Food writer and Modern Spice cookbook author Monica Bhide
recently returned from visiting her family in India, and we asked her
to share some glimpses of contemporary life she noticed while there. You can read her previous posts here and here.
One of my favorite things to do in India is to visit temples, but as I set out to visit several in New Delhi during my recent trip, I noticed that one major thing had changed. At the entrance of all the temples were metal detectors and police personnel checking each person entering and leaving.
Yes, it is a sign of the times, and not a happy one. After the events of November 2008, when a group of terrorists held the city of Mumbai under siege, security has become a prime concern for all places frequented by locals and tourists alike. There are metal detectors at hotels and malls, monuments and museums. On this particular visit, I went to the ISKCON Hare Krishna temple (pictured, above), one of the most beautiful temples in New Delhi. (It has a loyal following, and the restaurant attached to the temple offers vegetarian food, with some rather contemporary choices on the menu: baked beans, walnut pies and pizza!) While we waited patiently for the security check, what broke my heart was a young man standing in line with his mother behind me. His words to her: "If God needs all this to protect him, how on Earth will he protect me?"
Photos: Monica Bhide
One of my favorite things to do in India is to visit temples, but as I set out to visit several in New Delhi during my recent trip, I noticed that one major thing had changed. At the entrance of all the temples were metal detectors and police personnel checking each person entering and leaving. Yes, it is a sign of the times, and not a happy one. After the events of November 2008, when a group of terrorists held the city of Mumbai under siege, security has become a prime concern for all places frequented by locals and tourists alike. There are metal detectors at hotels and malls, monuments and museums. On this particular visit, I went to the ISKCON Hare Krishna temple (pictured, above), one of the most beautiful temples in New Delhi. (It has a loyal following, and the restaurant attached to the temple offers vegetarian food, with some rather contemporary choices on the menu: baked beans, walnut pies and pizza!) While we waited patiently for the security check, what broke my heart was a young man standing in line with his mother behind me. His words to her: "If God needs all this to protect him, how on Earth will he protect me?"
Photos: Monica Bhide
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Unfortunately, "If God needs all this to protect him, how on Earth will he protect me?" will be an appropriate comment from this time forward unless we have a world-cultural shift away from the use of public spaces to make political points.
It's distressing, but I wish I could have told the young man that neither 'God' nor the goddess needs protection. Rather, it's the things we've built, the human expressions created to make our divine more tangible, which need protecting. As beautiful as that temple is, as churches and historic sites are and can be, the beauty we've given them is what makes them targets. But there is no price on prayer, which we can have anywhere and simply by breathing. The price is in protecting public, tangible expressions of prayer (and our cultures.)
Thanks, Pat. Very well said. I agree with you totally. It was just so sad. I understand this need for protection .. sign of our times...
ISKCON is a world famous place. It is an organization maintaining Krishna temples in the world. So, its a prime place for attacks. And after Akshardham attack,people will also support in this checking. Its pity that now temples needs security. The GOD who is the father of all needs security...
i like your blogs very much. Very interesting and well written.Useful information too,Thanks for the great reading,we buy
Gold I will pass this on to our Ira clients to read.