President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday observed that the “single defining feature” of the quest of rishi munis (saints) of India in ancient times has been plurality.
Speaking after inaugurating the Sri Rajadhiraja Govinda temple built by the ISKCON on Bengaluru’s outskirts, the president said, “All competing world-views, from Advaita Vad to Vishishtadvait Vad, all have flourished under one umbrella. There are different sects, such as Vaishnavism, Shaivism and Shakta sampradaya (tradition). Just as there can be many ways to reach the top of the hill, there are different paths to realise the Supreme, such as Jnana Marga, Karma Marga and Bhakti Marga. Yet, in Hinduism, you never know where one ends and another begins, as if they are all interlinked by their common faith in the divine”. It is no wonder that the Bhagavad Gita also offers different lessons to different people, depending on their qualification, he added.
Art, architecture
Observing that temples have been among the most important symbols of Hinduism, he said, at one level, they were sacred sites. “At another level, temples are often much more than places of worship. They are like the sangam sthal or the point of holy confluence, of art, architecture, language and knowledge traditions,” he noted.
“This is no surprise, considering the fact that the religious impulse is at the heart of India’s culture. The quest of the rishi-munis of this land in ancient times has also inspired our society along with its kings and scholars, poets and architects,” he said.
Commenting on the newly built temple, the president said he had noticed that the architectural features of this temple resembled those of the Tirupati Tirumala temple. The exquisite idol of Sri Rajadhiraja Govinda was also a replica of Lord Balaji (in Tirupathi), he said.
The president left for New Delhi after completing his two-day visit to Bengaluru.
