A Film Fest Highlights Conditions Of Hindu Temples

Sacred-and-Old-Hindu-temples-300x225HYDERABAD: A unique international film festival here brought into focus the dilapidated condition of Hindu temples in India, highlighting problems like corruption, mismanagement, encroachments, financial problems faced by priests and erosion of traditional rituals associated with worship.

Aimed at creating awareness about the need to save temples, the three-day festival which concluded saw the screening of 40 movies from different parts of India and countries like Mauritius, Denmark, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Britain and the United States.

The first-of-its kind festival was organised by the Global Hindu Heritage Foundation (GHHF), an initiative launched by a group of Indian Americans to protect temples in India.

“We want to make people aware of richness of temples and the need to address issues related to their protection, annadanam, gomata and other aspects of temples,” Velagapudi Prakasarao, founder of the foundation, said.

An Indian American who started the foundation in 2006, Prakasarao attributed the problems faced by the temples, especially in southern India, to the government control over them. Unlike in the north where only major temples are under the government, in the south all temples earning 50,000 ($825) come under the Endowments department.

“Christians and Muslims can operate their places of worship independently, but not Hindus. We want to be treated like any other religion,” said Prakasarao, a former head of the department of sociology and criminology at Jackson State University, Mississippi.

Seeking repeal of the Endowments Act, his organisation first wants to build a strong case by proving that it is responsible for the damage to the temples.

Source: siliconindia News