My trip to Delhi has been eventful to say the least and has provided me with fodder for many a potential blog post However, I'll choose to mark my return, after a considerable hiatus, with a juxtaposition of two places of worship that I happened to visit.
On querying the string "Places to visit in Delhi" on Google, I found a tripadvisor link that rated Gurudwara Bangla Sahib as No.1, and the Swaminarayan Akshardham temple as No.2 among the places that it recommended. Though the number of reviews received for the Gurudwara were far lower, the overall rating was higher than that earned by the Akshardham complex. I happened to visit both these places in the same order.
Bangla Sahib is snugly accommodated in the very heart of Lutyens' Delhi. It is associated with Guru Har Krishen, the 8th guru of Sikhs, who passed away at the tender age of 7 due to small pox. It is believed that the Gurudwara's tank has healing powers. The Gurudwara is an ancient monument steeped in Sikh tradition.
I found the Gurudwara to be an impressive structure. However, it retained a sense of modesty and simplicity. It had no compound wall and worshippers could enter from all directions. There were no security checks. The only prerequisite was that devotees submit their footwear at a counter, wash their limbs and cover their heads before entering.
The footwear counter is one where anybody can volunteer to serve. It has an open door for one to enter and serve for however long he wishes to. On presenting my footwear, I saw an assortment of people inside who were quite well dressed and appeared well-to-do. These people were cheerfully handling everybody's footwear. The underlying message behind this system hit me like a bolt. It was symbolic of a society where all are equal and no task is menial. It was one of the most beautiful messages I have witnessed at a place of worship. I hold that this is the true purpose of religion. Any religion must serve as a vehicle for social harmony and justice. Also, every facility at the Gurudwara, including the stashing of footwear, was offered free of charge. I could sense no commercial influence in my entire experience there. In my opinion, a place of worship must be free from the influence of commerce as the values of sacrifice and renunciation are the cornerstones of every religion.
I had to miss the langar at the Gurudwara because it was already done for that day. The ceremony of langar is one where the dignity of the person receiving charity is retained, as wisely pointed out by Harsh Mander. Langar also functions as a much needed social leveller that is vastly relevant in a country that is steeped in the erection of barriers on the lines of caste, class, creed and sex. My visit to the Bangla Sahib was an enriching experience and was inspirational because of the subtle, yet powerful message of social equality that Sikhism stands for.
Today, a few days since my visit to the Bangla Sahib, I visited the Akshardaam Temple in Noida. The very first thing that struck me about the temple was its sheer grandeur. The complex was massive and was immaculately maintained. While entry to the temple is free, there are various shows inside the temple which are charged. These charges are quite hefty. The audio-visual display that I opted to witness cost me a neat 170 Rs. The tour started with a robotic tableaux on the life of Guru Swaminarayan, continued with a boat ride that showcased "Life in the vedic times" and ended with an hour-long movie on the life of Ghanshyam, who acquires the name Neelakant and eventually transforms into Swaminarayan Maharaj. The tableaux also featured a preachy section that exhorts mankind to give up meat eating and take up vegetarianism.
The technology employed at each of these shows is state-of-the-art. The tableaux is a triumph of bio mechanics and robotics as the automatons, in spite of looking a little outlandish, are absolutely lifelike. The boat ride is a celebration of hydraulic engineering, and the movie is shot to perfection. My tour of the temple takes me through a marvellous celebration of modern architecture and how it can be leveraged to construct a temple. That the entire complex was built in 5 years is a staggering achievement. The complex also houses an elaborate food-court with an extensive range in the choice of cuisine offered and these dishes were somewhat expensive.
It is unfortunate that the first thing that struck me during my visit to the Swaminarayan temple, and the only thing that has left in me a lasting impact is not what is being preached, rather loudly, in all these displays. The complex represents to me an ostentatious show of wealth. The temple definitely had a very obvious commercial angle, what with the charges levied on the audio-visual shows, personalised photographs and the food offered. It sought, by virtue of its intimidating might and extravagant display of grandeur, to influence peoples life positively.
The Swaminarayan temple seeks to preach the concept of Sahaj Anand, a state of unending happiness, through its powerful methods. The Bangla Sahib in its simplicity and subtlety, spreads its message of social harmony without any fanfare. While the former is housed in an imposing complex that demands a lot of time and space, the latter is a small compound that is beautiful in its simplicity. While my religion is preached in the former, ironically, I find myself connecting far better with the Gurudwara's message. Another aspect of this exercise lies in the wonderful realisation that our country is one where solace can be sought in a religion outside one's own: the idea of unity in diversity. The idea of India.
(The title of this post is a reference to an Aesop's fable that connects with its central idea)
On querying the string "Places to visit in Delhi" on Google, I found a tripadvisor link that rated Gurudwara Bangla Sahib as No.1, and the Swaminarayan Akshardham temple as No.2 among the places that it recommended. Though the number of reviews received for the Gurudwara were far lower, the overall rating was higher than that earned by the Akshardham complex. I happened to visit both these places in the same order.
Bangla Sahib is snugly accommodated in the very heart of Lutyens' Delhi. It is associated with Guru Har Krishen, the 8th guru of Sikhs, who passed away at the tender age of 7 due to small pox. It is believed that the Gurudwara's tank has healing powers. The Gurudwara is an ancient monument steeped in Sikh tradition.
I found the Gurudwara to be an impressive structure. However, it retained a sense of modesty and simplicity. It had no compound wall and worshippers could enter from all directions. There were no security checks. The only prerequisite was that devotees submit their footwear at a counter, wash their limbs and cover their heads before entering.
The footwear counter is one where anybody can volunteer to serve. It has an open door for one to enter and serve for however long he wishes to. On presenting my footwear, I saw an assortment of people inside who were quite well dressed and appeared well-to-do. These people were cheerfully handling everybody's footwear. The underlying message behind this system hit me like a bolt. It was symbolic of a society where all are equal and no task is menial. It was one of the most beautiful messages I have witnessed at a place of worship. I hold that this is the true purpose of religion. Any religion must serve as a vehicle for social harmony and justice. Also, every facility at the Gurudwara, including the stashing of footwear, was offered free of charge. I could sense no commercial influence in my entire experience there. In my opinion, a place of worship must be free from the influence of commerce as the values of sacrifice and renunciation are the cornerstones of every religion.
I had to miss the langar at the Gurudwara because it was already done for that day. The ceremony of langar is one where the dignity of the person receiving charity is retained, as wisely pointed out by Harsh Mander. Langar also functions as a much needed social leveller that is vastly relevant in a country that is steeped in the erection of barriers on the lines of caste, class, creed and sex. My visit to the Bangla Sahib was an enriching experience and was inspirational because of the subtle, yet powerful message of social equality that Sikhism stands for.
Today, a few days since my visit to the Bangla Sahib, I visited the Akshardaam Temple in Noida. The very first thing that struck me about the temple was its sheer grandeur. The complex was massive and was immaculately maintained. While entry to the temple is free, there are various shows inside the temple which are charged. These charges are quite hefty. The audio-visual display that I opted to witness cost me a neat 170 Rs. The tour started with a robotic tableaux on the life of Guru Swaminarayan, continued with a boat ride that showcased "Life in the vedic times" and ended with an hour-long movie on the life of Ghanshyam, who acquires the name Neelakant and eventually transforms into Swaminarayan Maharaj. The tableaux also featured a preachy section that exhorts mankind to give up meat eating and take up vegetarianism.
The technology employed at each of these shows is state-of-the-art. The tableaux is a triumph of bio mechanics and robotics as the automatons, in spite of looking a little outlandish, are absolutely lifelike. The boat ride is a celebration of hydraulic engineering, and the movie is shot to perfection. My tour of the temple takes me through a marvellous celebration of modern architecture and how it can be leveraged to construct a temple. That the entire complex was built in 5 years is a staggering achievement. The complex also houses an elaborate food-court with an extensive range in the choice of cuisine offered and these dishes were somewhat expensive.
It is unfortunate that the first thing that struck me during my visit to the Swaminarayan temple, and the only thing that has left in me a lasting impact is not what is being preached, rather loudly, in all these displays. The complex represents to me an ostentatious show of wealth. The temple definitely had a very obvious commercial angle, what with the charges levied on the audio-visual shows, personalised photographs and the food offered. It sought, by virtue of its intimidating might and extravagant display of grandeur, to influence peoples life positively.
The Swaminarayan temple seeks to preach the concept of Sahaj Anand, a state of unending happiness, through its powerful methods. The Bangla Sahib in its simplicity and subtlety, spreads its message of social harmony without any fanfare. While the former is housed in an imposing complex that demands a lot of time and space, the latter is a small compound that is beautiful in its simplicity. While my religion is preached in the former, ironically, I find myself connecting far better with the Gurudwara's message. Another aspect of this exercise lies in the wonderful realisation that our country is one where solace can be sought in a religion outside one's own: the idea of unity in diversity. The idea of India.
(The title of this post is a reference to an Aesop's fable that connects with its central idea)
