Respected Mahanubhavas,
I am a very late entrant to this forum and therefore for all intents and purposes an outsider.
I have followed some discussions and there are very enlightened views but at the same I also find that there are unfortunately crooked opinions which are put just for the sake of argument (Vidhandavadham. To cite an instance are two, I found there was very well discussed opinion on Madisar and Panchakachham in which unfortunately, in my view, sexuality was introduced. I have grown in an agraharam atmosphere and the wearing of madisar/panchakachham drew respect from all as I knew. No doubt a thing that has become uncommon today (Madisar) may be seen by some as unusual and therefore is an object of derisive comment. I think there was a decade back a story in Ananda Vikatan where a respected brahmin lady wore madisar as a high court lawyer. Perhaps this was with some precedence. It might have been in the past that brahmin families had fifteen children. I myself was born in a family of eight. The real reason for not producing more children today is due to availability of contraceptives etc. Further, it is difficult to upbring more children beyond 2/3. Gentlemen, if we ourselves ridicule the customs and traditions, than we do not need any other force like Dravidar Kazhagam. Let us retain the pride in being brahmins firstly for doing so is our duty. We expect this site to help propagate the due respect for Sandhyavandhanam etc. and the protection from Gayathri Japam as said by Paramacharyal.
Next there was another occasion about Upanayanam. I expressed some opinion and there was an interlude from a Mahanubhava linking Upanayanam with reaching puberty.
Thirdly, I happened to see a lady (TB) seeking some view in respect of marriage with a non Brahmin Maharashtrian. This was not unusual but what was unusual was a response expressed by a participant offering help to cook Nonvegetarian dishes. Was it not sarcastic?
I am disappointed that such opinions go in this site without any sort of objection. While expression of frank opinions should be welcome in any such site, there is a bounden duty for all TB's to abide by some code of conduct which basically should respect the common traditions of the Brahmin families. If one does not want to abide, he is free to do so and start another website for non-conformists but he does not have a right to disturb and disappoint the conforming majority. I hold certain values having moved out of TN some forty years back and do not hold brief for the TB community as a whole. There have been some social evils which were the precise reason for the common hatred against TBs in TN. We must not continue to practise them but the point is that we should respect and abide by the traditions and customs which we cherish. My suggestion to the moderators is that genuine criticism to refine the community of old ills should be permitted but respected traditions and conventions should never be ridiculed or not permitted for ridicule in our website. If we had lost respect, it was because we had no sense of self pride. Let us not lose any more self pride. I have no intention to disrespect the seniors in age who also at times make comments in lighter vein, but I would take this site rather seriously and expect the same from others. I may be permitted this liberty.
Respects to the elders and regards and affection to the youngsters.
Thanks
T R Ramamurthy
I am a very late entrant to this forum and therefore for all intents and purposes an outsider.
I have followed some discussions and there are very enlightened views but at the same I also find that there are unfortunately crooked opinions which are put just for the sake of argument (Vidhandavadham. To cite an instance are two, I found there was very well discussed opinion on Madisar and Panchakachham in which unfortunately, in my view, sexuality was introduced. I have grown in an agraharam atmosphere and the wearing of madisar/panchakachham drew respect from all as I knew. No doubt a thing that has become uncommon today (Madisar) may be seen by some as unusual and therefore is an object of derisive comment. I think there was a decade back a story in Ananda Vikatan where a respected brahmin lady wore madisar as a high court lawyer. Perhaps this was with some precedence. It might have been in the past that brahmin families had fifteen children. I myself was born in a family of eight. The real reason for not producing more children today is due to availability of contraceptives etc. Further, it is difficult to upbring more children beyond 2/3. Gentlemen, if we ourselves ridicule the customs and traditions, than we do not need any other force like Dravidar Kazhagam. Let us retain the pride in being brahmins firstly for doing so is our duty. We expect this site to help propagate the due respect for Sandhyavandhanam etc. and the protection from Gayathri Japam as said by Paramacharyal.
Next there was another occasion about Upanayanam. I expressed some opinion and there was an interlude from a Mahanubhava linking Upanayanam with reaching puberty.
Thirdly, I happened to see a lady (TB) seeking some view in respect of marriage with a non Brahmin Maharashtrian. This was not unusual but what was unusual was a response expressed by a participant offering help to cook Nonvegetarian dishes. Was it not sarcastic?
I am disappointed that such opinions go in this site without any sort of objection. While expression of frank opinions should be welcome in any such site, there is a bounden duty for all TB's to abide by some code of conduct which basically should respect the common traditions of the Brahmin families. If one does not want to abide, he is free to do so and start another website for non-conformists but he does not have a right to disturb and disappoint the conforming majority. I hold certain values having moved out of TN some forty years back and do not hold brief for the TB community as a whole. There have been some social evils which were the precise reason for the common hatred against TBs in TN. We must not continue to practise them but the point is that we should respect and abide by the traditions and customs which we cherish. My suggestion to the moderators is that genuine criticism to refine the community of old ills should be permitted but respected traditions and conventions should never be ridiculed or not permitted for ridicule in our website. If we had lost respect, it was because we had no sense of self pride. Let us not lose any more self pride. I have no intention to disrespect the seniors in age who also at times make comments in lighter vein, but I would take this site rather seriously and expect the same from others. I may be permitted this liberty.
Respects to the elders and regards and affection to the youngsters.
Thanks
T R Ramamurthy