NEW GLOBAL INDIAN
Argentina’s tryst with Mahabhartha
Written by R Viswanathan Saturday, 17 December 2011 07:48
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Spread over 12 acres, Hastinapur consists of a dozen Indian gods and an equal number of Argentines. Some of the Indian gods live in temples filled with the scent of incense sticks, while others stay outdoors, soaking in the fragrance of the flowers from the garden. Some are sitting or standing on the pedestals, and others hang on walls and pillars. Ganesh, Krishna, Surya, Narayana and Siva have their own temples. There is a temple for Pandavas too. Hastinapur is clearly a place fit for the gods ...who should be pleased with its cleanliness, the serene and idyllic surroundings, complete with Rosewood trees. The only noise comes from the chirping of birds nesting in trees along with soft music of devotees who sing bhajans. Hastinapur inspires sacred thoughts and holy spirit.
The dozen Argentines who live there look after the gods and the place. During weekend, the congregation sees about 100 people. Hastinapur is called the City of Wisdom (ciudad de la sabiduria). Saraswati, the goddess of learning, blesses students with her sculptures. The Argentines learn philosophy, read in library, practice yoga and meditation and sing bhajans.
On the other side of the fence, cows graze and occasionally stare at the gods. The cows are relaxed because they know that they will not end up as food at the dining table in Hastinapur since its palate is strictly vegetarian. The vegetarian foodis shared with the children from poor families in the neighbourhood.
Hastinapur does not have any godman seeking fame and fortune and flaunting wealthy followers. It is an institution to pursue wisdom, peace and divinity. The founders and directors of the Hastinapura Foundation do not seek publicity. They are humble, but a devoted lot. They are professionals from all walks of life, and volunteer their time and talents for the foundation.
Nor is Hastinapur the work of some overenthusiastic drum-beating Hare Krishna followers. Hastinapur respects all religions and beliefs, and goes beyond the boundaries of established religions.
Hastinapur respects all religions and beliefs, and goes beyond the boundaries of established religions.
There are temples for Buddha, Virgin Mary, Greek god Demeter and All Faiths. Their library has books of all religions and schools of thought. The City of Wisdom is not the ultimate destination. It does not prescribe wisdom doses. It simply helps people to seek, find and pursue their own path to wisdom. They give classes in yoga, meditation, philosophy, devotional singing and sacred drama. They organise workshops, seminars and retreats. They also provide community service. They celebrate festivals such as Ganesh Chathurthi and Baishaki.
Hastinapur temples do not have priests or other middlemen between the gods and worshippers. There is no concept of collection of donation. Worshippers pray, recite mantras and sing devotional songs individually or in groups.
Hastinapur has a post-graduate course in yoga which takes three years to complete. The classes are held in the weekends only. There are 2, 500 students studying yoga and philosophy in the centres. There are about 100 teachers for philosophy and another 120 teachers for yoga.
Many Argentines go to Hastinapur as a retreat from the hectic city of Buenos Aires which is just 50 km away. They practice meditation in the quiet natural environment. They do yoga, read books from the library, discuss philosophy and join the singing of bhajans. Hastinapur is an authentic Ashram.
Hastinapur Foundation has published a number of books on Indian philosophy and translated the Bhagwat Gita, Bhakti Sutras, Upanishads, Srimad Bhagwatam and Yoga Sutras. Their latest publication is Mahabharatha in Spanish. So far, three volumes have been published and 12 volumes are likely to come out.
Hastinapura Foundation was established by Alda Albrecht in 1981. She introduced Indian philosophy and became a Guru for the Argentines seeking wisdom. She wrote a number of books such as The Saints and teachings of India and The teachings of the monks from Himalayas.
Gustavo Canzobre was one of her students, who is the director of Hastinapur college of professors. He was 17 years old when he became interested in Indian wisdom. During the Third Festival of India organized by the embassy in Buenos Aires in November, 2010, he gave a talk on the temple architecture of South India.
Hastinapura Foundation has 16 centres in Buenos Aires and three more in Argentina. They have also established centres in Uruguay, Bolivia and Colombia. For more information, log on to http://en.hastinapura.org.ar/
(R Viswanathan Ambassador of India to Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay)
