Many South Africans visiting India find path continuing on one to spirituality
THE Indian connection to South Africa goes back to the 1860s when the first ship carrying Indians landed in Durban.
The ties between India and South Africa have since grown in diverse fields – political, economic, culture, people-to-people, and so on.
However, today’s piece will focus on a rather undocumented but extraordinary link between the two countries.
The little time I have spent in South Africa, I have had several encounters with individuals who can aptly be called Indian souls in a foreign body. Such individuals have spent years, sometimes decades, in India, in their quest for higher consciousness through Indian philosophies or schools of thoughts, or in mastering Indian classical art forms, be it in dance or musicinstrumental or vocal.
And this is not limited to only South Africans of Indian origin who have the natural inclination to know more about their roots and build upon the links.
The first time I met a young, well accomplished South African in Indian robe, I could not help but put forth my query. What led to this choice? And I was intrigued as well as encouraged by the response.
“I went to India as a tourist and came back as a devotee, impressed by the richness of spiritual thoughts and consciousness.”
The person spends several months in a year in a temple in Mathura in India.
As readers would guess, it was hard to believe. Will a young man go for all the temptations offered in this rich world full of choices or instead choose to tread the path of spirituality?
I let it go as a fluke, though something in the back of mind told me there is more to it.
Fluke it was not, I later realised when I had a chance encounter with a South African expert of Vedanta, one of the six schools of Hindu philosophy.
Again, the person went to India as a tourist, chanced upon a guru and fell in love with the philosophy. He spent five years in an ashram in Pune near Mumbai, mastering different elements of Vedanta.
I couldn’t resist putting forth the same query.
The response, again, was, “once I learnt about this, I couldn’t find a better answer to my questions”. And the journey continues. I have been an ardent student of Sufism, partly enthralled by the excellent Sufi music. Shrines of Sufi saints such as Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya in Delhi and Khwaja Moinuddin Chisthi in Ajmer are magnets for scores of South Africans, as my interaction so far has revealed. The annual urs (death anniversary of the patron saint) attracts devotees and tourists. These are just to mention a few. A bit of research revealed that South Africa hosts several institutions across cities like Durban, Johannesburg, Cape Town, etc which impart knowledge of Indian philosophies or schools of thoughts.
I was convinced of the trend when I met yet another South African master of Carnatic music and veena, a plucked string instrument which is associated with Saraswati, the Goddess of Learning. Just the thought of playing veena could be considered audacious since it requires patience and rigorous practice over years. Remember, it is associated with learning for no other reason.
To take it to the levels where one is called an expert is a formidable achievement.
Truly, an “Incredible India” with a difference. All these individuals and scores of others are true “gurus”, as we call the teachers or learned ones in India. This is a story of just a few months; the treasure trove is yet to be explored in full measure.
And how can one not mention “gurus” in the Indian origin community in South Africa. Many institutions and individuals have developed expertise in Indian music and dance forms. Many have spent years in India in their quest.
Kalakshetra is a household name for many here in South Africa. Located in Chennai, it is a centre for the study and performance of fine arts, envisioned and designed with the style and proportion of Indian aesthetics.
These are few among many ties that bind our people and nations.
Like yoga (which literally means to join or to unite) which has been popularised over decades through countless institutions and studios imparting exposure and classes to enthusiastic learners.
Yoga is truly a world heritage. So much so that many find it hard to believe that yoga originated in India and not in their country since they grew up with it.
On December 11, 2014, the UN proclaimed June 21 as the International Day of Yoga. Since then, the day has been celebrated every year around the world, spreading the message of health and harmony and union of body and consciousness.
The 4th International Day of Yoga in June this year will yet again reinforce that message.
Shukla is Consul-General of India in Cape Town