WHY TEMPLES?

Hinduism is an ancient religion which has stood the test of time and onslaughts. It has continued its existence as the singularly and statistically biggest and oldest religion in India. But now it meets the misfortune of being neglected by its own followers. This is due to the fact that there is a lack of proper understanding of its tenets and principles.

Numerous rites and rituals followed in the Hindu religion are full of scientific meaning and reason. The Hindu religion and culture are centred round the temple culture. Our temples have been used over the years as ''centres of excellence" for education, scientific study, fine arts, architecture and structural engineering. Above all, these temples are the centres which offer infinite peace to the mind of man.

Hindu temples act as bridges linking both science and philosophy- Science sees many in one and philosophy sees one in many, philosophy is the unifying symbol in a world of disintegrated values.

The present generation, which is growing with the age of science and technology, has started questioning the age-old concepts. For example, why worship at the temple? Why not at home? Why spend so much money on poojas? These questions must be answered with scientific explanations.

Most of us do not know the significance of the sanctum-sanctorum (Garbagriha or Moolasthana) of a Hindu temple which is built as per the agama texts of the Hindu religion. There is always a relation between the size of the idol and the size of the sanctum-sanctorum. Because of this the air column inside the sanctum-sanctorum resonates to the sound "OM" (Pranava Mantra). When this "OM" is chanted inside the sanctum-sanctorum, resonance occurs. Each air molecule inside the sanctum-sanctorum vibrates with maximum amplitude, thereby producing intense sound.

One must know the speciality of the materials used for abhisheka (ritual bathing of the idol). The greater the pH value of the materials, the lesser the Ha ion content ratio is, in other words, the greater the negative ion concentration. So, an increase of pH indicates an increase in the negative ion concentration. It is noteworthy that abhisheka is done with kumkum, turmeric, sandal water, milk etc., which have a high pH value and hence a high negative ion concentration.

Why do we insist on regular worship through repeated abhisheka, aradhana (homage) etc.? The fact that the dry stone has high electrical resistance and very little conductivity, shows that repeated abhisheka, aradhana, etc., are essential to maintain the electrical charges in the sanctum-sanctorum. The yantras or sri-chakras kept under the idol act as capacitors of electrical charges.

Why do we use only certain selected leaves and fruits for pooja offering? The neem leaf has high electrical conductivity and is used by the priests of Kali temples. Lime fruit offers little resistance to electrical current and so is a good conductor. For the same reason, mango leaves and tulsi are used during festival times. Ordinary grass offers very high resistance to electrical current and so is not offered for pooja.

Thus we find that repeated abhisheka, archana, etc., creates negative ions inside the sanctum-sanctorum. These negative ions are essential to fix the oxygen with haemoglobin. It has been proved that animals die in an atmosphere deprived of negative ions. These negative ions are found more on the seashore, near waterfalls and on hill stations which are considered as health resorts. This explains why our forefathers selected the seashores, tops of hills, and areas near waterfalls for the construction of temples, for example, Tiruchendur, Rameswaram and Kanyakumari are on the seashore, Palani and Tirupati are on top of hills and Courtallam is a temple near waterfalls.

In these days of electrical pollution, people suffer from lack of negative ions. The negative ions are created inside the sanctum-sanctorum during abhisheka. Then the idol is decorated with sandal paste, silken cloth and fresh flowers. All these help to retain the moisture content of the air. During archana (invocation), mantras are chanted, and these set the air inside the sanctum-sanctorum in vibration with maximum energy.

Archana is followed by "lighted camphor". The process of different arathis displaces the air from the sanctum-sanctorum to the worshippers. They inhale the air with the negative ions, and their O2 being good gets a favourable condition for fixing oxygen with haemoglobin. In general the sanctum-sanatorium acts as a volume resonator, the idol with its peedarn as an energy reservoir, worshippers as receivers, and the air inside as a medium for the transfer of energy.

Courtesy - "Wisdom magazine"