Environmental hygiene:Is it degrading?

Hi,
Myself and my mother had been to a famous temple in Tiruvallur,Vaithiya veeraragavar temple.The temple is a beautiful one .The premises are neatly maintained.The volunteers organize the timings and they strictly emphasise and imbibe the orderliness and perfection while standing in a queue for worshipping. Performing archanai to god,offering flowers and fruits is a known practise.There is a pool constructed at the side of the temple ,here people buy jaggery packets and dissolve them in the pool.It is believed that on dissolving ,one should get relieved from all diseases, tumours etc.The pool is constructed for performing this practice.


While people respect this place and perform spiritual practices here,should it not be maintained properly?People feel irritated on seeing various waste papers,polythene covers scattered here and there. Going a step ahead, some men spoil the whole environment , they use the pool as their bathroom ,use the water for washing purposes. The water is used for spiritual purposes ,so it has to be taken care of. Instead the water is contaminated by diverting its usage.The place is losing its spiritual value.There is no point in blaming any persons in particular.


Again the discussion starts here???? When there are steps taken to maintain the temple premises,why not to the pool which is also connected to the temple.Though we concede that each and every individual is responsible for it,unless the authorities take necessary steps and enforce strict rules and put a notice saying “Do not contaminate the area” ,”Do not use the water for other purposes”,etc the problem cannot be solved.This can be one of the factors. The temple is not spoiled by the persons visiting the temple from outside.The people staying nearer are totally responsible for the dingy environment.

Just like me,visitors can only discuss among other visitors,form a debate and conclude among ourselves.Not pointing to temples alone,there are various recreation centers , restaurants ,parks which add on to the list.Only the visitors suffer from various inconveniences.The rest rooms in most of the hotels or restaurants show a squalid look and most visitors suffer from unbearable filthy smell.Whatever be the case,whether it is hotels or any other place,they are run by people’s money. Why not the same money can be contributed(used)to maintain a flamboyant atmosphere??????Environmental hygiene is totally lagging.It leads to various diseases.If we ask the opinion from others,we can get a ready made reply which say”Charity begins at home”.Hence sanitation must be taught to every individual right from his childhood.This is the first step towards approaching the issue.What is the next step?How can we bring the authorities to the fact?

Hi Bhargavi
I do agree totally that enviormental hygiene in India at most places & also at temples which are supposed to bewGOD' OWN PLACES are very poor in maintaining hygiene & cleaniless.Only this month I visited UJJAIN in MP - famous for jyotirling & Mahakal.We visited the famous MAhaKAL temple & it was alright in cleaniless & hygiene as is very very famous all over the Wirld.
Than we visited A temple called MANGALNATH few KM from MAHAKAL ,It was also A shiv temple & Very famous visiting place. It was situated on banks of SHIPRA RIVER.
As we parked the Car A very Bad smell filled our nostrils & I looked around to find its origin. We saw that as there was no flowing water in shipra Due to ack of rains & all the stagnanet water in front of temple was all covered with green slime & JALKUMBHI So thick was the Layer of slime that birds were walking on it . This was the cause of all foul smelling. It was very difficult to sit in temple & do prayers.
All the people working there & having there stalls were working without any affection of smell nor they had any intrest in improving the conditions there.I really felt bad about it.

hi bhargavi,
i fully agree with you....even i've been to tiruvallur temple.it is a pity that such a beautiful temple has such pathetic surroundings.in fact most of our temples share the same state,especially when there is some such belief attached and people throng the place for offerings.why don't the authorities provide seperate bins for plastic and other garbage and ensure strict enforcement of disposal?
i never seem to understand the absolute apathy that exists in our country towards cleanliness...we are so obsessed with our culture and religion,but sadly forget that cleanliness is next (only) to godliness...
we need to make people more sensitive to cleanliness and hygiene and it should be made part of our schooling.parents and teachers are reponsible for inculcating values from early childhood.
till such time people develop civic responsibility on their own,the only resort would of course be strict laws and stricter enforcement.
authorities should have a strict surveillance of public places and should come down heavily on anyone defiling them.
there is so much of unemployed manpower available in our country,so why dont the authorities make use of them to form squads to strictly monitor public places and enforce cleanliness and hygiene....
it is ironical that those who call themselves religious allow religious places to be defiled...
while in many countries even public restrooms are maintained spotlessly,in our country they are few and deplorably maintained,and all our public places like beaches,parks,street corners are converted into public conveniences.the walls of our government offices are invariably used as spittoons....
why do authorities in India turn a blind eye to hygiene?we can educate our children,but who is to educate our law makers?
rgds,
sowpar

I too agree that public places are not clean in India.
Basically people doesn't have any civic sense.
They just throw the garbage outside thinking that it is not their house.
Nobody practices cleanliness.
I can't just imagine hotels bathrooms or any public bathrooms.
It is just a pathetic situation.

Very nice and a valid topic you had started, Bhargavi.. Hats off to you!!

There are millions of temples in India.. Except for the "richest" others are not maintained at all. Deprived of the indian life with temples.. When we rush back to India in a short vacation, all we do it go to major temples, visit the almighty, pay of dhakshamans and feel happy. For us, we see the worth of those temples and how great it can be maintained. But for people there.. its just another building.. for some money making entity.. thats all I think. They see it day to day life and not care about its values.

The irony is I have met with educated people there who crap the place because they don't feel anything. As long inside the temple, they maintain it, its fine, they think.

One incident, here in NJ temple. Bridgewater temple is very popular in northeast. Its very nicely maintained and its being renovated.. extended to be more precise. Usually in weekends, many bakthars, try to make some prasadhams and bring it.. Sakarapongal, vennpongal, sundal etc.. There are 2 floors.. the basement has the gift shop, dining etc.. and usually near the shoe/coat hangers, there is a table specifically placed, so that people can keep their food items there for others. Now before placing it there, obviously it shud be given to God and it goes to first floor. Neivedhyam once done, sometimes at the entrance of the first floor, a priest or the person who made it.. distributes this in a small cookie papers.. So that everyone gets it.. not many might go down to the basement. So far all is good right..

But now comes the major issue. Once you received the prasadam what should you do. Take it out of the premises to either the dinning room below or to your car or outside the main deity place and then you can eat it. But I have seen N number of people gobble the prasadham then and there. It will be like, "Hello, didn't you get enough food at home or what" [Panchathula adipattavanga mathiri arakka parakka sapiduvaanga] I was wondering.. thats when I saw it .. They finish it and go for another round ... do you believe this.. its prasadam people.. just a spoon.. God will bless you anyways.. its not lunch or dinner Also they say you can eat like that in front of God [ echi panni sapidarathu]

I don't understand why these people had to follow blindfoldedly that everyone is going to temple, I will do, but not follow certain rules which our ancestors had created for our own hygiene.

So I guess more than whether its Indians back home or US.. Its indians mentality that has to change. Whereever we are, we need to be more clean and have the surrounding clean.. I dont think we do it... I have been to singapore.. such a cute beautiful city.. until you step into indian community.. where you literally see ditches and pan spits and what not..
See the europeans and other people all over the world. How they cherish all these.. Why is it so hard for us to do?

I think the Govt. has to do something.. set up a perimeter around all such important places.. if anyone misuses it.. got to fine them on the spot. [ again thinking our corrupted country.. it will be another nuisance]

Ah well, I tried harder to find a solution to this.. but there isnt always an easy answer :(

Originally Posted by puni88;264160[B

]I too agree that public places are not clean in India.[/b]
Basically people doesn't have any civic sense.
They just throw the garbage outside thinking that it is not their house.
Nobody practices cleanliness.
I can't just imagine hotels bathrooms or any public bathrooms.
It is just a pathetic situation.

I kindly disagree. I wouldnt blame just the Indians in India :) For that matter Indians alone. There are bad roaches everywhere... We can only analyze why we are not upto the mark as other developed countries, but cannot blame that we are the only ones :) We are still a developing country remember

Have you been to public bathrooms in grand central or NY Penn station or for that matter to any public bathrooms other than maintained by dunkin donuts ;).. Next time try out the service area ones .....I got to say, you will literally puke, mostly. South, I dont even want to talk about it..

In India, its even more prominent because its such a small country just a size of 2 texas and we have the highest population of the world. We have 80% of uneducated, not working people.. What do you expect?

Instead of branding them, go to try what can be possible.. Education!! Education for children.. whatever.. wherever ... whoever they are.. that will make a change for a better India..

Hi IL

Good topic for discussion! The environmental hygiene is a concern everywhere and more so in India. But here in USA the concern is more in areas where Indians reside.
Again, I am not blaming all Indians here...(there are always exceptions ).

Let me first start in India. About 2 years back, during our india trip, we went to SHIRDI. Being my very first trip there, I was soo excited expecting to see a place of sanctity so clean with smell of Sandal and Udi.

To my shock, the whole place was littered, shops everywhere, people spitting,easing themselves...can't even describe it. The whole place had become soo commercial ..it looked that the SHIRDI temple was right in the middle of so many shops.

When we come with so much bhakti, we are totally taken aback with this lack of cleanliness. Infact we have a saying CLEANLINESS IS NEXT TO GODLINESS. No one seems to follow this.

Ofcourse this was the case in all the temples of KUMBAKONAM and Chennai too.

My children were totally surprised to see so much filth on the road and refused to walk.

Alright, now I can go on and on about Chennai and other parts of India.

Now let us switch over to US. When we were living in California, we used to go to Santa Clara for weekly indian grocery shopping. (at that time Bharat Bazaar had not opened their store at Fremont) This shops was just next to KOHLS and other american stores.

The surrounding area would look so neat and clean...but just around our Bharat Bazaar...it would look absolutely dirty..with veggies and fruits scattered around, water stagnated here and there...

You wont believe, we were shocked to see a desi mom allowing her kid to "pee" right in the parking area!!!!!!!!!! I pinched myself...and asked...where are we???!!!! Enough of blaming the uneducated....these people are so called EDUCATED, have come to the US of A and for what.....doing this?

During our trip to Vancouver, we saw that the city occupied by the Desis...was totally disgusting..i had a doubt whether it was india or canada...

Bottom line is...the civic sense has to come from within and does not depend on where we are. Enough of blaming only the poor and the uneducated....awareness of hygiene and cleanliness needs to inculcated in everyone..! Probably it needs to be enforced as a law like in Singapore.

Thanks
Krithika

Hi sowparnika,

Originally Posted by sowparnika

hi bhargavi,
i fully agree with you....even i've been to tiruvallur temple.it is a pity that such a beautiful temple has such pathetic surroundings.in fact most of our temples share the same state,especially when there is some such belief attached and people throng the place for offerings.why don't the authorities provide seperate bins for plastic and other garbage and ensure strict enforcement of disposal?
i never seem to understand the absolute apathy that exists in our country towards cleanliness...we are so obsessed with our culture and religion,but sadly forget that cleanliness is next (only) to godliness...

Thanks for your wonderful feedback…Well said .Most temples share the same scenario as tiruvallur temple.Actually the solution is very simple as said by you.Why not they buy dustbins .Does it cost so much? This is the first step towards maintanence.Placing dustbins across various edges of the pool reduces the incidence of dirty look and though not every one making it a point to throw the wastes in the dustbin,atleast some can realize the importance of cleanliness in public places. Going back as I said only the authorities must take steps and in our country where culture,tradition ranks top because as u said people pay and attach importance to the same but civic sense can be inculcated only through strict rules and regulations not for top ranking atleast to throw some shades on it.

Originally Posted by sowparnika

we need to make people more sensitive to cleanliness and hygiene and it should be made part of our schooling.parents and teachers are reponsible for inculcating values from early childhood.
till such time people develop civic responsibility on their own,the only resort would of course be strict laws and stricter enforcement.

As I said just charity becomes at home is a most popular saying for whatever task .Then sanitation,cleanliness and hygiene can be taught at school to imbibe civic responsibilities.But how many people are following is always being a matter of discussion.
Many people use cell phones while driving.In spite of knowing the fact that it may kill our lives still people commit the same mistake again and again.So the authorities came out with strict rules and penalty for disobeying the rules.Still we can find myriads of people on the road busy with their mobile phones.When life threatening issues are itself not cared for,how about cleanliness which according to them is a least bothering issue can be emphasized?.But I totally agree with you.There can be none other solution than enforcement of strict rules and regulations.

BC

Originally Posted by sowparnika

hi bhargavi,
there is so much of unemployed manpower available in our country,so why dont the authorities make use of them to form squads to strictly monitor public places and enforce cleanliness and hygiene....
it is ironical that those who call themselves religious allow religious places to be defiled...
while in many countries even public restrooms are maintained spotlessly,in our country they are few and deplorably maintained,and all our public places like beaches,parks,street corners are converted into public conveniences.the walls of our government offices are invariably used as spittoons....
why do authorities in India turn a blind eye to hygiene?we can educate our children,but who is to educate our law makers?
rgds,
sowpar

Yes ,there are lots of wasted manpower in our country which goes unnoticed .It can be made utilised only by proper organisation and categorisation.There are lots of people who are employed as local ministers i.e. to take care of and they are alloted posts for a specific area.When they look after minor issues like this,then atleast we can enjoy a little bit of hassle free,dirty free environment.
Yes sowpar,in many countries even public bathrooms are maintained so well.Singapore,united states for ex.Their roads are marvellous.They maintain an ostentatious environment.Not only rest rooms each and every public property looks great.
Talking abt our public places like beaches,parks oh my god there are many uncultured men(Not all) who spoil the environment by urinating there.What an atrocious act?Who should punish them?Then again comes the same story.We must engage some persons to monitor.Should some one be engaged for this .Should some one say you are an adult ,behave well.No not at all.

IT IS A MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION TO ANSWER TO WHY AUTHORITIES NOT TAKING ANY INITIATIVES?
As i keep telling that we can educate a person right from his childhood.But the next step ???Bringing the authorities to the fact??.....

Sowparnika, you have boosted interest and added value to the thread.Hats off!!!

Thanks and regards
BC

Dear jaishree,
Thanks for stepping in.Temples supposed to be God owned places has to be ahead in cleanliness and hygiene.
You are satisfied with the environment of famous mahakal temple but MANGALNATH few KM from MAHAKAL absenting from hygiene and sanitation.
This can be one of the fact I personally feel.Whether famous temples are taken care of and the unpopular ones are loosing attention?But there cannot be any differentiation regarding temples.It is only our spiritual feeling and pure heart which matters.Then why some unknown temples are not attended to?
Coming back,the stagnant water to the extent of becoming a green slime was still unattended?It is really a deplorable sight…When people come to worship god and feel relaxed,they are not able to pray peacefully.The purpose of visiting temples goes unnoticed.And the one which is totally irritating is the indifferent attitude of people staying near by.They must only be more keen on that.

Thanks once again for ur feedback ….