Progressivism in the Church
Church Revolution in Pictures
Photo of the Week
Indian nuns in syncretist worship
The Franciscan Sisters of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Coimbatore, in the state of Tamil Nadu, India, participated in and sang at an inter-faith Hindu yoga shrine called Dhyanalinga, in a ceremony commemorating the 25th anniversary of its "consecration."The nuns, wearing their habits and sitting cross-legged on the floor, can be seen performing above and below first row at right.
On June 24, 2024, the 10-hour event was live streamed online, and featured "pilgrims" walking around a large cylindrical sculpture atop a serpent. This altar is called the Dhyanalinga and was "consecrated" by guru Sadhguru in 1999, below two last rows.
The yoga temple is open to anyone who wants to visit it and meditate there – dhyana means meditation. However, the sculpture's shape, the name linga, the serpent upon which it is placed and the ritual ambience, all bring to mind the cult of Shiva linga, which is the worship of Shiva's phallus.
Indeed, if we compare the photo of the Dhyanalinga altar, third row, with that of an altar of Shiva linga to worship Shiva's phallus, fourth row, both look very much the same.
If this hypothesis were confirmed, that is, if the Dhyanalinga center is actually dedicated to the worship of Shiva's phallus, we would have these Franciscan Sisters of the Visitation not only participating in a syncretist ceremony, but in a phallic cult...