For a devotee of Lord Jagannath, not being in Ahmedabad for the Rath Yatra this year would not be a set back. All he would need to do to partake of the festivities at the Jagannath temple here would be to log onto the Internet on www.swaminarayan.org.
They would be able to watch Pramukh Swamiji Maharaj gracing the religious ceremony at the Jagannath Temple.
When a 'Net savvy' devotee of Asaram Bapu wants to meditate, he simply logs onto the website www.ashram.org to join others for 'online meditation'. He gets a choice of meditation using two different mantras as per his wish! For the uninitiated, Asaram Bapu himself provides tips for meditating.
Welcome to the world of 'e-religion'. Be it a course in Vedanta and Upanishads or a live discourse of your guru, online meditation, 'satsang' or simply 'arti' and 'jap' - its all there on the computer. And, it comes complete with moving images, graphics, music and information.
Increasingly, all major temples, religious and spiritual organisations have started investing in developing Internet websites for their followers. These provide not just an opportunity to speak to the guru through e-mail, but also online 'satsang' and meditation. In addition they are also able to seek donations and market their products online to the world.
Vipul Vaghela is a volunteer at the BAPS Shahibaug temple here and looks after the Internet and other technical aspects of the BAPS website.
He says, "Our website is more than just a place that gives information. For our 'satsangis' it has now become a part of their lives. It is interactive. It gives our devotees a chance to participate in the weekly 'satsang' even if they are miles away from a Swaminarayan temple," he says.
He gives the example of one R M Patel (name changed), a businessman, who had to go to Israel. "He had made a vow that he would participate in our 'satsang' every Sunday. He ensures that in whichever city he goes, he visits our local temple there. But in Israel he could not find one. He later told us how he sought out an Internet cyber cafe logged on to our website and joined in the online 'arti' and 'satsang'," says Vaghela.
"Every week we receive 25 emails addressed to Pramukh Swamiji. Some are merely to wish him, others to seek his advice for personal problems," he says.
According to him, Pramukh Swamiji, answers them all. "But he writes to them through snail mail. He does not use computers or the Internet, but he believes that the Internet can be a good media to reach out to his devotees in their homes. This way technology can be used for a good cause," he says.
Raja Goel of the Asaram Bapuji ashram here says that their website receives innumerable e-mails seeking help and guidance. It also lists out the itinerary of their guruji including providing services such as online meditation courses, online 'artis' and online 'satsang' and 'pravarchan'. Many of the Bapuji's discourses are telecast live and all devotees in different parts of the world can watch their guru through these," he says.
Mahendra Jha, temple trustee of the Jagannath temple here, says they have already started developing their own website. "It is near completion and would be on the Internet soon," he says.
The recent visit of Swami Adhyatmanandji of the Shivanand Ashram here to USA and other countries is available for all to see on the website www.divyajivan.org. "This site also provides information on various activities of the ashram. Devotees can also interact with Swamiji through e-mails," says Tapan Mankodi who looks after the website here.
The Chinmaya Mission website provides information on courses on Vedanta and Upanishads and other publications that can be availed on the Internet.
For the devotees, 'e-religion' is a welcome step and they want more features added to the sites. The guest book of BAPS website is full of suggestions. Australia-based devotee Atit Barot writes, "There should be more of 'live movie images of the sanstha'. UK-based Bhavini Patel writes that she enjoys the 'darshan' of the Lord everyday through the Internet and wants more 'artis' and photographs to download to her collection.