Bharat: Not Just a Nation, A Civilizational Continuum
BHARAT - The Living Continuity of Civilization
History is filled with the ruins of great civilizations that once seemed immortal.The powerful Babylonian cities in Mesopotamia eventually crumbled to dust, and their culture disappeared. The time of the Pharaohs in ancient egypt came to an end when new religions took the place of their ancient deities. During the Spanish conquest across the ocean, the Aztec and Mayan societies were destroyed leading to the decline of their once-mighty civilizations. But Bharat stayed while these giants fell.Alongside the Chinese, the Bharatiya Civilization is not merely a relic of the past, but a living, breathing continuity. Despite centuries of brutal foreign invasions and systemic attempts at cultural erasure, it did not shatter; instead, it absorbed the shocks, guarded its Sanatana (eternal) core, and refined its wisdom. Today, Bharat remains one of the world's oldest surviving civilizations, one that has not only survived and thrived but continues to evolve as a vibrant, spiritual, and intellectual force for the modern world.
In the words of the American author Mark Twain, "India is the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great-grandmother of tradition. Our most valuable and most instructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in india only."
The Current Crisis of FaithHowever, despite this glorious history, a troubling shift is happening today within Bharat regarding Sanatana Dharma. We are witnessing instances where the state and its institutions seem to work against the very traditions that define this land.
For example, in tamil Nadu, the state government and its own endowment department went so far as to block the lighting of the sacred Karthigai Deepam on the Thirupparankundram Hill. Even after a judgment from the madurai Bench of the madras high court allowed the ritual, the administration cited "security concerns" to prevent it. What is truly shocking is that this judicial intervention was met with extreme political hostility - 120 Members of parliament went as far as filing an impeachment motion to remove the high court judge simply for upholding a religious right.
This insensitivity extends to the highest offices of the judiciary. We remember the former Chief Justice of India’s dismissive jibe during a hearing: "Go ask your deity," he remarked to a devotee seeking the restoration of a sacred idol. When an advocate, pushed to his breaking point, attempted a physical disruption in the court, the lawyer was rightly punished, but the CJI never apologized for his mockery. This cold indifference toward the faith of millions of Hindus has become a recurring theme in modern discourse.
The Sacrilege at TirumalaPerhaps the most painful blow to the heart of the devotee is the recent revelation regarding the tirupati Laddu. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) findings have uncovered a betrayal of unimaginable proportions. The tirumala Laddu Prasadam is not just a sweet; it is a valuable possession that travels from the holy hill to be distributed to family members, friends, and neighbours. For most of us, eating that prasadam is equivalent to receiving the blessings of Lord Balaji. While we were sharing this blessing with pure hearts, the previous ttd Board and officials were committing a serious fraud.
Between 2019 – 2024, approximately 48.76 crore laddus were distributed. The SIT found that 20.1 crore of these were made with adulterated, spurious ghee.Think of the scale - more than 41% of the sacred offerings - nearly half of everything given to devoteeswere contaminated. Records show the ttd procured 1.61 crore kilograms of cow ghee, but 68 lakh kilograms of that was fake, supplied by companies that funnelled ₹250 crores worth of fraud into the temple supply chain. This wasn't just administrative negligence; it was a cruel and indifferent crime against the sick, the elderly, and the children who consumed this substance as a blessing. They didn't just contaminate ghee; they contaminated our faith.
A Call for AwakeningWe live in a time when politicians openly speak of "eradicating" Sanatana Dharma, equating our way of life to a virus. When the highest offices mock our beliefs and devotees must beg the courts for the right to practice their faith - only to be denied - we must ask ourselves - Why are we still hiding?Why do we tuck our holy Japamala under a sleeve? Why do we wipe off a tilak before a meeting or feel ashamed of a traditional shikha? How did our sacred, comforting foods like Dadhojanam and pulihora become subjects of mockery in our own land? If such sacrilege can happen at one of our largest and wealthiest temples, the plight of smaller, unprotected temples is unimaginable.
Every nation has its own set of values, ethos, and traditions - collectively, they become their culture and heritage. It is the story of who we are, and it is what makes us strong. But a civilization only remains "living" as long as its people are willing to stand for it.The time for being passive observers is over. The government of india must call a major stakeholder meeting of the Hindu fraternity and seriously consider implementing the idea of a Sanatana dharma Rakshana Board, as mooted by the deputy chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, Shri Pawan Kalyan.It is the need of the hour to constitute a Sanatana dharma Rakshana Board where the devotees themselves - not indifferent bureaucrats - take charge of managing temple affairs.
Sanatana dharma is the very foundation of our Bharatiya Civilization. As practising Sanatanis, we cannot confine to just silent piety and prayer. We must rise above regional differences and language barriers to unite as one civilization. It is the responsibility of every citizen to stand for our faith, our identity, our culture and most importantly question and speak up when Sanatana dharma is mocked and abused. If we do not protect the roots that have nourished us for millennia, we risk becoming another "vanished" civilization in the history books of the future.
Written by naga Trinadh, alumnus of Dr BR Ambedkar college of Law, Andhra University
History is filled with the ruins of great civilizations that once seemed immortal.The powerful Babylonian cities in Mesopotamia eventually crumbled to dust, and their culture disappeared. The time of the Pharaohs in ancient egypt came to an end when new religions took the place of their ancient deities. During the Spanish conquest across the ocean, the Aztec and Mayan societies were destroyed leading to the decline of their once-mighty civilizations. But Bharat stayed while these giants fell.Alongside the Chinese, the Bharatiya Civilization is not merely a relic of the past, but a living, breathing continuity. Despite centuries of brutal foreign invasions and systemic attempts at cultural erasure, it did not shatter; instead, it absorbed the shocks, guarded its Sanatana (eternal) core, and refined its wisdom. Today, Bharat remains one of the world's oldest surviving civilizations, one that has not only survived and thrived but continues to evolve as a vibrant, spiritual, and intellectual force for the modern world.
In the words of the American author Mark Twain, "India is the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great-grandmother of tradition. Our most valuable and most instructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in india only."
The Current Crisis of FaithHowever, despite this glorious history, a troubling shift is happening today within Bharat regarding Sanatana Dharma. We are witnessing instances where the state and its institutions seem to work against the very traditions that define this land.
For example, in tamil Nadu, the state government and its own endowment department went so far as to block the lighting of the sacred Karthigai Deepam on the Thirupparankundram Hill. Even after a judgment from the madurai Bench of the madras high court allowed the ritual, the administration cited "security concerns" to prevent it. What is truly shocking is that this judicial intervention was met with extreme political hostility - 120 Members of parliament went as far as filing an impeachment motion to remove the high court judge simply for upholding a religious right.
This insensitivity extends to the highest offices of the judiciary. We remember the former Chief Justice of India’s dismissive jibe during a hearing: "Go ask your deity," he remarked to a devotee seeking the restoration of a sacred idol. When an advocate, pushed to his breaking point, attempted a physical disruption in the court, the lawyer was rightly punished, but the CJI never apologized for his mockery. This cold indifference toward the faith of millions of Hindus has become a recurring theme in modern discourse.
The Sacrilege at TirumalaPerhaps the most painful blow to the heart of the devotee is the recent revelation regarding the tirupati Laddu. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) findings have uncovered a betrayal of unimaginable proportions. The tirumala Laddu Prasadam is not just a sweet; it is a valuable possession that travels from the holy hill to be distributed to family members, friends, and neighbours. For most of us, eating that prasadam is equivalent to receiving the blessings of Lord Balaji. While we were sharing this blessing with pure hearts, the previous ttd Board and officials were committing a serious fraud.
Between 2019 – 2024, approximately 48.76 crore laddus were distributed. The SIT found that 20.1 crore of these were made with adulterated, spurious ghee.Think of the scale - more than 41% of the sacred offerings - nearly half of everything given to devoteeswere contaminated. Records show the ttd procured 1.61 crore kilograms of cow ghee, but 68 lakh kilograms of that was fake, supplied by companies that funnelled ₹250 crores worth of fraud into the temple supply chain. This wasn't just administrative negligence; it was a cruel and indifferent crime against the sick, the elderly, and the children who consumed this substance as a blessing. They didn't just contaminate ghee; they contaminated our faith.
A Call for AwakeningWe live in a time when politicians openly speak of "eradicating" Sanatana Dharma, equating our way of life to a virus. When the highest offices mock our beliefs and devotees must beg the courts for the right to practice their faith - only to be denied - we must ask ourselves - Why are we still hiding?Why do we tuck our holy Japamala under a sleeve? Why do we wipe off a tilak before a meeting or feel ashamed of a traditional shikha? How did our sacred, comforting foods like Dadhojanam and pulihora become subjects of mockery in our own land? If such sacrilege can happen at one of our largest and wealthiest temples, the plight of smaller, unprotected temples is unimaginable.
Every nation has its own set of values, ethos, and traditions - collectively, they become their culture and heritage. It is the story of who we are, and it is what makes us strong. But a civilization only remains "living" as long as its people are willing to stand for it.The time for being passive observers is over. The government of india must call a major stakeholder meeting of the Hindu fraternity and seriously consider implementing the idea of a Sanatana dharma Rakshana Board, as mooted by the deputy chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, Shri Pawan Kalyan.It is the need of the hour to constitute a Sanatana dharma Rakshana Board where the devotees themselves - not indifferent bureaucrats - take charge of managing temple affairs.
Sanatana dharma is the very foundation of our Bharatiya Civilization. As practising Sanatanis, we cannot confine to just silent piety and prayer. We must rise above regional differences and language barriers to unite as one civilization. It is the responsibility of every citizen to stand for our faith, our identity, our culture and most importantly question and speak up when Sanatana dharma is mocked and abused. If we do not protect the roots that have nourished us for millennia, we risk becoming another "vanished" civilization in the history books of the future.
Written by naga Trinadh, alumnus of Dr BR Ambedkar college of Law, Andhra University