Hastinapur in Argentina

The hallmark of Hinduism is its tolerance towards other religions and religious thoughts and scriptures and Hinduism is a way of life and it is this unique feature of it which has seen it through centuries of invasions by ruthless rulers from abroad who not only looted and plundered the country’s wealth but forcibly converted the local population to their own religion; when the British ruled over the country for three centuries, they also introduced their own religion by way of educating the downtrodden of the country.

The religion Hinduism still is the dominant religion in the country. The Vedantic thoughts of Hinduism has attracted millions of non-Hindus as the teachings are open to any believer, irrespective of caste, creed and religion and vegetarianism which is encouraged by most Hindus is after all scientifically a very healthy food habit.

It is therefore heartening to hear that Hindu philosophy, yoga and meditation has made a deep impact on Argentina and the temple that is described above and its activities speak for themselves the noble intentions of the people behind the building and organisation of this holy place.

Hinduism believes in universal brotherhood and living in mutual trust, love and integrity.

Let us go to 50 km from Buenos Aires (in Argentina) Hastinapur created for Hindu Gods. Hastinapur has a total area of 12 acres. Its population consists of a dozen Indian gods and an equal number of Argentinean people. Some of the gods reside in authentic temples filled with the scent of Indian agarbattis while others stay outdoors, enjoying the fragrance of the flowers in the garden.

Some are sitting or standing on pedestals and others hang on the sides of walls and pillars. The gods who have their own temples include Ganesha, Krishna, Surya, Narayana and Shiva. Since it is Hastinapur, there is a temple for the Pandavas, too. The only sound comes from the hundreds of birds nesting in the trees. Then there is the soft music of devotees singing bhajans.

Not Looking For Favours

The dozen Argentineans who live there look after the gods and the place. During weekends, the people here number over one hundred. Visitors don’t come here seeking favours from the gods. They come in search of wisdom.

This is why Hastinapur is called ciudad de la sabiduria, the city of wisdom. Sculptures of Saraswati, the goddess of learning, can be seen all over the place. Argentineans come here to learn philosophy, read in the library, practice yoga and meditation and sing bhajans. The food served here is vegetarian or vegan.

Hastinapur has no God men. The names of those who run the place are not publicised. They have their professions as company managers, engineers or professors. They volunteer their time and talent for the foundation.

Nor is Hastinapur the work of some overenthusiastic drum-beating, die-hard devotee of a particular god or guru. Hastinapur respects all religions and beliefs. The 10 temples include one for Buddha, Virgin Mary and Greek goddess Demeter; there is also something called Temple of All Faiths. Their library has books of all religions and schools of thought.

Follow Your Own Path

Hastinapur does not prescribe wisdom doses. It simply helps people to seek, find and pursue their own path to wisdom. The organisers give classes in yoga, meditation, philosophy, devotional singing and sacred drama, hold workshops, seminars and retreats. They also provide community service. They celebrate festivals such as Ganesh Chathurthi and Baisakhi. Their next project is to broadcast through radio. There are no priests here and no money is collected.

Hastinapur has a post-graduate course in yoga which takes three years to complete. The classes are held on weekends only. There are 2,500 students studying yoga and philosophy in the Hastinapur centers. The students are being taught by 100 teachers on philosophy and 120 teachers on yoga.

Hastinapur Foundation has published a number of books on Indian philosophy and translated the Bhagavad Gita, Bhakti Sutras, Upanishads, Srimad Bhagavatam and Yoga Sutras. Their latest publication is Mahabharatha in Spanish. Hastinapura Foundation was established by Ada Albrecht in 1981. She introduced Indian philosophy to the Argentinean people. She has authored a number of books such as The Saints And Teachings Of India and The Teachings Of The Monks From Himalayas.

Indian Spirituality Is Popular

Gustavo Canzobre, her student, is now the director of the Hastinapur College of professors. He was 17 years old when he became interested in Indian wisdom. During the third Festival of India organised by the embassy in Buenos Aires in November 2010, he gave a talk on the temple architecture of South India. He will give a talk on Indian philosophy in the forthcoming fourth Festival of India in December 2011