I'm asking all the keralites, pls tell me did u people drop from sky or u came out of womb of a woman?? I'm challenging all the temple authorities of aiyappa temple, to just bear a child without sleeping with a woman? can u carry a baby in ur belly? can u go thru that pain? can u turn ur blood into milk and breastfeed that child? when u cant do all this u hv no right to comment about woman. woman is superior, she is called ADI SHAKTI. There is He in SHE, there is MALE in FEMALE, there is MAN in WOMAN, how can these stupids say woman is inferior?Lord Aiyappa never discriminates btwn his devotees, Aiyappa is not only for keralites, he is Universal Lord. Now they r saying that Aiyappa is a brahmachari, so women r barred from entering the temple. Hanuman is also a brahmachari, there r hundreds of hanuman mandirs in kerala, and why women r not stopped there? so that means these ppl are discriminating btwn God itself. they say only woman btwn age group of 10-50 r not allowed, coz she menstruates and blah blah blah. Are these people so sure that woman won't menstruate at the age of 51? If so, wil they allow that 51-year-old woman into the temple?
Perhaps Mr/Ms Jamie would like to explain why women priests are prohibited in Catholicism. Would he write such a letter to a US newspaper? Every religion has its customs and mores. Respect these!
All Tom tick and Harry speaks about Sabarimala! Everyone should understand, in Hindu religion there are several rituals based on the local custom. Forget women entering the Sabarimala, Even every male should follow many restriction like, avoiding non veg, drink, smoke, sex, haircut, footwears for 48 days. One has to sleep in empty floor and not on bed. They should wear color dhothies and not pant shirt. Whoever follows these rule can enter sabarimala.The Lord Iyyappa is Brahmachary, hence even devotees are advocated to avoid sex during the 48 days. I wonder without knowing anything every body talks about freedom for women. In Hindu religion, there is Krishna with many beautiful girls. Iyyappan as Branhamachary, some deity with two wives. Some people are trying to convert Hindu religion into conditioned religion like one rule, one deity & one book! In many Tamilnadu villages, the women are priest in Mariamman temple. why all these people are making so much noise?If anybody want to follow the rules are Sabarimala let them visit, otherwise they can go to other temples which is convenient to them. many devotees are not folowing customs properly & that is the reason for this controvery!
RE:It is ridiculous!
by Kiran G Parihar on Jul 15, 2006 04:36 AM Permalink
Senthil & Hari Better read the religious books & scriptures once again carefully. Read them again & again. Also I suggest you to read "Hindusim" by Swami Vivekanand. And then better give your thoughts & suggestions. Dont be the mugger of the books. Also try to understand it. You yourself will say "Let the doors of sabrimala be open to all"!!!
RE:It is ridiculous!
by Hari on Jul 07, 2006 12:24 AM Permalink
Excellent answer. That is my exact point. Hindu religion is more than 8000 years old and it has evovled and is evolving. Earlier vedas where there which talked about sacrifices( not human or animal). If you do this, you will attain heaven, wealth,... But then sages came up with upanishads which talks about philosophy nothing materalistic.
Hindus can be polytheist, monotheist, monist, pantheist or atheist still being a hindu. Hindusim does not ascribe to any single book or code. There are multiple ways human beings can live and attain salvation. These are some of the ways and has been put down in the books like puranas, vedas, upanishads,... You choose your way with your justification and live accordingly. I think hindu sages overestimated the intellect of human beings. Human beings still expect like small children to be taught what they have to do each moment of the life. They do not want to think for themselves and have flexibility to choose among the diffent options.
There is no superior God or Goddess other than one's own mother. That's why the ancient classic language says that "mother and father are the first known Gods".Our culture also respects women by naming the rivers as Ganga and Cauvery and calling the nation as "Mother India".
In terms of real life double standard is being followed. Dowry is demanded in marriages and equal oportunity is not given in employment for women etc. The principles and practices are not coinciding anywhere like worshipping Lord Hanuman and thrashing away the monkey.
An animal is being treated as sacred and respected whereas the human beings are being humiliated. Where are we actually? Are we living in the civilised modern society or going back to the stone age? Unnecessary resentment will certainly bring disgrace to Hinduism and lead to the frustrated peole seek conversion to other religion.
Is the purity is affected when so many women and other religious people visiting other temples in India and abroad? Are those such temples allowing people without discimination considered as not sacred? The answer is not anywhere but in our heart.
I think she is lieing it is not at all a fact becos i heard that u women are not allowed in to the temple i don't understand why she is doing all this?
I'm shocked to see few messages here that tend to agree with the belief that women should not enter/be allowed to enter these prohibited places in the temples reserved only for men. When will we realise that we are living in the 21st century and the world is looking more at India as an emerging superpower of the century. The fact that she is bluffing and never actually entered is of little value. The broader picture here is why on earth shall we be shackled with these wrong traditions that divide us. This is similar to other sorrows of hinduism like Sati-pratha, caste system, dowry system... some of which we have overcome and with some we are still struggling. Clearly these traditions were created by clever pundits/brahmins who wanted to ensure their higher place in society and grip in power out of personal benefit and greed. But hundreds of years have passed since and as the biggest democracy in the world we surely need to get rid of these wrong, illogical and divisive traditions that create nothing more than pain, controvercy and division in our society.
The journey to Sabarimala was a dangerous one in early times. Around 40 - 50 years ago, the temple used to be opened only for few days a year. Situated right in middle of forest, the way was through forest full of wild elephants and tigers. The way has to be manually cleared every year to reach the temple. The observance of 40 days penance before starting for the temple was to condition our body to face the hardship. The pilgrimage used to be so dangerous that it was a celebration if one returned from the journey. With women not able to observe the penence due to menstruation, they were barred. The tradition continues even though it is now easy to get to the temple. The devout still observe the penance of 40 days though for many it has just become another pilgrimage.
In India the Supreme Being is of female form, as are so many other dieties, then how can a woman be treated as impure? Even otherwise, if some priests feel that women are impure, then surely a woman, or any other 'untouchable', would only get purified by touching the Lord's feet, not that the Lord would be defiled! After all, how can god become impure?
I think what is now required is not the 'purification of the diety' but the purification of our minds!
