Temples are centres of India’s cultural ethos: Vice President

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu (Photo: PIB/File)


Describing temples as centres of India’s cultural ethos, Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu said on Sunday that “share and care” has been the core of India’s philosophy.

“Temples have been the centres of India’s cultural ethos as well as centres of music, dance and for the spiritual upliftment of the masses. They have spread awareness about religious and spiritual thoughts through traditions like Harikatha and Purana Pravchana,” he added.

The Vice President was addressing a gathering after inaugurating Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple renovated by the Hare Krishna Foundation here.

He said the temples have also encouraged philanthropy and fostered a sense of concern for fellow beings through charitable actions.

“Share and care has been the core of our philosophy. We revere every action that serves humanity. There is a sanctity attached to many of our daily activities which is why we have words like ‘vidyalaya’, ‘chikitsalaya’, ‘bhojanalaya’ and even ‘shauchalaya’,” he said.

“We see divinity everywhere because we believe that all living and non-living beings are manifestations of the same divine principle and energy,” he added.

The Vice President said that Lord Krishna symbolises the eternal values of love, compassion, empathy and righteous behaviour.

“If we can bring about the Krishna consciousness in society, we can usher in a huge transformation in the lives of people. We can foster peace, prosperity, fraternity and bring Vaikuntha or anxiety free environment in each and every family,” Naidu said.