02-10-2006, 05:05 AM
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`Mahamastakabhisheka losing spirituality'
Staff Correspondent
SHRAVANABELAGOLA: Robert Szydenbos, who teaches Indology in the Munich University of Germany, has observed that the Mahamastakabhisheka has gradually lost its spiritual content over the years. Prof. Szydenbos , who for the first time participated in the celebrations in 1981, regretted that pilgrims are more involved in rituals rather than understanding the spiritual values attached to the event.
Interestingly, Prof. Szydenbos can converse fluently in Kannada, as his research was on "Distinctive cultural subjects in the post-independent prose in Kannada". He secured his doctorate degree in 1989 from the University of Mysore. He is carrying out research on Jainism in Southern India, and Manya Verlag Publication of Munichen will publish his work, "Jainism today and its future".
In a chat with presspersons here on Thursday, he said though the number of pilgrims attending the Mahamastakabhisheka is on the rise, they pilgrims have failed to understand why the ceremony is conducted and what it represents and the message it conveys to humanity.
He came here to study the rituals of the Mahamastakabhisheka in-depth but the congregation has created him problems. As most of the people visiting here do not have any interest in understanding its spirituality, the event is losing its religious seriousness, he regretted.
"You cannot find reverence in the act of many of them, as they have limited themselves to pomp and show," he said.
`Mahamastakabhisheka losing spirituality'
Staff Correspondent
SHRAVANABELAGOLA: Robert Szydenbos, who teaches Indology in the Munich University of Germany, has observed that the Mahamastakabhisheka has gradually lost its spiritual content over the years. Prof. Szydenbos , who for the first time participated in the celebrations in 1981, regretted that pilgrims are more involved in rituals rather than understanding the spiritual values attached to the event.
Interestingly, Prof. Szydenbos can converse fluently in Kannada, as his research was on "Distinctive cultural subjects in the post-independent prose in Kannada". He secured his doctorate degree in 1989 from the University of Mysore. He is carrying out research on Jainism in Southern India, and Manya Verlag Publication of Munichen will publish his work, "Jainism today and its future".
In a chat with presspersons here on Thursday, he said though the number of pilgrims attending the Mahamastakabhisheka is on the rise, they pilgrims have failed to understand why the ceremony is conducted and what it represents and the message it conveys to humanity.
He came here to study the rituals of the Mahamastakabhisheka in-depth but the congregation has created him problems. As most of the people visiting here do not have any interest in understanding its spirituality, the event is losing its religious seriousness, he regretted.
"You cannot find reverence in the act of many of them, as they have limited themselves to pomp and show," he said.