Pew's survey on religious tolerance and segregation in India

[zen]

A ritual that needs to be looked into to make changes is bringing flowers and prasads to the temples. Let the temple offer flowers and prasad on behalf of all followers. The temple can even feed the poor. The devotees should only be allowed to make donations including that of food at specific sites where those who want prasad can acquire it. Additionally, an initiatives to keep temples clean. 

 

Millions of devotees visit temples every day, burdening the environment in terms of disposing waste. 

 

 

Link

 

"India’s rivers have a very particular problem with pollution. As part of religious celebrations tonnes of flowers left at temples every day, but what happens once they start to wilt?

 

Once presented at temples and mosques these flowers become sacrosanct and cannot simply be thrown away. For hundreds of years the only method of disposing of these symbols of devotion has been to throw them into sacred bodies of water like the Ganges. As populations have grown and so the number of temples has increased, an estimated 8 million tonnes from somewhere in the region of 600,000 places of worship are now dumped in this way every year.

 

Many of these mass grown roses, lilies and marigolds are, according to investigations by Phool, covered with pesticides that leach into the river. Toxic arsenic, lead, and cadmium were also found to be contributing to turning these bodies of water into a potentially deadly carcinogenic soup. Despite being completely biodegradable and natural, even the nutrients that come from these decaying flowers can be a problem. Upsetting a careful balance, they cause algae to grow out of control and reduce the amount of oxygen present in the water making life hard for all kinds of marine life."

 

 

We cannot allow people to treat religion as a costume party, acting in anyway it pleases them. Stricter fines can also be considered to shape behavior. 

 

 

[zen]

Talking about Kashi, it is an extremely important place for Hinduism. It has served as a great learning center as well over the years.
 

It is said that its location is situated at a point of the planet (must have some scientific reason) which serves to provide some sort of mental dissociation, allowing one to be relatively more focused on meditation.
 

This characteristic of the location also means that those in the last stage of life go there to not feel connected to worldly matters, helping them to attain moksha where applicable per their karma (Just going to Kashi to die does not give Moksha).

 

The importance of Kashi in Hinduism has logic behind it. Therefore, its importance should be presented accordingly. The city also needs proper investment in its infrastructure to continue to support tourists and pilgrims. 

[EnterTheVoid]

On 7/15/2021 at 5:14 AM, zen said:

We do not want to turn ourselves into folks in the video below. This is not Hinduism. Such things make a great religion, whose key points are relevant to live a good life, appear like a relic. Over the years, Hinduism has been turned into something it is not supposed to be. 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 15, 2021 by EnterTheVoid

[coffee_rules]

 

[Yoda-esque]

 

Lol