Relevance of Vaishnavism discussed at conference in Mumbai

Tenets of Vaishnavism are relevant in the modern-day world as they offer solution to problems such as stress, corruption, crime, war and pollution, speakers at a conference said today.
Researchers, educationists and religious scholars from within India and abroad took part in an international conference on Vaishnavism, a major tradition within Hinduism.
They said the ancient tradition, in which Lord Vishnu or one of his incarnations (usually Krishna or Ram), is worshipped as the supreme God, continues to be relevant in the 21st century.
"India in general, and Maharashtra in particular, has been a land of saints and philosophers. It is here that many religions have flourished and so has Vaishnavism and studies related to it," said Sanjay Deshmukh, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Mumbai.

He was speaking after inaugurating the one-day meet on "Relevance, Role and Resurgence of Vaishnavism Studies in the 21st Century" held at the varsity's Kalina campus here.
"Accepting the will of God is Vaishnavism. Ethos and practices of Vaishnavism have had a deep influence on all spheres of India's tradition and culture with 642 million people following it.

"This is evident from festivals such as Diwali, Holi and Onam as well as various dance forms such as Kuchipudi, Odissi and Manipuri," said Gauranga Das, Chairman of Govardhan Eco Village at Wada near here.
The village has been founded by Radhanath Swami Maharaj of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).

"The influence of Vaishnavism can also be seen in the variety of temples. It has roots in the holy scriptures like Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bhagwad Gita," Das said.
The three big problems confronting the world today are violence, terrorism and environmental degradation. These issues can be easily tackled through Vaishnavism which teaches people to establish a direct relationship with the supreme God, Das said.
Ferdinando Sardella, Associate Professor at Stockholm University, said, "Vaishnavism is being followed by nearly 70 per cent of Hindus in India. Over a period of years, Vaishnavism has developed further rather than decaying from a pure ancient state."

S Makbul Islam, a professor at St Paul College in Kolkata, said, "Vaishnavism and Islam speak of just one God and both are close to each other in many ways. The name of 17th century born Sala Beg, a Muslim devotional poet, was an ardent devotee of Lord Jagannath and lived a pious life like dedicated Vaishnavs lead."
The conference concluded with a panel discussion on "How to develop Vaishnavism in India".