“INCULTURATION” “ACCOMODATION” “CAPITULATION”DIRECTOR OF SANDESHA FOUNDATION, MANGALORE DIOCESE, KARNATAKA FATHER VALERIAN MENDONCA WEARS A HINDU MARK IN THE CENTER OF HIS FOREHEAD THIS MARK, CALLED “TILAK” IS OF RELIGIOUS SIGNIFICANCE TO HINDUS. IT IS NEVER APPLIED BY MUSLIMS OR CHRISTIANS [ESPECIALLY PROTESTANTS]. MANY CATHOLIC WOMEN HOWEVER COMMONLY FLAUNT A STYLISED “BINDI”. NOW THERE IS AN ALARMING TREND OF THE MARK’S INCREASING USE BY NUNS AND BY CATHOLIC MEN - NOT AMONG THE LAITY, BUT AMONG PRIESTS, BISHOPS, CARDINALS, AND EVEN THE APOSTOLIC NUNCIO Sandesha Foundation for Culture and Education, Mangalore http://www.mangalorevideos.com/news.php?newstype=local&newsid=111999 Mangalore, Feb 9, 2010: The Sandesha Foundation for Culture and Education (under the auspices of the Karnataka Regional Catholic Bishops' Council ), organized the Sandesha Awards 2009 presentation Ceremony, on Sunday, 8th February, 2009 at 5.30 p.m. at Sandesha, Premnagar, Bajjodi, Mangalore. All the guests and the Awardees were traditionally welcomed with Poornakumbha Swagatha by the students at the entrance of Sandesha and the guests were escorted in a ceremonial procession. An invocation dance was then performed by the students of Sandesha. All the guests were escorted to the dais by Fr. Valerian Mendonca (Director of Sandesha) , introduced to the audience and honoured with floral bouquets. .. After the award ceremony, the Chief Guest, Most Rev. Henry D'Souza (Bishop of Bellary) , said that he was extremely happy to be present on the occasion and felt that he was back in his home town. He congratulated Sandesha for completing its 20 years and remembered the early stages of its inception in 1989. Also in the picture: Tilak-marked Bishops Henry D’Souza of Bellary and Aloysius D’Souza of Mangalore. Sandesha is a diocesan institution for the propagation of the Hindu temple dance art form of Bharatanatyam. See DANCING AND BHARATANATYAM IN THE MASS http://ephesians-511.net/docs/DANCING_AND_BHARATANATYAM_IN_THE_MASS.doc and BHARATANATYAM- I http://ephesians-511.net/docs/BHARATANATYAM-I.doc. I have scoured the internet and my research library seeking information, any information which says that the bindi or tilak is a purely Indian cultural phenomenon. While I didn’t find a shred of evidence that says that, I found tons of evidence to the contrary. My findings are compiled in a separate article titled, "BINDI OR TILAK MARK ON THE FOREHEAD- INDIAN OR HINDU? " http://ephesians-511.net/docs/BINDI_OR_TILAK_MARK_ON_THE_FOREHEAD-INDIAN_OR_HINDU.doc MAY 15, 2012
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