Knowledge is the driving force in development of one’s mind and builds and individual opinion and outlook towards the world. To grow as a civilised society knowledge is the most important and basic thing for all by reading, writing and learning from everything around them. With diversity at its front, India is a land that shares a variety of religion, language, culture and it can bee seen in the streets of the nation where this blend is very much visible. Several temples, mosques, churches have embedded their faith among its diverse masses who are devoted to their respective religion.
The Hindu’s have several temples for worshipping and these temples all over India follow the age-old customs of giving flowers, fruits, food items to the deities they have come to believe so intensely through the divinity they possess. Temples usually give away foods, sweets to the devotees as ‘Prasad’ or as God’s blessing. People offer several things to the deities with conviction on a daily basis with the hope of fulfilling their ardent desires and for lessening their burden of sins before their demise. However, Vadakkunnathan Temple in Thrissur, Kerala made the headlines with it’s unique yet respectable custom of giving books, DVD’s or anything that shares knowledge. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva.
This landmark decision can only be described as that the temple authorities understands the necessity of knowledge as a part of human’s progress and a place of devotion can offer knowledge to its devotees with the same devotion we shower on our gods and goddesses. Knowledge enriches the mind with new ideas and thoughts to create something fresh, so what else can God bless his devotees with other than knowledge itself and which is the reason why this temple put priority on knowledge and appreciate others to keep learning. Kerala is known to have the highest literacy rate among entire India and only explains why they have taken a step towards learning from a place of devotion. The temple also has intellectuals like, Acharya Jagdish Chandra Bose, APJ Abdul Kalam, Srinibash Ramanujan’s picture engraved on it’s walls instead of any god or goddess to interpret the need of gathering knowledge. For young children, this temple sets a striking example very early in their life, so they can also understand the need to learn and enhance their knowledge in their desired paths. As a developing country, India needs a reformed education system that promotes knowledge, and this temple has already begun the work.
