It was a very fulfilling day today for me, at the Sri Ramar Temple, Singapore.
It had all started with the Mahanyasa parayanam yesterday. I had to give yesterday' s program a miss due to a clash of programs. However I made sure I was at the temple today, at 6.30. am sharp. It was a grand event of Rudrabhishegam and Homam, followed by Go Puja ( which is quite redeeming to see, in today's world where cows are slaughtered ruthlessly) and lastly, the Purna ahoothi.
The most interesting aspect was that Sri Ramalinga Swamy ( Shiva as worshipped by Rama en-route Srilanka to annihilate Ravana) took centre stage in a Vishnu temple.A Rudrabhishegam at a Vaishnavite temple is not too easy to conceive.But then these are days of coalition. So perhaps Shiva and Vishnu decided to bury the hatchet, as it were! It was also a bit of a spectacle to see Kumkumam and Vibhuthi being distributed at the Sri Perumal sannidhi.
This also gives a larger message for the world, in my eyes. If a millennium-old conflict between Shaivism and Vaishnavism can be so easily handled with just a little bit of mutual respect and accommodation, why not the amongst the other faiths too? The world will then be a better place to live in, without an iota of doubt.
Clearly, what is required to make this happen? Mutual respect, tolerance for other faiths and giving up the "my path is the only correct one" attitude. Can humanity, as a whole, muster the courage to do this?
It had all started with the Mahanyasa parayanam yesterday. I had to give yesterday' s program a miss due to a clash of programs. However I made sure I was at the temple today, at 6.30. am sharp. It was a grand event of Rudrabhishegam and Homam, followed by Go Puja ( which is quite redeeming to see, in today's world where cows are slaughtered ruthlessly) and lastly, the Purna ahoothi.
The most interesting aspect was that Sri Ramalinga Swamy ( Shiva as worshipped by Rama en-route Srilanka to annihilate Ravana) took centre stage in a Vishnu temple.A Rudrabhishegam at a Vaishnavite temple is not too easy to conceive.But then these are days of coalition. So perhaps Shiva and Vishnu decided to bury the hatchet, as it were! It was also a bit of a spectacle to see Kumkumam and Vibhuthi being distributed at the Sri Perumal sannidhi.
This also gives a larger message for the world, in my eyes. If a millennium-old conflict between Shaivism and Vaishnavism can be so easily handled with just a little bit of mutual respect and accommodation, why not the amongst the other faiths too? The world will then be a better place to live in, without an iota of doubt.
Clearly, what is required to make this happen? Mutual respect, tolerance for other faiths and giving up the "my path is the only correct one" attitude. Can humanity, as a whole, muster the courage to do this?
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