A year ago, I had visited the Jain temples in Palitana. From the last post in that series:
Through the trip, I couldn’t help thinking about the role of religion in our life. As my in-laws told stories from the origins of Jainism to Abhishek, I realised how little I knew about the founding principles and philosophy of my own religion. It is something that needs to be corrected.
Even in today’s modern times, a part of us is still rooted in our traditions. Temples have been a part of our lives through the centuries. If India has to change for the better, this change has to come from a better understanding of our own identity and culture. Somewhere through the generations, much of that has been blotted out.
Our past is what binds us into a unique national identity – one that has somehow gotten dissolved into sub-castes and communities. An understanding and recognition of India’s civilizational greatness is perhaps the missing glue that can bring us together for the future.
