Times article on Hinduism

taurian1976

Hi all,
I came across this article in Times which in reality is very offensive to Hindus . What really surprised me was that it was authored by Vice-Chancellor of Buckingham University . It really reflects badly on this esteemed university that they have faculty members who don’t even bother to do research before they write. I am really pleased by the replies to the article. I think this article is not posted on India mike, if so apologies in advanced.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...362622,00.html

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Merchant

Nothing like a big dose 19th century Orientalism to get the juices flowing!

batistuta

Perverted freak who gets aroused by temple statues.This jerk would also get aroused by the statue of David sculpted by Michelangelo .

Sama

he so totally doesn't get it

maybe it was a slow news day....

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greenchutney

from the article....uh oh....the aryan invasion theory again..somebody wake this guy up~ . think he had a brain fart...

"
But the upper-caste males of India — who are the descendants of the Aryan conquerors of 5,000 years ago "


not going to criticize his prostitution angle or the generalizations he makes of it.......but its silly if he refers to hinduism as a religion to start with. would have expected a bit more mature and detailed support of his opinions from a person of this calibre. very tabloidish... disappointing to put it very very mildly.

Shaktipalooza

barely skimmed through the article, pretentious and lame.

though I have to totally agree about the temple sculptures, they exude an intense sexuality that certainly doesn't have a companion in western churches.

western art including michelangelo's david was generally about portraying a physical/spiritual ideal, with a strong overtone of repressed sexuality. hindu art reveled in fertility and sexuality. personally i find the hindu art far more honest and interesting.

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Merchant

The author would be quite at home in the US Senate. Too bad he's a Brit.

crvlvr

Take a look at the readers' response to the article on the same website. all of them pretty much deride the author and publication for printing it. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...362622,00.html

PeakXV

Surely he could have included some praise for their educational merit.

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Nick-H

I just got bored by para 3 and gave up.

Buckingham University esteemed? I've never heard of it. It was probably what used to be called a 'polytechnic' a few years ago --- evrery damned college in UK gets to call itself a university these days...

But I'm no academic, so I could be wrong

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cyberhippie

So what is all the eroticism for then!! And why is the temple carving more minutely scrutinied at Kajaraho than elsewhere

Ronit

When I come across misinformation about Hinduism, there are times when I just shrug it off. After all, in our modern, supposedly secular society, people have the right to criticise and even mock religions. What is worse is that the piece had been written as part of the newspaper's 'Science Notebook' column, and was therefore paraded as a rational and objective analysis, despite the fact that the article was written in a rather disorientated manner, and drew far-fetched conclusions based on thoroughly unscientific methodology.


The way this article is written, a layman(reader) would think that the average Hindu temple is like a brothel. In fact, none of the numerous Hindu temples in Britain are particularly erotic, but as a result of Kealey's misinformation, many Britons will see these Hindu temples as possible centres of erotic cults, thus contributing to prejudice and misinformation.




This sentence gives a feel that the walls of Hindu temples are all filled with erotic sculptures. But this is not true. Only few temples have erotic sculpture. The example used by the author is the temple of Khajuraho.In reality, erotic scenes are only a small part of the carvings in Khajuraho and other temples. The author seems to have not seen the carvings in which women are shown as writing letters, women applying kohl to her eyes, women playing with children, women brushing her hair. All sculptors in Khajuraho are not based on women. There are carvings showing armies marching, court musicians, farmers and potters. Only 10 percent of the total sculptors in Khajuraho are erotic in nature.


Ok lets see the other side: What is wrong in discussing sex in temples? The person who gave the world ‘Kamasutra’ was a Hindu ascetic. Hinduism is based on Nature. Sex is present everywhere in Nature. This most important part of life and cannot be ignored by any sane concept. And for that matter, Hinduism is not a religion it is a way of life. So, it cannot ignore sex. It cannot consider sex as taboo. Sex is a natural urge. It is needed for procreation. That is why Hinduism has Shiva and Shakti. That is why it has the ‘ardanarishwara concept’ (half man and half woman). Hindu scriptures have several stories on this natural urge. For Hinduism, sex is an important and integral part of life.When a person is denied the opportunity of sex, the end product is frustration and perversion. Hindu society of ancient times knew this well. So it discussed sex in the most important places.


Sexual perversion and frustration is the product of monolithic religions and if analysed historically we will find that the Muslim invaders, missionaries and the British brought it to India

However, there are times when the line of decency is crossed so deliberately and grossly, that to stand back and not make oneself heard is the not just unwise, but cowardly.The whole article in timesonline is nothing but an attempt to gain publicity by insulting Hinduism. Anyway Wait n See India Government is supposed to stage a diplomatic protest against the same with the British Government.

taurian1976

Hi Nick,
I had no time to get details about the author and the university. I just googled it and as you know everything is great on internet. I am currently busy with my Thesis work hence can not dig deep. If this fellow is VC of this (http://www.buckingham.ac.uk/) university, it looks pretty impressive.
thanks,
Taurian

greenchutney

he has written a book...a biochemist background~ ...he seems pretty popular...but this opinion and that too in a science column seems very perplexing, disturbing and just plain wrong...is the Times having an agenda? does this guy have an agenda? surely an academic would know, to include proper references, a more technical questioning and basis for such bold opinion. surely the Times is not a tabloid.

why should the govt's get involved?..this was a private newspaper..not a govt mouthpiece. and this guy was a private citizen..yeah..a idiot who occupies a high seat at a place of learning.

i just think people should stop using the word hindusim..putting everybody into one bucket like we are all organized religion is idiotic.....its sanatana dharma folks~ ..once you know what this is..then a lot of understanding of it falls into place..

kenneth

Here are two responses that Terence Kealey made to one of his critics, Ashok Chowgule, that were posted on www.india-forum.com by Mr. Chowgule:

Thank you for your e mail. My article made it clear that I was startled by the eroticism of the Indian temples I saw, that I believe in material explanations for natural and human events, and that India is only representative of many pre-free-market societies, many of which engaged in temple prostitution. Why do you call this bigoted?
Yrs
Terence Kealey


Thank you for your e mail. The first sentence of my article read:- "The Hindu temples of central and southern India can be startlingly erotic" which is not compatible with the first sentence of your e mail:- "...you have given an impression that in ALL the Hindu temples in South and Central India are 'startlingly erotic'". Moreover, I have explained that I believe in material explanations for natural and human events, which encompasses all religions, and I have explained that I used India only as a representative of many pre-free-market societies (basically because its temples' erotic statues survive and they are so remarkable). As for the evidence of widespread temple prostitution in many cultures, that is the stuff of schools textbooks, it is so well known. Look it up on Wikipedia. I am puzzled by your e mail. Are you denying the existence of erotic statues on Indian temples? Are you denying the existence of temple prostitution in India? Are you suggesting I'm targeting Hinduism because, in a short article where I describe my responses to erotic sculptures in India, I do not engage in a description of Jesus or Mohammed? So, you please answer my questions. And let me add one more to them. How do YOU explain the erotic statues on Hindu temples in India? And if you haven't seen them, look up the reference on Khajuraho on Wikipedia.
yrs
Terence Kealey
PS I do not invoke Wikipedia because I think it's perfect but because it's an on-line encyclopedia that anyone can reference and that is common to you and me in terms of access.