முர்ரே ஸ்டேட் நியூஸ் - இந்துமதம் குறிப்புகள்

அமெரிக்கா சுதந்திரத்தின் நிலமாக இருக்கலாம். ஆனால், இந்துமதம் சுதந்திரத்தின் மதம்

Hinduism's flexible worship makes life simple in Murray

Casey Northcutt

Issue date: 2/16/07 Section: Lifestyles

America might be the land of liberty, but Hinduism is a faith of freedom.

Hinduism, said associate professor of chemistry Bommanna Loganathan, is a religion that encompasses thousands of gods who allow leeway when it comes to worship.

"Hinduism is a very good religion," he said. "If you're not following strictly, God won't punish you."

It differs from other faiths, he said, because Hindus don't base their priorities on the deities they worship. Instead, family and education carry more importance. Hindus respect their mothers first, their fathers second, their teachers third and their gods fourth.

"God comes in fourth place," Loganathan said. "So that indicates that God is not egoistic. He is giving importance to family."

Hindus usually attend temples on a regular basis, he said, but the gods don't mind if they only make it once or twice a month. Loganathan can rarely attend because the closest temple in in Nashville, Tenn.

But he said many Hindus worship by praying every day to their gods of choice, such as Ganesha, the half-man, half-elephant god of strength and luck, or Durga, the multi-armed goddess of power. Hindus often pray in the morning right after bathing.

"(You need to be) very, very clean," he said. "(A) clean body and a clean mind is very important - no worries, no problems."

Loganathan grew up in Coimbatore, India, and moved to the United States 16 years ago. He found Murray very accepting, albeit a little inconvenient. He missed India's abundance of temples as well as its large Hindu festivals.

Despite the absence of a decent-sized Hindu population with which to associate, Loganathan said he had no problem incorporating religion into his life in Murray because Hinduism allows for a lot of flexibility within worship.

Loganathan also said Americans respected who he was and who he worshiped. He said they didn't really seem that concerned with it.

"I have many friends here - all the faculty," he said. "Because my son plays soccer, I have connections with many families. � (I know) middle school and high school teachers. Nobody asked me anything special about my religion or nothing. So, I don't see any problem in living in Murray as a Hindu person. � Everyone is so nice and kind."

Ritesh Agrawal and Nidhi Agrawal, both graduate students from Delhi, India, said they found Murray just as accepting. The brother and sister enrolled at Murray State in August and said Murray residents are nice, although perhaps a bit clueless because of the lack of religious diversity in "Bible Belt" America.

"They are all very supportive," Nidhi said. "I am glad there is no discrimination. ... They are more curious to know about you, what you do, how you do (it). And, we are curious to know about their stuff, actually, so it's kind of fun."

Nidhi and Ritesh said confusion ran both ways. They possessed about as much knowledge of American customs as Americans had about their Hindu practices. Nidhi said one day in late October, she went to work and children suddenly paraded into her office dressed as butterflies, trees and fruit. One boy walked up to her and held out a candy-filled bag for Halloween.

"I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do," Nidhi said. "Was I supposed to pick one out or put one in?"

With regard to their own traditions and festivals, Nidhi and Ritesh said the 20 to 25 Hindu students on campus gather to celebrate Hindu holidays. For Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights, the group prepared a meal and set off small, unobtrusive fireworks. But, this celebration, they said, didn't compare to the festivities they enjoyed in India, which included visiting neighboring houses and exchanging gifts.

"In India, we have friends and relatives, so it's more fun," Ritesh said. "It's like your Thanksgiving. The more family members that come, the more fun you have."

Like Bommanna Loganathan, the siblings also can't attend temple as often as they wish because of distance, so they pray in front of a golden picture of Ganesha, the god of luck and strength.

Ritesh and Nidhi said practicing Hinduism in Murray is easy.

Their religion is flexible and free, allowing them to study abroad anywhere they wish - even in places without a temple in sight.

**

உலகெங்கும் தழைக்கும் இந்துமதம், இந்தியா உலகுக்கு அளிக்கும் கொடை!