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Keeping Saivism alive in South Africa

Fakir Hassen in Johannesburg

The worship of Shiva is alive and growing among Johannesburg's South Indian community, thanks to an organisation for the welfare of devotees of the god.

It is because of the efforts of the 'Siva Gnana Sabay' that Saivism (the worship of Shiva) thrives in the mainly Indian residential area of Lenasia, the township south of Johannesburg that was created under apartheid to forcibly resettle the Indians of the Greater Johannesburg area.

Today the organisation that started out in a small way in 1969 runs two temples, a nursery school and a pre-school, as well as facilities for weddings and social events.

It runs a Tamil school on Saturdays that has growing enrolment, as parents want their children to learn about their roots.

"We used to have many more pupils in the past, but numbers dwindled as people began moving out of Lenasia, first to the newer Indian areas in Lenasia South and then, after the scrapping of the Group Areas Act, which restricted their movement, to the formerly white northern suburbs of Johannesburg," said the current chairman of the Sabay, Marie Pillay.

"We have to run the classes on Saturdays to accommodate pupils who travel from these areas," he added.

Music classes are conducted immediately after the Tamil classes, where children learn to play Indian musical instruments like the violin, harmonium, tabla and mridingam. In the afternoon members of the women's wing of the Sabay get together to discuss charity projects.

Mindful of the difficulties that members of the Sabay face in times of bereavement, the organisation initiated a burial fund 12 years ago. Members pay a nominal fee each month, part of which goes towards maintaining the temple and the rest into a fund that is used whenever a funeral takes place.

The Sabay undertakes all aspects of the funeral, from the time of burial or cremation until memorial services are conducted at the temple.

A dharma salai, which Pillay describes as a soup kitchen, has also been established to assist the indigent in the community. About 35 families receive assistance regularly.

Pillay said this was done in honour of Ramalinga Swami, who was born 177 years ago and was a major reformist in India who called for the abolition of the caste system and religious bigotry.

Main services are held at the temple in Hummingbird Avenue, Lenasia, on Sunday mornings, and at least 200 people from all areas of the Gauteng province attend.

The biggest event of the year for the Saivite community, Karthigai Deepam, is observed in December each year.

Indo-Asian News Service

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