INDIA IS known as the holy land where Buddha attained Nirvana. Here, Lord Krishna explained the mysteries of life and death in the battlefield of Kurukshetra to Arjuna, the great Bhagvata Gita, when the war of Mahabharata was fought. Holy rivers, cradling spiritual cities on its shores, dissect the landscape.
Many foreigners associate India with yoga, tantra, meditation and spiritualism. If one talks of spiritual channels alone, the market is huge in India. Everybody is looking for redemption in this fast paced life in some form or other. The highly esteemed spiritual gurus and ashrams have become the need of the hour. Never before was spiritualism such a sought after industry in India.
Maitri Ghosh, interior decorator says, “People are seeking divine intervention in all spheres of life today. Contemporary lifestyle and accelerated stress levels are inviting people to participate in yoga and meditation camps organized for over all health benefits.”
Karthik Srinivasan, project manager with a Bangalore based MNC says, “More and more people are drifting towards spiritualism and related studies. Life has become fast paced for Indians since the past few years. The boon in economy and radical changes in lifestyle has paved way for several lifestyle diseases as well as psychological disorders. One feels compelled to rejuvenate his spiritual side in order to balance all the different aspects of personal as well as professional life.”
The spiritual gurus market is around Rs 2000 crores, according to a recent survey. It consists of CDs, VCDs, audiocassettes and books. In India, the sale of spiritual audio cassettes is next only to that of Bollywood cassettes and CDs. Medicines, periodicals and therapies also form an essential part of the spiritual industry in India.
Megna Kapur, counselor says, “Spiritualism is the latest craze these days. Being spiritual is considered to be sophisticated and elite. It has become a fashion statement with people these days. Yoga, meditation and pranic healing have become a style quotient.”
Hundreds of spas and resorts offering yoga and meditation packages along with reiki, massage and other therapies have opened all over the country. The spiritual industry is synonymous with India and those who are part of it have a bright future. Most spas located in the Himalayas focus on ayurveda and alternate healing methods. Yoga and tantra are part of the ancient life-disciplines that have been practiced in India for ages. They have been mentioned in the scriptures and Upanishads and are based on scientific facts. They lay utmost stress on the science of the union with the divine. Spiritual gurus are held in high esteem as they act as the bridge between people and God.
Gayatri Mehra, media manager with a religious channel says, “Religion has been commercialized in a big way. People are always eager to watch religious serials or listen to sermons on various channels. Senior citizens as well as devotees lay a lot of emphasis on religion and the arena of spiritualism. There are several gurus, swamis and saints who have followers in India as well as all across the globe.”
It is not only the teachings and yoga that attracts people to spiritualism. Most ashrams and temples these days have their own shops where one can find all kinds of essential oils, ayurvedic medicines, beauty products, books, cassettes, CDs, accessories and candles.
Radhika Mittal, environmentalist says, “Since ages people have believed in getting divine remedies for everything. They seek assistance from astrologers and numerologists before commencing anything auspicious. Pundits and pujaris have always been part of all major rituals in India. One cannot differentiate between a quack and genuine practitioner these days. Spiritualism is being sold openly and it definitely has a huge market on the global scale.”
Several institutes have opened that teach yoga, meditation as well as alternate healing procedures. One doesn’t have to be a saint to practice spiritualism anymore. You can easily get yourself enrolled in one of these institutes and become a certified practitioner. Spiritualism, as an industry is all powerful and conventional. What’s controversial are the ways of mankind, the sale of divine matters and minting money in the name of religion.
By Rachel Arora
Source: http://www.merinews.com/
Forget yourself for others, and others will never forget you.
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