Hinduism, which is also known as Sanatana Dharma, is so called because of the flexibility it offers based on locations and practices. Therefore rituals vary with regions and also based on sects.
One of the sects (to which I belong) is Brahmins who are the inhabitants of Tamil Nadu. The Brahmins here are categorized due to their birth into a Brahmin family. Here again the whole community can be divided based on whether they are priests or ordinary individuals. Since priests are initiated into learning Vedas from the very beginning, they are sought after for performance of various rituals as prescribed in the scriptures.
There lies the catch!. Though the Priest Brahmins are initiated into Vedas from a very early age, I doubt, if the real teachings of Vedas are espouced. Vedas have, no doubt, detailed the procedures for various duties and responsibilities for the individuals to practise. But, somehow, I feel the spirit of the Vedas are missed and is delibrately twisted to suit their needs. With the result that teachings of the Vedas, which are supposed to be eternal and true to any time ( because even the times are pre-conceived), the relevant practices have been thrust or forced into the people even if they are irrelevant. So, whether it is the marriage or rituals connected to death, many of those are done with vested interests. In marriage functions, ofr eg., the Kashi Yatra or bride given away to husband while sitting on father's lap are some of the rituals which are totally irrelevant in today's times.
The Varna system of Hindu culture was conceptualised based on societal well-being and a symbiotic purpose between various people. Distribution of wealth is accorded utmost importance in the form of charitable acts to the downtrodden in the society. Learning of the Vedas (or true knowledge) is the privilege of the Brahmins and since high knowledge can induce inflated ego, the community is not supposed to crave after earning and are supposed to lead a frugal life. The three Gunas are also linked here, so that Brahmins become a class with a high percentage of 'Satvik" Guna and less of other two. Expectations of payoff for their services are something that is firmly discouraged among such people. At the same time other people are encouraged to be generous to the Brahmins. A true Brahmin is expected to take only that portion which is sufficient for him and donate the balance then and there. But what is happening is away from all these principles. For every occasion, there is a price. Not only this, a person is left with a feeling of guilt for not giving away the expected amount and gifts.
Proper direction need to be given to the people by Institutions such as the Mutts. But these Institutions are firmly in the clutches of the priest Brahmins and public criticisms are addressed with some charitable acts which are not really properly co-ordinated. So there is a lot of resentment even though some of the good acts are done by some of these Institutions.
It is therefore necessary to weed the archaic practices and set new guidelines so that people in general do not feel cheated. One may see a revivalism of Hinduism if these practices are well co-ordinated and guided. Many of the superstitions prevalent in the society today can be removed. There may be a wider acceptance of the Religious heads among the Hindus. Presently Hinduism has varied schools of thoughts which divide the people. By this way, the different thoughts can be integrated and unity among different Hindus can be promoted. In these times (Kaliyug)it is all the more essential that people need to be guided properly by those who are God's own messengers.
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