STRESS AND WALAVAL: DR. SHRINIWAS KASHALIKAR

To visit the place named Walaval has been a very pleasant experience. In my early childhood we used to go to Walaval; in our neighbor Mr. Patankar�s hired; van like private vehicle.

The memories; of the narrow brick red roads sandwiched in the greenery, the small shacks selling hot tea and bhaji (pakoda), the mouth watering smell of pakoda, the houses with tiled roofs; and lastly the temple of Laxmi-Narayan (also called Dev Narayan); are still very fresh!

The Laxmi Narayan temple is several centuries old. There is a lake by the side. In those days the lake appeared fearsome as I did not know swimming. Moreover there was the belief that at least one or two persons lost their life in that lake!

The memory of the taste of simple but fresh and hot vegetarian brahmanical food served by our distant relatives, who used to perform daily pooja, is also fresh.

But later I came in touch with Marxist analysis of poverty and misery in the society. Since I had no strong enough argument to counter the Marxist analysis, my piety and faith that; Lord Narayan is the whole sole; began to dwindle. I began to think that; we; have to search and find solutions to the challenges in our personal and social life and Laxmi Narayan is not going to provide them.

But today; Marxist perspective and analysis; though a step ahead of the paranoid, indolent, parasitic, helpless and deterministic outlook; has evolved and culminated in my mind; into the holistic perspective of; what may be called Total Stress Management, individual and universal blossoming, holistic renaissance, holistic health; or superliving.

Thus I respect the deities, beginning from where; my own feelings and perspective; have culminated into; what may be called Total Stress Management, individual and universal blossoming, holistic renaissance, holistic health; or superliving; in which, the atheism and theism; monotheism and polytheism; materialism and spiritualism; individualism and socialism and other such dualities have dissolved!

Every family has a family deity. The child is introduced to the deity right from the birth. This introduction is immensely important because it keeps reminding the individual about the destination viz. blossoming into cosmic consciousness! It averts the arrogance, pettiness, individualistic frenzies, whims and idiosyncrasies.

Thus the family deity is a great forward step, made easy by parents, towards the realization of truth! At that age, no amount of philosophy can work. In fact it can be counterproductive and convert young minds into fanatic fascist robots. It is this introduction, familiarity and actual participation in the activities meted out for individual and social blossoming that constitute some of the valuable aspects of acculturation called SANSKARA.

Later; the family deity conceptually grows into cosmic consciousness; and we begin to merge in that. Most importantly we develop; at least a sketchy road map; of holistic perspective, thinking, plans and programs; about global welfare. Hence; family deity is a very important and vital component of the process of individual and global blossoming and emancipation!

Walaval is in Kudal Taluka (Sindhudurga district, Maharashtra state; India). It is near Kudal, Vengurla and Savantwadi. Anyone who visits the temple would be reminded and reoriented to the cosmic consciousness in the course of time, besides being rejuvenated; by virtue of the especially invigorating ambiance!