• Based on the visit to Vietnam, the author laments about the condition of Cham Sanatanis there and also visits the Cham Museum that has a Linga and Shiva.

A little over five years ago when I visited Nha Trang in Vietnam and saw the pitiable state of Cham Sanatanis there, I was very disheartened. They were sorts of uprooted in their own land. Referred to as Cham Balamon Hindu Community by the so called modern Vietnamese Society, I wondered if the Balinese in Bali and elsewhere in my own homeland might suffer the same fate.

I look back at Bharat or India and I find the “indigenous” in some states there often referred to as Vanavasi, literally meaning those who live in the forests. The colonials call them Adivasi or original inhabitants. And, for some rotten political motives, they are offered certain privileges. Does it mean that the rest of Indians in India, Bharatiya in Bharat are not the Original Inhabitants? Do the Indians still endorse the theory of Aryans as outsiders coming to India to invade Her? What is the Union Government doing about this? Have any concrete steps been undertaken to rewrite Indian History and make it as a compulsory reading for all students nationwide?

But, that is another story. Let’s go back to Vietnam… 

The Cham Balamons, the inhabitants of Champa, are now more or less foreigners in their own country. The same goes with Orang Aseli or the Original People of Malaysia. The drivers, the tourist guides, they all feel that Cham Balamons are different from them, the Modern Vietnamese. While they refer to themselves as “we”, the Cham Balamon practitioners of the original faith of the region are referred to as “they”.

Author with Cham Balamon Pundit. 

I never ever thought that I would visit Vietnam once again, so disheartened I was - but Vidhi ka Vidhan! My fate has once again brought me here.

This time I am in Hoi An, where whatever arte facts remain of the Cham Phase of Vietnamese History are well preserved in a museum solely dedicated to the phase. But, then museum is just that - a museum. There is no life, inspite of all the pains taken by the authorities here to preserve those invaluable arte facts, any sensitive person can easily feel that they are hardly living, hardly breathing, if not dead.

Shiva Nataraja, Cham Museum (Da Nang)

Linga Yoni, Cham Museum (Hoi An) 

I could feel those pratimas - Vishnu, Shiva, Lingga and Yoni - trying to communicate with me, “We do not belong to this place, this museum. We belong to those temples in ruins, frequented by tourists alone.”

Temple Ruins, Myson complex. 

When I visited the ruins of Myson (मिसौन),  my heart literally broke. Arrythmia that I have been suffering from for more than a decade now - thanks to certain corrupt …….., but that’s another story again - came back. This time totally unwarranted, and not alone! The profusely bleeding nose and gums indicated yet another health issue, a rather serious one. 

The little museum in the complex and large boards displayed in several places with the Ashoka Emblem and Indian Flag showed the involvement of the Archaeological Survey of India in the restoration of the temple complex was a little relief. But, where are the Indians? Ah, they are busy shopping in Danang! 

I remember walking the streets of Ubud (Bali) incognito and entering into light conversation with a group of Indian Tourists. When I suggested to them that they visit some local temples they laughed at me and said, “Yaar, Friend, there is no dearth of temples in India. We have come here to enjoy, to visit the beaches and pubs, to eat and make merry, and, of course some shopping! All the way from India, we have not come here to visit temples.”

Some shopping! That reminds me of some statistics based on survey sometime back, the conclusion: Indian tourists in Bali are number 1 spenders. Great! 

Well, well, well, what can we expect from such tourists! They are new kids on the block, just gotten some real money to spend and burn…  Jo khaandaani raees hai vo mizaaz rakhate hain naram apana… tumhaara lahaza bata raha hai tumhaari daulat nai-nai hai…

What really beats me are the modern gurus in India, Bharat - they may not even know anything about these Cham Sanatanis in need of their help, both moral and material, let alone taking their precious time to visit them!

I mentioned about yet another community facing similar fate to one of the Big Gurus, if not the Biggest… indeed, to many big names in India. Alas, I found them to be more of diplomats than Adhyatma Gurus. 

Jalebi ki tarah gol gol ghoomte rahe, ek shawl diyaa aur kuchh pustakein, and maha prasthaan! They are not interested in serving Dharma in Vietnam, they have other agendas. Mandirs, murtis, keeping in good books with the ruling party and politicians - they are busy!

Now, it is up to us, what can we do?

To read all articles by author  and Author’s website

Read Visit to My Son, Vietnam and restoration work by ASI and India Vietnam Historical Links

About the Author - Proud of his Sindhi-Indian ancestry rooted in the Glorious Sindhu Civilization and Culture Anand Krishna was born in Solo (Central Java), and is his Karma Bhumi, his work field. Beside the mother Organization, Anand Ashram Foundation (affiliated with UN), Anand Krishna has inspired several other social and educational institutions. The 4th President of Indonesia, KH Abdurrahman Wahid recognized his contributions and said, “If we want to have peace, then we must hear what Anand Krishna is saying”. He has a legacy of 180+ books to date with more than 1.5 million copies sold in the past 20 years. Anandji has an ashram in Ubud, Bali.