Gujarat to show students the manuscripts and create an awareness among them. We are planning to eventually take the programme to all the states in India."Along with workshops and lectures by experts, the mission is also taking the help of a theatre group to educate through entertainment."Wehave been showing plays based on the theme of the Mahabharata and Arabian Nights. The aim is to convey the message through a popular medium," Prasad said."The effort is not to espouse religion, but to explain that our knowledge is sourced from manuscripts."The NMM is a five-year project that not just seeks to locate, catalogue and preserve our manuscripts but also enhances access, spreads awareness and encourages their use for educational purposes.The project was launched in February 2003 by the ministry of tourism and culture to save the most valuable but less visible of India's cultural inheritances.The manuscripts handled by the NMM belong to universities, libraries, temples, monasteries and even private collections.Article Source

Spread out amongst the dense jungles of Cambodia hide the remains of an ancient and grand civilization. Once inhabited by a people known as the Khmer, today millions of tourists visit the temples at Angkor to get a glimpse of the majesty of this once proud city.While most visitors focus on the beauty of the city’s towering temples, another story lies in the intricate stone carvings adorning the buildings.These inscriptions tell of everyday life, grand military conquests and perhaps most intriguing of all, strange mythological creatures. But are all the fantastic animals depicted at Angkor purely myth, or are some of them based on realcreatures that once lived? The Khmer began to develop as a unique culture in Cambodia around 2000 years ago. Early contact with Indian traders had a tremendous influence on this developing society, bringing agricultural, mathematical and literary knowledge to the coastal regions of Cambodia.

This contact also brought with it Hindu beliefs, in particular the worship of Vishnu and Shiva. In later years, Mahayana Buddhism was introduced to the Khmer, followed by Theravada Buddhism in the thirteenth century.1 Even a casual perusal of the stone carvings at Angkor shows the importance that Hindu and Buddhist beliefs had to these ancient people. The most commoncreatures represented at Angkor come from Hindu mythology. One of the most unique of these is the Garuda, a creature comprised of the head, wings and talons of an eagle with the body of a man. One of the three principle animal deities in Hindu mythology, the Garuda is the king of the birds and enemy of the serpent. Some of the most impressive examples of the Garuda at Angkor can be found along the outside walls at Preah Khan. This impressive site also contains many wonderful examples of giant trees fused with the natural stonework of the site. While the Garuda is most likely a purely mythological being based on a combination of two real creatures (the eagle and man), our next animal may share its mythological heritage with a living animal. The highlight of any trip to Angkor is usually a visit to the vast and towering temple complex known as AngkorWat. Upon passing ......

"Whenever there is decay of righteousness... and there is exaltation of unrighteousness, then I Myself come forth... for the destruction of evil-doers, for the sake of firmly establishing righteousness, I am born from age to age." --- KRISHNA- Bhagavad Gita- fourth discourse

Hindus are awaiting the coming of the Kalki Avatar at the end of this present age, Kalki Yuga (Dark or Iron Age). Baha'is believe that the Kalki Yuga age has already ended and, as promised in the Bhagavad Gita, the Lord has again manifested Himself to humanity.... this time with the name Baha'u'llah. Baha'u'llah is the Kalki Avatar.

Baha'u'llah's name means the Glory of Bhagwan or the Splendor of Ishvara. The coming of Baha'u'llah is therefore the start of the Sat or Krta Yuga (Golden Age). It is the time when people will return to righteousness and the world will be at peace.

Baha'is have pointed to the prophecies in the Hindu scriptures and stated that all of these have been fulfilled in this age. There are many passages in the Hindu writings which describe the condition of the world at the end of the Kalki Yuga. Baha'is would say that what is described in the Hindu books is exactly what we are seeing in the world today. Among the most striking of these passages from the Hindu holy books are the following....