Dear all, Perhaps the question 'can an anya devata shrine be constructed in a Vishnu temple according to the aagamas' is subtly different to the question of 'what is the best option for temple construction in mixed-sampradaaya communities, such as those in the west'. It shouldn't be forgotten that the Shrivaishnava communities in India (and to a lesser extent the US, I'm guessing?) are often lucky to be of sufficient size such that they can organise their 'satsang' and maintain a degree of authenticity in the preservation of their philosophy. I can say from experience in the UK, for example, that not all of us are so lucky. The Shrivaishnava population here is very small - and most of those that are here have probably become philosophically aligned to the 'Advaita-lite' that most westerners would associate with Hinduism and see Vaishnava/Shaiva/Smaarta distinctions as 'divisive' or 'obsolete' etc. In fact even some Iyengars in India these days do not know that they are affiliated to Shrivaishnavism!! With this in mind, it should not come as a surprise that in a country like the UK, the philosophy will tend to be even more diluted. This is certainly a shame, but in this situation what are the observant Shrivaishnavas to do? Close themselves off from everybody else? One should be aware that this will seem like 'Hindus discriminating against Hindus' to the local folk, which may give people a negative perception of our sampradaayam - that's surely not a good thing. So perhaps for those of us who do call ourselves specifically 'Srivaishnava', the best option available is to try and be true to our principles/traditions within ourselves, while trying to engage with those of other sampradaayas/religions in some constructive way. If the only temple in the area is a Shiva temple with a Vishnu shrine at the side, perhaps we need to try and search for those noble aspects of Shaivism that echo our Shrivaishnava belief system? I don't know - of course this may be against our shaastras and aagamas - but isn't interaction the only way that people will learn about each others' cultures? For example, when I mentioned the Vishnu shrines in Shaiva Siddhaanta temples earlier, I was not necessarily saying that a Srivaishnava has to go and pray there - but perhaps, it is possible to walk into one without thinking "oh no, I am in an anya-devata shrine where worship is carried out against our aagamic principles" - and perhaps it is more constructive to think "look - they also recite the Vedic hymns to Vishnu, they also offer the various upaachaaras with devotion, etc. - that's something at least". Another issue is what type of community you are serving - if you build a Hindu temple in a UK city (or anywhere for that matter), you need to demonstrate that you are serving the religious needs of the local Hindu community. One may suggest that "this is no excuse to violate the injunctions of the aagamas and build a Ganapati sannidhi in a Paancharaatra temple". Perhaps not. But if, in a particular city, you can count the number of people following a particular aagamic tradition on one hand, then it is obvious that such a temple would not be viewed as "serving the community's religious needs". OK, so arguably the purpose of a temple is to serve God rather than the other way round, but let's be realistic. Without patrons, how will the service be funded? While the 'multi- cuisine cafeteria' mentality is no doubt an important factor, as Sri Sudarshan put it, I would suggest that this isn't the whole story - these temples are also a genuine attempt to keep *some* form of Vedic practice alive, in countries where by rights, it probably shouldn't stand a chance of surviving in the first place. Then there is the interesting question of: given the choice between an 'anya-devata' temple/'diluted Vishnu temple' and no temple at all, which is better? I haven't decided myself :-) My point basically, is that while the aagamas and shaastras may be very clear on the issue, it is not always as simple to follow them in all social backdrops - and would just ask for a little understanding from the more faithful followers our tradition elsewhere - we are trying our best out here! :-) I was once talking to Sri Shaunaka Rishi Das, head of the Oxford Centre of Hindu studies, himself a staunch Gaudiya Vaishnava. His background is Irish, where many will know that sectarian violence between Catholics and Protestants has ripped apart the nation in recent history. On the issues of engaging with other sampradaayas and paying homage to anya-devatas in a Vaishnava context, he said it far better than I could - 'In Northern Ireland, if you weren't prepared to engage with people of other religions, you'd get shot' (paraphrased). Ok so this may not be an immediate danger with Hindus, but it's something to think about nevertheless :-) Sorry for this long posting and hope no offence was caused (none was intented of course)! best wishes Ranjan ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> What would our lives be like without music, dance, and theater? Donate or volunteer in the arts today at Network for Good! http://us.click.yahoo.com/WwRTUD/SOnJAA/i1hLAA/VkWolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SriRangaSri/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: SriRangaSri-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
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