USA, November 25, 2005: The Hindu Students Council is deeply saddened by the denial of entry to a devout American Hindu into the sacred Lingaraj temple in Orissa, India. Several newspapers have reported that the temple custodians have been accused of denying entry to Pamela K. Fleig, who is married to an Indian Hindu, even though she has embraced Hinduism. The custodians allege that no “foreigner” or “Christian” is allowed entry into the temple. This is a myopic view of the issue. Some ancient temples in India may restrict entry into their sanctum sanctorum (“Garba Griha”) to non-Hindus because of possible desecration of the consecrated images (“Murthis”) by religious fundamentalists and due to crass activities that include photography, vandalism, obscene behavior or insensitivity to the religious sentiments of the Hindu worshippers at the temple. This reasoning however does not justify the denial of entry to a practicing Hindu just because she is of a different race. By her own admission, Pamela Fleig became a Hindu at the Arya Samaj in the sacred city of Varanasi in June 2005 with full Vedic rituals. Then she got married to Anil Kumar Yadav of Uttar Pradesh on August 3, 2005 as per to Hindu Marriage act at the court of the Additional District Magistrate and Marriage officer in Varanasi. This event should be proof enough of the fact that Pamela Fleig is a Hindu by her own volition and should be reason enough to accept her in the warm embrace of the growing global Hindu population. As Swami Vivekananda stated, self-declaration remains the basic way to enter the Hindu faith.
Sanatan Hindu Dharma has always been a global religion for ages. While there is no history of Hindu conversions by violence or financial inducements, the Hindu religion has always accepted and assimilated anyone into its fold who has voluntarily accepted the Vedic philosophy and lifestyle. The Vratyastoma ceremony (“vow pronouncement”), dating back to the Tandya Brahmana of the Rig Veda, has been performed for millennia to welcome “outsiders” into the Hindu fold. Devala Smriti, another Hindu scripture, has clear rules for the simple purification of Hindus forcibly converted to other faiths, or of people from other faiths who wish to adopt the Hindu faith.
The Hindu Students Council believes that a simple certificate of conversion, provided by the Arya Samaj or any other Hindu organization, should suffice as proof of Pamela Fleig’s Hindu faith and should be accepted by the temple custodians to allow her entry into the temple. HSC also appeals to all Hindu Acharyas, Hindu religious organizations, the Government of India and the Chief Minister of Orissa to take proactive steps to welcome Hindus of all races and nationalities into all the sacred temples of India, the birth-place of our magnificent Sanatan Hindu Dharma.