East vs West:
There was this fear among the community in India, that once civilians migrated to the West, England or the US, they would leave behind their culture and tradition and would instead adapt to the ways of behaviour found in those respected countries. THEY HAD SO LITTLE FAITH IN THE GENERATION OF TOMORROW TO UPHOLD AND SUSTAIN THE UPBRINGING THAT THEY WERE ONCE GIVEN BY THEIR ANCESTORS. Migration took place, more commonly from Africa to the UK and then from India to other parts of the world. This migration was a huge change in the lives of those victims that had to move, but one thing that remained the same was their love for their religion, culture and tradition. Let’s take the example of Hindus in the diaspora as we see it today:
The Hindu religion is never forgotten with the continuous celebration of religious festivals, not just by the minority Hindu community here in the UK but by large university institutions who on a yearly basis, go out of their way to celebrate the Hindu festival of lights and colour. The Hindu communities that organise for these religious festivals to be celebrated, open it up to the wider community, inviting others to live what the Hindus live in India.
The Hindu religion exemplifies the need for a place of worship. Hindu temples, large or small are scattered across the UK and the US spreading prosperity and knowledge to the younger generation to entail that they too have a place to worship and understand what religion is from. The intricate carvings are not a mere showcase but a story of the ancient religion found in the scriptures. Regular discourses by learned individuals, priests and householders is aimed at all age groups to better establish the knowledge within.
The Hindu temple on the outside is one thing, but continuous prayer inside the home circulates from one house to the other. A small Ghar mandir allows the parents, or an older member of the family to preach the advice and upbringing to the younger members to enhance their understanding and their joy of who they are and what their purpose is. This would involve teaching them their daily prayers and how to offer food to the deity coupled with the knowledge of how to undergo a religious ritual at home.
Hindu weddings for example are consulted in its most traditional manner by which a learned priest is invited to recite the hymns followed by giving instructions to the various family members involved with the wedding. Regardless of its location, the wedding will always take place in the midst of the sacred fire who will witness the bond between the happy couple.
The reading of Hindu scriptures in the home or at the temple, in some cases at school brings the individual closer to their background and the religion that they belong to. This also leads to advancement of Hindu independent day schools, and Sunday schools aimed at giving students the correct education with the added Hindu teachings to uplift their understanding of who they are. Teaching of the language of India, Sanskrit, Hindi or Gujarati as found in popular school and university curriculums enables one to read, write, speak and understand the language of their origins.
The Hindu diaspora offers so much for the individual, as much as they can offer here in the west. The stereotype that once you move out of the country of origin, you forget your culture, tradition and religion will always remain false. There are many successful individuals out their who are Hindu by religion or Indian by culture, and while they owe their gratitude towards their education and their privileges, they owe a great amount to their religion and their upbringing; that while being a citizen of the west, they have remained in good communion with their religion. It is not a debate between what is better, the East or the West; it's about acknowledging that the unforgotten has remained unforgotten.
