Guest guest Posted January 31, 2005 Report Share Posted January 31, 2005 Hindu wedding with a touch from Down Under By M.KRISHNAMOORTHY THE cost of a priest’s services in a traditional Hindu ceremony is the same as the price of a cow Down Under, said Acharya Ram Sivan. While conducting a marriage ceremony in Sydney recently, the Australian-born priest explained that priests in the Indian sub-continent were in the past given a cow for performing a traditional and ritualistic Hindu wedding, but “It is not possible to give me a cow on the stage in this day and age. So, we go by the current market price of a cow which is about A$500 (RM1,450).” “The bridegroom will now offer this to me as a token of appreciation for my services,” Ram Sivan explained as he performed the rituals witnessed by about 550 people. Unlike Hindu priests in Malaysia, Ram Sivan, 47, takes the trouble to explain the significance of the Vedic verses he recites over the PA system. The Sydney-based priest (ordained as Sri Rama Ramanuja Achari) converted to Hinduism in India at the age of 17. He studied Yoga-Vedanta philosophy, logic, hermeneutics, Sanskrit and astrology, as well as Vedic and Tantric spiritual exercises at Rishikesh, Benares, and Madras. Ram Sivan has been a Hindu priest and teacher of Yoga-Vedanta for over 25 years, including in South Africa and Australia. Acharya Ram Sivan, an Australian Hindu priest, conducting a wedding ceremony. At this wedding, he spoke in Sanskrit, English and Tamil. He is also fluent in Hindi and Hebrew. Garbed in a saffron vesti, he continued his wedding ceremony by announcing: “For this marriage ceremony to be performed according to the Vedas, can we have pin-drop silence? If you wish to talk, please do it outside the hall.” As he went through the rituals, step by step, Ram Sivan fascinated the Malaysian families who were in attendance with his explanation of the complex Sanskrit verses. For many, this was the first time they were learning the significance of every action performed; Ram Sivan was reciting the age-old vows for bridegroom Prabhu Sivabalan, a university lecturer, and Kirti Patel, a lawyer. Prabhu, originally from Malaysia, lectures at the University of Technology Sydney while Kirti is with the legal department at the Australian Securities Commission. The Tamil/Gujarati wedding ceremony involved the breaking of coconuts to symbolise the shattering of one’s ego, and stepping on a grindstone after exchanging vows. “In this marriage, who is giving what and to whom? Love is the giver and Love is the Receiver. Love has entered into the Ocean of Being. Through Love I receive you. O Love, all this is for you,’’ he quoted the poetic verses from the Vedas. “I am the Sky; you are the Earth. I am the Seed; you are the Bearer. I am Mind; you are Speech. I am the Melody; you are the Words,” Ram Sivan said aloud. The widely travelled priest gained knowledge of the Hindu scriptures through his 20-odd years of training in south India. He explained that a Hindu marriage included surrendering, praising and giving thanks to God through ancient rituals. Verses from the Vedas were chanted to invite the Divinity to unite the two hearts. As the couple clasped their hands together, Prabhu recited from a script prepared by Ram Sivan: “I take your hand for well being so that together we may attain years of happiness. May we remain together until old age, loving each other, delighting in each other, with our minds in harmony, appreciating each other’s ideas, views and feelings. “May we discover life together for a hundred autumns, may we live together for a hundred autumns, and may we listen to each other attentively for a hundred autumns.” The ceremony completed, the bride stepped on a grinding stone, and the couple took seven ritualistic steps for blissful wedded years. Ram Sivan then called on the audience: “Let’s all pray that the couple will live harmoniously, strive for common goals with a common purpose and avert conflicts and calamities with a positive attitude,” said Ram Sivan, who is also one of the founding members and the current vice president of the Australian Council of Hindu Clergy. For his expertise, he has been frequently invited in the consecration of a number of Australian Hindu temples, tutored other priests, and is the published author of four books on Hinduism. W o Those interested in consulting Ram Sivan can e-mail purohit@bigpond.com http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2005/1/22/features/9447145&sec=features Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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