Gym rooms: a suitable addition to Hindu temples?
It was recently suggested to us in a ‘letter to the editor’ that all Hindu mandirs in the UK shouldbe encouraged to have a gym room as part of their premises, with the logic that it would provide an important service for the community in terms of health, increasing youth participation etc.
Do you think that this is a good idea or is a gym out of place in a Hindu temple?
September 28th, 2007 at 12:50 pm
The youth may see it as a good idea and the management of most temples would not object. They also want to see the youth take on responsibilities to be leaders to run the health activities and other cultural as well as religious activities. We do not want to see youngsters just appear in the gym. Help and leadership ,volunteering in selfless form is required in all other aspects. This the youth have to learn from out seniors who do it and have lovingly done volunteering for community’s good cause.
September 28th, 2007 at 3:28 pm
The seniors have done a good job? Is that some kind of joke?
September 28th, 2007 at 10:11 pm
Gyms…plus martial arts training…most preferably Muay Thai or boxing..even Judo..ANYTHING to toughen Hindus up and make them physically stronger. Added to this must be the spiritual element which the mandir must deal with in conjunction.
Then you have a perfect Hindu…strong in mind AND body.
September 29th, 2007 at 12:14 am
yea gym rooms should be part of temples. as should martial arts training.
for the pakora gassers to lose some of that blubber, maybe after some time in the gym, the pakora gas crew can finally look down to see their “things” instead of their protruding beer-belly.
September 29th, 2007 at 5:28 am
Yes. All our temples should have Gyms attached to them. Not only that. All Mandirs should have a well-equipped Library and Ayurvedic dispensary attached to them In earlier years the Aryasamaj mandirs had this facilities but due to lack of public patronage they discontinued them. However other temples do not have this problem. Further most of Mandirs are financially very rich and they should have the aspect of Paropakar as a part of the religious services. Hope this suggestion will be given a thought.
September 29th, 2007 at 11:32 am
lets be realistic.
majority of madirs are converted warehouses or old churches or some old building. there is no room for a gym! how are you going to finance it.
September 29th, 2007 at 1:17 pm
Why not! Hinduism is about body as well as soul. If there’s space for Gym Rooms, Libraries and other such facilities, then why not. It all serves the Hindu community. Maybe it would make people visit the Mandir more often? Great idea!
September 29th, 2007 at 2:19 pm
What a great idea!
Why didn’t anyone think about this before?
Cheran Senguttuvan - a good point, and in good humour too.
Room permitting, the matter of finance by Spirit I think can be overcome.
September 29th, 2007 at 4:41 pm
second hand weight tarining equipment is readily available and you would be suprised how little is need to provide for an effective gym. A dumbbells set, bench press, smith machine, barbell set and heavy weights for starters…..and at the VERY least…a bench press and barbell could be sufficient - just something to get some muscles and strength is needed!
September 29th, 2007 at 6:33 pm
if only pakora gassing was an olympic sport
September 30th, 2007 at 2:41 pm
I would love to offer a western style yoga class in your new temple gyms. Now that would be fun.
namaste
September 30th, 2007 at 9:33 pm
Bob,
We don’t need a “western style yoga class” in our mandir (not temple) gyms… why would be dilute the conditioning our exercise programs with a copy of the original material…
mate its best you teach your “western style yoga” to your western style students… Hindus are deserving of the real deal…
namaste brother Bob
October 1st, 2007 at 7:05 pm
what the hell is western style yoga?
leotards and floor mats?
October 2nd, 2007 at 8:14 pm
the cost can be allayed by membership fees, the greatest problem is one of liability (that can also be purchased). A gym would also allow teaching martial arts - perhaps mamaram - dance…, and be a hall for small meetings - the youth section of a Mandir’s administration prehaps.
Wonderful Idea!!
hariaum
October 2nd, 2007 at 10:17 pm
This western style yoga might be a ploy by the white man to try and credit the invention of yoga for themselves!
-Muski
October 3rd, 2007 at 4:29 am
I believe at old times temples have large compounds that enough for temple,flower garden,vegetable garden,stor room, fields and etc.But now temples are just shop lots, very tiny.After having gym in temples pandits will hav body like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Slyvester Stallone.Hmmmm….
October 3rd, 2007 at 8:33 am
………Like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone??????? Why not have our own role models? We could say “……and Have bodies like Bhima and Balarama”.
I try not to depend on non-Hindus for role models.
-Muski
October 9th, 2007 at 6:11 pm
Hi This is a good Idea because my local sikh temple (gurdwara) have one which is where all the sikh boys train three times a week. It allows people to meet other Hindus and Make friends with them. Is also a good way of promoting Hinduism and making more youngsters come to the mandir. as at the gurdwara we do Mata Tekh before we train.
October 12th, 2007 at 3:53 pm
Yeah!! Of corse! Back in the days in India, they had Akhaara’s. Mainly at Hanumanji’s Temple, wher youth would get together and do weight trainin n learn martial arts n stuff. They still have em in India.
Its about time we modernised the concept and implement it in our Society.
As ppl have said before me, Hindus should be strong in Body and Mind.
. J.
March 16th, 2008 at 7:03 pm
some 350years ago Samartha Guru Ramdas ji initiated 100s of Hanuman Akhaadaas (restling grounds) as the essntial part of a mandir .
Dharma-teachings include~~
‘’$areeram aaddyam dharma-saadhanam'’-{the body is the first instrument to perform dharma}
and
‘’Na ayam aatmaa balaheenena labbhyah.'’-{the SELF in not attainable by a meak & weak.'’}