Globetrotting Monk Ban

AR Articles on India/Pakistan
More news stories on India/Pakistan

CONSERVATIVE Hindu leaders in southern India are seeking to prevent a monk from heading one of the most popular temples, saying he had become “impure” because he had travelled overseas.

The debate has divided Brahmins, or the priestly class, in the pilgrim town of Udipi. Those opposed to the monk have asked a court to stall his anointment as the head of a temple dedicated to Lord Krishna.

Sugunendra Teertha, the monk, had travelled to the United States and Europe on what he says was a tour to propagate Hinduism.

But orthodox community leaders say that the monk had committed “sagarollanghana”, the Sanskrit term for crossing the seas.

Although hardly practised now, some conservative Hindu religious orders frown upon overseas travel because they claim that religious scriptures make “crossing the seas” a sin.

Original article

(Posted on January 16, 2008)

---

Comments

Post a Comment

Commenting guidelines: We welcome comments that add information or perspective, and we encourage polite debate. Statements of fact and well-considered opinion are welcome, but we will not post comments that include obscenities or insults, whether of groups or individuals. We reserve the right to hold our critics to lower standards.

Name (optional):

Email Address (optional):

Remember Me? Yes No

Comments (you may use HTML tags for style)