இலண்டன் சைவ மாநாடு (சிறப்புமலர்)
7வது சைவ மாநாடு இலண்டன் 2004
matters. The one with the loudest voice in the two
families usurps that role. Performing the ceremony
itself in Sanskrit and the customs of Brahmin priests
cause further problems. It is vital for wedding
ceremonies to be structured and standardized as
to the exact customs, the materials and words to
be used, realistic, short time frames, etc., like
Christian weddings. Similar standardization is
needed for funerals and other rites. Research on
these matters was alive in South India and Sri
Lanka, but the findings are not widely known nor
rendered useful. Poojas in temples and on occasions
such as Arangetrams and At-Homes should also be
similarly structured. And, while keeping Brahmin
priests in our employ, weddings and funeral cer-
emonies should be performed also by duly qualified
and trained non-Brahmins, in Tamil, thus eliminating
casteism and enabling religious ceremonies in the
peoples' languages. London temples could take the
initiative and a leading role for the world's Saivites.
Honest and objective reasearch in this respect
could one day perhaps result in Saivism as the
broadminded base for a world religion.
150
CONCLUDING REMARKS
Religion is a way of life, and is a matter of
one's choice, according to individual freedom.
Saivism is the way of life of people who worship
Siva as the Almighty. Over the ages, saints and
sages have expressed their thoughts and
experiences on their understanding and practice of
Saivism which has grown into massive volumes of
texts, often clouded, confusing and contradictory.
While maintaining the heritage of Saivism, it is also
the duty of modern Saivites to understand.
interpret, research and streamline its precepts and
practices to suit modern discoveries, inventions and
achievements of our times in psychology, sociology.
science, technology, comparative religions, etc.
€
Professor Kopalapillai (Kopan) Mahadeva was born in Madduvil South village, in
northern Tamil Eelam, Sri Lanka in 1934. After his foundation in Tamil & Saivism at the
primary school founded by his physician-uncle Appah Vettivelu, he continued education in
English at Chavakachcheri Hindu College, until he joined Jaffna Central for preparing to
enter the Ceylon University to read engineering. Passing out with an Honours degree in
Civil Engineering, he was employed with the state's Public Works Department as executive
engineer and in the Ceylon Army (Volunteers) as an officer and assistant adjutant before
joining the University of Birmingham for MSc in Manufacturing Management and his PhD
in Engineering Production (Operations Research). Then he obtained charters in several branches of engineering &
management and was soon talked of as the most qualified engineer of Sri Lanka. He returned as the Director of the
Small Industry Service Institute (an ILO project) of the Industrial Development Board of Ceylon and then founded
the MITE Organization [which constructd the two Model Markets of Jaffna and Chunnakam in the 1970s] while
holding several public offices. Before returning to UK in 1978 [where he now lives, after four years as Professor &
Programme Leader in Production Enginering & Management at the University of the West Indies in Trinidad] he ran
Jaffna's historical 1974 International Tamil Research Conference as its principal General Secretary. In recent years
Prof. Mahadeva works as an Author and Publisher under the banner of Century House while performing public
duties in promoting Tamil and English Poetry, Saivism, International Peace, etc.
35, Brandreth Court, Harrow,
Middlesex, HA1 2JU, U.K.
Tel/Fax: 0208 424 0545
e-mail: PROF.KOPAN@mahadeva.new.labour.org.uk
7
வது
சைவ
மாநாடு
இலண்டன்
2004
matters
.
The
one
with
the
loudest
voice
in
the
two
families
usurps
that
role
.
Performing
the
ceremony
itself
in
Sanskrit
and
the
customs
of
Brahmin
priests
cause
further
problems
.
It
is
vital
for
wedding
ceremonies
to
be
structured
and
standardized
as
to
the
exact
customs
the
materials
and
words
to
be
used
realistic
short
time
frames
etc.
like
Christian
weddings
.
Similar
standardization
is
needed
for
funerals
and
other
rites
.
Research
on
these
matters
was
alive
in
South
India
and
Sri
Lanka
but
the
findings
are
not
widely
known
nor
rendered
useful
.
Poojas
in
temples
and
on
occasions
such
as
Arangetrams
and
At
-
Homes
should
also
be
similarly
structured
.
And
while
keeping
Brahmin
priests
in
our
employ
weddings
and
funeral
cer
emonies
should
be
performed
also
by
duly
qualified
and
trained
non
-
Brahmins
in
Tamil
thus
eliminating
casteism
and
enabling
religious
ceremonies
in
the
peoples
'
languages
.
London
temples
could
take
the
initiative
and
a
leading
role
for
the
world's
Saivites
.
Honest
and
objective
reasearch
in
this
respect
could
one
day
perhaps
result
in
Saivism
as
the
broadminded
base
for
a
world
religion
.
150
CONCLUDING
REMARKS
Religion
is
a
way
of
life
and
is
a
matter
of
one's
choice
according
to
individual
freedom
.
Saivism
is
the
way
of
life
of
people
who
worship
Siva
as
the
Almighty
.
Over
the
ages
saints
and
sages
have
expressed
their
thoughts
and
experiences
on
their
understanding
and
practice
of
Saivism
which
has
grown
into
massive
volumes
of
texts
often
clouded
confusing
and
contradictory
.
While
maintaining
the
heritage
of
Saivism
it
is
also
the
duty
of
modern
Saivites
to
understand
.
interpret
research
and
streamline
its
precepts
and
practices
to
suit
modern
discoveries
inventions
and
achievements
of
our
times
in
psychology
sociology
.
science
technology
comparative
religions
etc.
€
Professor
Kopalapillai
(
Kopan
)
Mahadeva
was
born
in
Madduvil
South
village
in
northern
Tamil
Eelam
Sri
Lanka
in
1934.
After
his
foundation
in
Tamil
&
Saivism
at
the
primary
school
founded
by
his
physician
-
uncle
Appah
Vettivelu
he
continued
education
in
English
at
Chavakachcheri
Hindu
College
until
he
joined
Jaffna
Central
for
preparing
to
enter
the
Ceylon
University
to
read
engineering
.
Passing
out
with
an
Honours
degree
in
Civil
Engineering
he
was
employed
with
the
state's
Public
Works
Department
as
executive
engineer
and
in
the
Ceylon
Army
(
Volunteers
)
as
an
officer
and
assistant
adjutant
before
joining
the
University
of
Birmingham
for
MSc
in
Manufacturing
Management
and
his
PhD
in
Engineering
Production
(
Operations
Research
)
.
Then
he
obtained
charters
in
several
branches
of
engineering
&
management
and
was
soon
talked
of
as
the
most
qualified
engineer
of
Sri
Lanka
.
He
returned
as
the
Director
of
the
Small
Industry
Service
Institute
(
an
ILO
project
)
of
the
Industrial
Development
Board
of
Ceylon
and
then
founded
the
MITE
Organization
[
which
constructd
the
two
Model
Markets
of
Jaffna
and
Chunnakam
in
the
1970s
]
while
holding
several
public
offices
.
Before
returning
to
UK
in
1978
[
where
he
now
lives
after
four
years
as
Professor
&
Programme
Leader
in
Production
Enginering
&
Management
at
the
University
of
the
West
Indies
in
Trinidad
]
he
ran
Jaffna's
historical
1974
International
Tamil
Research
Conference
as
its
principal
General
Secretary
.
In
recent
years
Prof.
Mahadeva
works
as
an
Author
and
Publisher
under
the
banner
of
Century
House
while
performing
public
duties
in
promoting
Tamil
and
English
Poetry
Saivism
International
Peace
etc.
35
Brandreth
Court
Harrow
Middlesex
HA1
2JU
U.K.
Tel
/
Fax
:
0208
424
0545
e
-
mail
:
PROF.KOPAN@mahadeva.new.labour.org.uk