THE SILKEN BOND THAT KEEPS THE COUNTRY UNITED

THE SILKEN BOND THAT KEEPS THE COUNTRY UNITED

For me and my daughter Pratibha, last week will remain absolutely unforgettable. On two consecutive days we visited two hallowed sites that we had been longing to see for quite some time.

The first was Gangotri, the origin of the holy Ganga. The Gangotri glacier starts from Gomukh, 19 kms. uphill from Gangotri. When at Gangotri , we stepped into the Ganga close to the site where a yagna was being performed and for which I had been invited to offer the poornahuti we naturally found the glacier water ice-cold.

A Ghat at Gangotri

The second was Kedarnath, one of the country’s twelve Jyotirlings. The foremost among these Dwadash Jyotirlings is Somnath, in Gujarat. In the political transformation of India’s single dominant party polity into a bipolar polity the BJP’s Somnath to Ayodhya rath yatra has had a significant role.

The State of Uttarakhand is littered with pilgrim spots. No wonder it is popularly known as Devabhoomi. Gangotri and Kedarnath are reckoned as two of the four Dhams in the state which pilgrims aspire to visit, the other two being Badrinath and Yamunotri.

A view of Kedarnath Temple

For five to six months, until April, all these four places are snow-covered. The Temples at these sites are opened every year in mid-May. This year, Gangotri temple opened on May 16, and Kedar Nath temple on May 18. The altitude of Gangotri is 10000 ft. above sea level, and that of Kedar Nath is 12000 ft. above sea level.

* * *

In October, 1961, the AICC held its session in Madurai, the second largest city of Tamilnadu, and the place where the world renowned Meenakshi Temple is situated. During the freedom movement, it was at Madurai in 1921 that Gandhiji decided to wear only Khadi.

At the A.I.C.C. session fifty years later, Pandit Nehru made a memorable speech in which he highlighted how great a role pilgrimage places have played in uniting the country.

Nehruji said:

“India has for ages past, been a country of pilgrimages. All over the country you find these ancient places, from Badrinath, Kedarnath and Amarnath, high up in the snowy Himalayas down to Kanyakumari in the south. What has drawn our people from the south to the north and from the north to the south in these great pilgrimages ? It is the feeling of one country and one culture and this feeling has bound us together. Our ancient books have said that the land of Bharat is the land stretching from the Himalayas in the north to the southern seas. This conception of Bharat as one great land which the people considered a holy land has come down the ages and has joined us together, even though we have had different political kingdoms and even though we may speak different languages. This silken bond keeps us together in many ways.”

When last week I went to Gangotri and mentioned that I was proceeding to Kedarnath I was advised that I ought to carry water from the Gangotri and pour it on the Shivling at Kedarnath.

I had earlier shared with colleagues the information that of the four famous Dhams of the country namely Badrinath, Jagannathpuri, Dwarika and Rameshwaram, I had not been only to the last one. I was told at the Gangotri temple that offering Ganga water to the Shivling at Rameshwaram is a highly pious ritual. I also learnt that sand taken from Rameshwaram and added to the Ganges in Badrinath is an equally holy ritual.

Thus, it is not just the network of pilgrimages but also the rituals developed over time that have promoted continuing to and fro movement of pilgrims which, I believe, reinforces the core concept spelt out by Panditji and have fortified the feeling of one country and one culture – “the silken bond that keeps us together.”

I do not know how conscious our Tourist Departments are of the fact that in India a very sizable component of domestic tourism is religious tourism.

One has only to note how Governor Jagmohan’s exemplary development of the infrastructure, hygiene, sanitation, and other facilities in and around Vaishno Devi have made the Katra site in Jammu an all time favorite haunt for tourists. The same is true in varying degree about Tirupathi, Haridwar and Rishikesh, Amritsar and Ajmer.

This week a group of Indians settled in Jakarta (Indonesia) came to see me and invite me for a programme in that country. I casually happened to ask them: “Have you ever been to Tirupathi ?” And one in the group literally took me by surprise when he replied: “I have been to Tirupathi as many as twenty seven times’’

Governments, both Central as well as states would do well to take cognizance of the immense potential of religious tourism, and a la Jagmohan attempt to do a Vaishno Devi at all such sacred places – Hindu Muslim, or Sikh, Jain , Buddhist or Christian. Places in Bihar like Bodhgaya or in Madhya Pradesh like Sanchi have been attracting a large number of Buddhists from Japan and China also.

* * *

Earlier, the dimensions of participation in the Ganga snan on the occasions of Kumbh were always guesstimates.

This year, the Uttarakhand Government requested the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to undertake a scientific survey and to evaluate as to how many pilgrims took bath at Haridwar on the last major snan on Baisakhi Day (14 April, 2010 ). The ISRO has conveyed to the Uttarakhand Government that according to their survey, the number comes to approximately one crore sixty six lakhs !

L. K. ADVANI
New Delhi

23rd May, 2010

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11 Responses to “THE SILKEN BOND THAT KEEPS THE COUNTRY UNITED”

JYOTI DHARMENDRA GUPTA BHIND Says:
May 23rd, 2010 at 2:41 pm
KARAM YATRA+DHARAM YATRA KARNE WALE AAP JAISE MAHAN YATRI KI LEKHNI KO PRANAM……
pdkamath Says:
May 23rd, 2010 at 3:00 pm
Dear Sir,

This is a thought provoking article which can give a new direction to our religious leaders. The concept of Akhanda Bhrath which is a dream for many of us may not become a reality but we can make it happen culturally by getting connected with all the people who follow Indian culture.

Even one can sense a desire for united Bharat in A.I.C.C. session speech by Pt Nehru. Your example of Indonesian people who follow Indian traditions in spite of a different cultural background also endorses such a feeling. I feel all such people from different parts of the world are looking at us with hope. I think development of pilgrimages with infrastructure and safety may help those people to visit and may also help create an unbreakable silken bond with us. Though they stay in different countries, emotionally and culturally, they feel attached to India. A culturally stronger Bharat - with no boundaries - will be created to help salvage the Earth from extinction.
stokinghem Says:
May 23rd, 2010 at 6:41 pm
आदरणीय श्री अडवाणी जी

यह जानकर बहुत अच्छा महसूस किया हमारे वडील यात्रा के लिए उतरांचल गए थे और परम कृपालु महेश्वर श्री केदारनाथ जी ने आप को अपने पास बुलाया….वोह ही महादेव जी के पास जा सकता है …जिस को उपयुक्त समजता है …..नहीं तो आप भी समर्थ थे ….देस विदेश में घुमते थे …..पर आयु के ८२ साल निकल गए ने वहा तक पहुँच ने में ! देवभूमि उत्तराँचल की यात्रा और यह सब धामो की यात्रा हरेक हिंदू को किसी भी अर्वाचीन तर्क के बिना पूर्ण श्रध्दा से करनी चाहिए…यह ही अपना सच्चा इतिहास है ….आप की यात्रा का आप को -भारत को - बीजेपी को पूर्ण फल विशेष रूप से जरूर मिलेगा ….
PUNEETH KUMAR Says:
May 23rd, 2010 at 6:58 pm
Respected Advaniji,

The artilce is an ‘eye opener’ since whatever said and done - ‘Religion cannot be separated from the soul of INDIA’. The numbers prove it !!

I also strongly feel that INDIANs should also be encouraged to travel to other countries to understand the importance given by the governements there to their culture and heritage and the pride shown by their citizens in it.

REGARDS
PUNEETH KUMAR
BENGALURU
Aarti Says:
May 24th, 2010 at 11:36 am
Beautiful Article. I wish I could be there !
Tarun Malaviya Says:
May 24th, 2010 at 12:41 pm
Dear Advaniji,

You touched upon a very important and grossly neglected subject. I think the BJP and other right wing parties should include the improvements in the management of religious sites in their agenda. Every time I have visited a religious site I have felt that they must be cleaner and more orderly.

Religious tourism offers great economic potential but more importantly (as you have pointed to in your blog) it can unite the hearts of the Indian people. Perhaps this is what the great Rishi Shankaracharya had in mind when he set-up temples in the four corners of the country.
Nachiketh Says:
May 25th, 2010 at 4:18 pm
Excellent blog …. very informative
samir Says:
May 26th, 2010 at 11:56 am
First of all, its great to hear Advaniji……he is easily the one leader who completely changed the landscape of Indian politics almost singlehandedly through Ayodhya movement and ensured that India moved towards politics of development instead of sheer rhetoric of congress party by winning elections based on empty sloganeering due to lack of opposition..I still vividly remember how I waited for him for hours to see him during his rath yatra in Patna.. I salute to him.

Although not related to this topic, I fail to understand why BJP is not presentng the facts of china growng at 12% and havng an inflation of just 3% whereas India sufferng inflation of 10% with growth rate of 7% when congress people are claiming MMS succesfully took the country out of recession..also, a movemnt on money stacked in swiss bank has to be started especially in poor areas (so people dont say BJP only raised it during election).. MIT people proving EVMs can be tampered also requires attention of BJP before big elections.
Shailendra Says:
May 31st, 2010 at 12:48 pm
I rather think “The Silken bond “ represents thinkng of persons like you who always try to bring us to unity. It’s always been sheer pleasure reading your articles or listening to your interviews. Person who always thinks about India, proving his acts by logics which any rational thinker can easily digest. Yet another article hwich gives ample info to look upon or to say providing a path for Indian tourism depts to follow. I have been to Maha Kumbh this year and it felt really gud to see the facilities, management and most of all cleanliness. It feels like I have been actually in to the land where God had set his footsteps. It was really a soul purifying experience. I have been to Somanath about 13-15 times but always found something new every time. These things attracting ad facilitating pilgrimages. Tourism will also spread rich culture and heritage of India to all. Thank you Sir for guiding us all for these many years and for sighting difficulties/ opportunities so that we can be better prepared for that. We need many leaders like you who are purely devoted to India.

Jai Hind
Vinayanand Singh Says:
June 6th, 2010 at 11:18 am
Dear Advani Ji,

It felt awesome to read such travelogue from an inspiring figure like you. I bow my head to you as it this age u still have passion to go in extreme conditions. May God give blessings to you and BJP to gain power again.

Regards,
Vinayanand Singh
SANJAY SINGH Says:
July 10th, 2010 at 4:17 pm
Dear Sir,

I am 23 years old and I have been supporting the BJP since 1996 when was 10 years old. I belong to Ghazipur, UP. Today I feel very sad to see the way our party is going in UP. BJP is my ambition and recognition. It is the identity of my family in my village. I request you that please prevent it’s degeneration. Please check the conspiracy in our party wherein some irresponsible people are diverting our supporters and arousing the public against our party.

I also request that please try and develop our party in eastern UP which has maximum number of BJP supporters. But unfortunately, there has not been a good selection of eligible and creditable candidates by party leadership in Loksabha or Vidhansabha elections in this part of UP. I will be happy when you and the party management would take action in eastern UP to improve the party’s condition. Many supporters have converted their votes for another party because there has been no eligible BJP candidate whom people could support. They knew that this candidate would not win in election. So why waste their vote ?

Best Regards

Sanjay singh
Ghazipur (U.P)