Marriage, Divorce, Lifestyle, Funerals, Traditions, Cultural, Social, Ceremonies, Working Mothers, Nuclear Family

1. Pandit Parasram
School of Hinduism
Group 1 Presentation:
The Impact of Westernisation on Hinduism
CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN HINDUISM

2. Introduction
 Change is inevitable and constant, and the
wise must manage it for the common good-
Pt. Parasram.
 We must bear in mind that change has both
positive and negative aspects.
 Today, we are at a position where locally in
Trinidad and Tobago, we have our own brand
of Sanatan Dharma.

3. Some Of the Issues To Be
Examined
• The Religious Practices
• Life Style
• Changing Structure Of The Family
• Birth Ceremonies
• Upanayan
• Marriage
• Funeral Rites

4. Lifestyle
We face new challenges :
 Evolving Marriages
 High Divorce Rate
 Gay Marriages
 Inter-Religious Marriages
 Inter-Racial Marriages
 Changing Roles of Spouses
 Adoption of Christian / Western Celebrations
e.g. Valentine’s Day

5. Changing Structure of The
Family
 Disappearing Extended Family
 Development of the Nuclear Family
 Development Of Single Parent Homes
 Addition of a Nanny / Caregiver
 Working Wife
 Greater Responsibilities / Greater Demands of
Children
 Smaller Families
 Higher Financial Standard of living
 Less Labour Intensive Lifestyle
 Higher Priority on Academics above Dharma

6. Birth Ceremonies
• No 3 mths / 6 mths pre-natal sanskaars
• Introduction Of Baby Showers
• Does Caesarean section alter the destined birth
chart?
• No Naamkaran
• More Christian Names
• Parties replaces Chatthee & Barahee
• Working Mother results in reduced Breast
Feeding

7. Upanayan
 Because of Academics Upanayan postponed

8. Marriage
 Pundit consulted last for wedding date
 More “love” marriages than “arranged” marriages
 Girls coming home before wedding
 Types of food and drinks at wedding
 Trunk culture and mandir weddings
 Dharti puja in the night for Hardi

9. Marriage 2
 Wedding rituals becoming secondary
 Kanyaa-daan for non-virgins?
 Brides wearing white/couples in western attire
 Honeymoon more important than tri-raatri vrat
 Inter-religious/inter-racial marriages
 Sunday is a popular choice for convenience
 Toasting, cake-cutting and dulha and dulhan
dancing at reception

10. Funeral Rites
 Eats, Drinks, and Music at Wakes
 Reluctance to Shave Head
 Funeral, Shaving and Bhandaara on the same
day
 Brahmans refusing to become Mahaapaatra
 Persons from other castes opting to perform
the Mahaapaatra duties

11. Funeral Rites 2
 Married women wearing totally white
clothes
 Inappropriate bhajans and songs at funerals
and wakes
 Card-playing is condoned in chutihar house
 People eating and drinking at cremation site
 For bhandaara, some shrootaa don’t sit on
ground to eat

12. Family life
 Greater affluence-less labour needed for
routine activities, but less time for each
other!
 More working women-more working wives
and moms. Our marriages can not be like
our parents!
 Increased responsibilities for all males,
including dads!
 Children reared by nanny, so cultural
foundation is weaker!

13. Family Life 2
 Less extended families, more nuclear and single
parent families
 Changes in family’s diet, less home-cooking and
more buy-foods
 New fractured lifestyle has affected people’s
ability to take part in religious and cultural
activities- materialism becoming more important
 People not taking up their family traditions
because other occupations are more lucrative -
less pundits being produced

14. Cultural Life
 Development of Sunday Morning Service in Mandirs
 Yagyas and services on the radio and livestream-
greater exposure of our culture
 Computers and projectors in Mandirs- our pundits have
to become Information and Communication Technology
literate
 Less orthodox pundits, so non-traditional pundits
(SRP’s) are performing purohit rites!
 Some Hindus do not consult pundits for auspicious days
 Some Hindus are less aware of the richness of their
culture, and are ashamed and easily converted!!!

15. Influences of other groups
 Kabir Panth Association
 Arya Pratinidhi Sabha
 Dattatreya Ashram
 Sai Baba Association
 Hindu Seva Sangh
 Divine Life Society
 Various Shakti Groups
 Murgan groups
 Swaha

16. What we can do!
 Need to strengthen our foundation
 Participate in more family activities:
1. Praying, eating, talking as a unit
2. Going to Mandirs more often
3. Learning Hindi and music together
4. Learn more about our Sanatan Dharma
5. Be a good example for our children (and chelas)
6. Show everyone how to respect others (between
spouses, between parents and children, between
friends and acquaintances)

17. Thank you!
 May we all rise in Dharma…
 Sanatan Dharma ki Jai!!!

18. Presenters:
 Pandit Neilendranath Maharajh
 Pandit Prateesh Maraj
 Pandit Sanjeev Maharaj
 Pandit Naresh Ramoutar Maharaj
 Pandit Vinayak Maharajh