Temples in Sanatana Dharma
Most of us don’t understand the significance and value of temples around us. We have become conditioned to see them as places to offer prayers. Much like the way the western world sees its churches as, or as the Islamic world views its mosques as.
Mosques and churches aren’t places where Gods dwell. They are, at best, community centres for people to get together, pray as a group. Also, for them to listen to sermons and khutbas. In one sense, they also served as places to show the strength of the followers of these religions.
Our ancient temples were the dwellings of gods, in fact. They weren’t just buildings made in an artistic manner and idols placed in them. The temples that came up were based on yantras devoted to a particular deity. Pran Pratishtha was done for the idols such that the temples truly became “God’s homes.”
The above has been given legal sanctity in current times; the courts have pronounced that “once a Mandir, always a Mandir.” Which is why Ram Lala was one of the litigants in the Ram Mandir case. That is one of the reasons why we go to the temples for a darshan of our devis or devatas; not to pray, not to ask for anything.
This darshan is like visiting a person we hold in reverence; we look at the devi or devata in his/her eyes with deep respect just the way we treat an honoured person in the society. We touch their feet, bow before them. They are not idols for us; but honoured, revered women and men whose example has to be followed, whose energies absorbed. And that is one of the major differences between churches/mosques on one side and temples on the other.
We must celebrate this fact about Sanatan Dharma and live our lives such that we truly get inspired by our devis and devatas and set an example for others to follow.
Our Mandirs were centres of various activities in earlier times. Economic, education, cultural etc. Mandir would be where our Rajas would go to for money if they were going for a war, or doing something for people’s welfare. Mandirs would lend money to them; yes lend, nott donate.
In modern times, our school and college campuses have Mandirs within them; it was the other way around earlier. Mandirs had schools or gurukuls within them. These schools taught multiple subjects. Music, dance, physical exercise and much more, apart from libraries and goshalas.
These mandirs were also energy centres thanks primarily to two reasons; they were created based on yantras, and, that the pran pratishtha of the deity had been done. Even today, elders advise us to stay in the temple campus after doing darshan and absorb the temple’s energies.
Our fairs also have a similar effect; I was at Kumbh earlier in the year and I could feel a combined surge of energy thanks to the presence of thousands of saints and devotees. It is this energy that bothers people opposed to Sanatan as it’s a signal of our unity.
I insist that people should start flocking to temples. We need this surge of energy to ensure that Sanatan, which has always been under attack is able to repel these forces of destruction. Let’s start going to the temples, take the darshan, sit, talk to fellow sanatanis. It’s important if we want to save our civilisation.