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Recently I have read an amazing book titled THAALIYOLA – Secrets of Indian Customs
and Belief Systems written by a great scholar from Venganoor in Kerala. Thaaliyola
means palm leaf. All the lore relating to the inherited knowledge and wisdom of ancient India,
through the ages and across centuries, was kept inscribed on chemically processed palm
leaves.
Traditionally these palm leaves have always been treated with great
piety and devotion as sacred objects by dedicated scholars and savants
in Sanskrit and all other Indian languages. In my view, Dr Venganoor
Balakrishnan has chosen the most appropriate title for his book called
Thaaliyola. As a painstaking scholar, he has chosen to go on an exciting
voyage of exploration on the nature, worth, value and multi-faceted
significance of India’s age old customs, cultural, social, religious and
spiritual practices and belief-systems. He makes it clear on every page of
this uniquely conceived book that these practices and belief-systems,
rooted in and emanating from Sanatana Dharma, are ultimately
leavened, and seasoned by a highly evolved ethical and philosophical
perspective / approach.
Dr Venganoor
Dr Venganoor Balakrishnan has taken a doctorate in philosophy from Balakrishnan
Lucknow University. He has done extensive studies on the glory and
grandeur of Gayathri Mantra. For more than 15 years, with
unremitting toil, he has earnestly endeavoured to collect all the opinions / thoughts / beliefs /
view points relating to their customs, practices, conventions and observances that our
common people have passed on by word of mouth, through their oral tradition, from
generation to generation. Thaliyola was published in Malayalam for the first time in 2004. It
created new history in the world of publishing in Malayalam language. Within a period of three
years, this book went into its 50th edition and more than five lakh copies have been sold.
What is more, Thaliyola has been translated into several languages — Tamil, Telugu and
Kannada and English.
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A. ‘Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu’ is a doctrine that reflects Indian tradition. It means let
the whole world enjoy well-being. Our fore-fathers had abundance of mercy and compassion
in them towards the world. They could view event the tiniest of living organisms as their
fellow beings who have equal right over this world. They considered every living being as an
atma (soul). Compassion is an essential quality a cultured person is supposed to possess.
This at large means ‘love and be merciful to the whole world’. We grow trees on both sides of
the road, we protect forests, we worship trees and provide sanctuaries for even wild life. We
have long realized the importance of maintaining the Rhythm of Nature. All endeavours
towards the well being of moveable and immoveable organisms of the world undertaken by
man can be termed Bhootayajna.
3 Q. How do Hindu temples differ in their construction from the worship centres of
other religions?
A. Hindu temples are not merely Bhajan Centres or Prayer Centres. They are centres that
vibrate in life owing to the presence of Godly power in systematically consecrated idol of the
deity. Hindu doctrines consider this universe as the body of the Almighty. The Grace of God
reflects in every living organism in the universe. Hindu sciences have developed certain
schemes to lift the Grace of God in every man through hard observances to the supreme level
of Salvation. But for common man, this is not easy to acquire. His alternate path or remedy is
temple. Every object in the universe is made up of five elements called Pancha-Bhootas.
They are Prithvi (Earth), Aakasam (Sky), Vaayu (air), Agni (fire), and Jalam (water).
Temples are also constructed in the model of the universe and human body. The building is
the gross body of God, where as the idol in the Sanctum Sanctorum represents His
subtle body. The idol becomes graceful when a portion of Godly Grace acquired through
observances of spells is invested in it. Later this Gracefulness is promoted through daily
poojas, observances, offerings and festivals. As a devotee makes prayer to the deity with a
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pious mind, the vibrations that emerge from the idol and the vibrations in his heart come into
harmony. In turn, his prayer materialises in soulful fulfillment. I am giving below some
samples of the many types of questions that have been raised by
http://newstodaynet.com/printer.php?id=17928 12-Jun-10