A Hindu cannot enter a mosque, and a Hindu cannot receive sacramental bread in a church. By that logic, it seems justified if someone demands that only Hindus be allowed into Hindu temples. Point well taken.
But then comes the bigger question: Who exactly is a Hindu—an “unadulterated” Hindu?
The internet will tell you that the word Hindu was coined by the British to describe people living across the Indus River. Which is why, in recent years, Indian Hindus have rebranded themselves as Sanatanis and their faith as Sanatana Dharma.
Honestly, I was born in 1975 to Hindu parents, raised in Hindu rituals—and yet, until 2020, I had never even heard the terms Sanatanis or Sanatana Dharma. Perhaps a select few did.
Sanskrit and Tamil
Sanatana Dharma originates in Sanskrit texts brought by the Aryans. But I am Tamil. My ancestors prayed and performed rituals in Tamil—a language far older than Sanskrit. For me, Sanskrit is a foreign tongue.
The First Organized Religion
The first organized religion to emerge in India was Buddhism. And in many ways, Buddha was anti-Brahminism. Yet, in Sanatana Dharma, the Brahmin sits at the very top as the supreme being.
Buddhism spread like wildfire. People from many native cultures embraced it. Not Hindus—because that label didn’t exist yet. Not Sanatanis—because not all cultures fell under their umbrella.
The Sanatani “Expansion” Strategy
Buddhism’s success forced Sanatanis into a revival. They began expanding their fold, much like America today hands out citizenships to boost voter numbers. Every community that was not Islamic, Christian, Zoroastrian, or Sikh was absorbed into Sanatana Dharma. And, as always, the Brahmin sat at the top, while the rest were slotted into the varna system—Shudras by default.
Buddhist temples were demolished or converted into Hindu temples. In fact, some Hindu temple idols today still resemble Gautama Buddha. The cleverest Sanatani strategy was to “absorb” Buddha and Mahavira into their pantheon—a project they never fully succeeded in.
The Reality of “Pure” Sanatanis
If every native culture that was absorbed—knowingly or unknowingly, willingly or unwillingly—were to walk out of Sanatana Dharma, only a handful of pure Sanatanis would remain.
I, for one, would return to my Tamil culture:
• My deities, untouched by the Brahma–Vishnu–Shiva trinity.
• My temple rituals, which included animal sacrifices.
• My social system, which believed in equality, not varnas.
Pure Sanatanis would likely constitute no more than 5% of India’s population. And out of that 5%, only a fraction would actually visit temples daily. With fewer numbers, the money flow shrinks. And when the money shrinks, the institution weakens.
Look at Denmark—where prisons are shutting down because there aren’t enough criminals. Or imagine educational institutions that admit only students scoring above 95 percentile—99% of them would shut down. Religion, like education, is a business. And no savvy businessman lets a business die.
So, should only Sanatanis be allowed into temples? 😉