- Modi stated that toilets should come before temples, which goes against Hindu scriptures and traditions. - Hindu texts like Manusmriti and Vishnupurana provide guidance on defecating away from homes and water sources for hygiene. There is no mention of indoor toilets. - Toilets were introduced by Islamic invaders and colonizers, not part of traditional Indian society. Villages lacked toilets until recently. - The modern sewage and drainage system pollutes water sources and the environment. Imposing Western urbanization models has degraded Indian villages and ignored traditional settlement designs. - Temples held greater importance as the center of communities designed

1. Which is Important?
Toilets or Temples?
A rejoinder to Narendra Modi’s Outrageous Remark.
Modi’s Speech at Manthan:
I am known to be a Hindutva leader. My image does
not permit to say so, but I dare to say. My real
thought is — Pehle shauchalaya, phir devalaya (toilet
first, temples later)

2. Is Toilet Part of our Dharmic Civilization?
NO
Manusmriti
says, One should defecate far away from home.
Vishnupurana
says, that one should urinate 10 cubits (15 feet) from water
sources. Defecate 100 feets from water sources. In case of temples &
rivers, one should urinate 40 cubits away and defecate 400 cubits away.
http://www.sulabhtoiletmuseum.org/old/fact.htm
Chanakya
in his arthashastra, describes in detail about how to build a
nagara. He says there should be a well for every 10 house. But he does
NOT mention about toilets.
There
is no mention of toilets in our Ithihasas and Puranas. Rama and Sita
did not build toilets either in their palace or in forests. Nor pandavas are
seem to build
There
are no toilets in any of our pre-Islamic Nagaras of our country.

3. History of Toilets in India:
Originally
Toilet was looked down upon by Our Traditional Society
Concept
of Toilet first introduced by Islamic Invaders, in their muslim
settlements.
After
british colonisation, it became official policy of Colonial
administration.
Till
1947, almost all villages of india did not have toilets. Till 1990s,
majority of villages did not have toilets.
Did our Society welcome Toilets? No
Toilet
was considered as dirty & Unhygienic by our Elder generations.
Toilet
within house was hated upon.
Even
today, all vaideeha brahmins who stricty follow brahminic code of
life, don’t use toilets.
Shankaracharya
of all shankara mutts don’t use toilets. They defecate
in open space, as per the shasthras.

4. Does Toilet means hygiene? NO
Toilets
are the place where germs are high.
Germs also present in air inside bathroom.
When more than one people use the same toilet,
disease spread quickly & easily.
Toilets inside House, and near kitchen is the most
unhygienic practice.
Septic Tanks are breeding grounds of Mosquitoes.
Septic Tanks produce methane, contribute to global
warming.
Water is stagnant in septic tank for years, before taken
out. Becomes too poisonous.

5. Is Toilet System Sustainable? NO
For One Person:
For One Family (4 members)
Per Urination = 3 Ltr
Per day = 30 Ltr
(Assuming one urinates around 10
times per day)
Urination = 4 * 30 = 120 Litres
Defecation = 4 * 15 = 60 Litres
total = 180 litres / day
Per Defecation = 15 Ltr
For Whole oF Chennai Metro
Total = 30+15
= 45 Lts of water / person
Settled Population = 46 lakh family
= 10 lakh family
Around 40% to 60% of Water is
used for Flush Toilet in each
house.
10 lakh * 180 = 18 crore litres / day
http://water.epa.gov/polwaste/nps/cha
p3.cfm
For one year = 6570 Crore Litres
of water is needed for flushing toilets
alone
For one month = 540 crore litres

6. Impact of Toilets on Environment
Water flushed in Toilets
Septic Tank
Under Ground Drainage
/ Sewage
Seas
The Toilet system creates the necessity
for Open and Underground Sewages.
Apart from building toilets Crores of
rupees spent for these drainages.
Rivers
Lakes / Ponds
Rivers and seas are polluted by the
sewages of urban centers. The
same polluted water is again
pumped back as Drinking water

7. Chennai – a case study.
Buckingham Canal – Then and Now
Till 50 years before, fresh water flowed in this canal.
What made it a sewage now? The Toilet & Kitchen Waste.

8. Chennai – a case study.
Buckingham Canal –Now – Is this what we call Sanitation?

9. Chennai – a case study.
Chennai – Just 50 years ago

10. Chennai – Just 50 years ago

11. Chennai – Just 50 years ago

12. Chennai – Just 50 years before.

13. Chennai – Just 50 years before.

14. Chennai – Just 50 years before.

15. Why this Degradation within 50 years?
Imposition of Westernised Capitalistic Urban System.
Fixation & Obsession with Urban-Rural Terminologies.
Villages & Cities of west are different from Gramas & Nagaras
of Bharathiya Civilization.
Gramas are the permanent settlement . Nagaras are ONLY
temporary place for Trading and Administrative purpose. This
fundamental aspect of our civilization is ignored by Urban
Westernised Indians who chose western form of urbanisation.
Gramas are seen as backward by Urban Indian Policy makers.
Hence recklessly dismantled & destroyed. No consideration
for social and commune life in a grama.
All life styles other than western urban one, is considered as
backward and stone-age.

16. Understanding our Civilizational Design
Protective
Gods at
border
Each Jathi have their own settlement.
Protective
Gods at
border
Lot of Open Space b/w
settlements
Grama Devata at centre of village,
Village designed based on this
Protective
Gods at
border
Protective
Gods at
border

17. How Urbanisation Destroyed Villages
Western Urbanisation means Just
division of land in to rectangular
plots
No Care about Traditional design of
Villages. Just Bulldoze them & convert
land in to real estate.
Ever Expanding Cities. NO planning
for water sources or other
resources.

18. Which is important – Toilets or Temples?
Temples are NOT churches. It is a place where our devata reside
Gramas & Nagaras created from forests, which is protected by
vanadevata (eg: Kaali devi). Our forefathers pacified vanadevata
before building grama or nagara. Hence Poojas for Grama
temples should be done as per procedures established by our
forefathers.
In our Civilization, Land always belongs to our devas &
Devatas. But British Imposed Alien administrative system,
converted it in to individual property. Hence Importance &
Centrality of Temple is Lost

19. Modi’s attitude is damaging – NOT words
What modi’s speech conveys?
Human Comfort is Supreme and GOD is secondary. This is
western capitalistic atheistic concept.
What our Dharmic Civilizaton says:
Cows,Temples and Women are the supreme.
Our Kings first built temples before building palaces.
Somnath, Ayodhya, Kasi temples rebuilt so many times even
after destruction. Why? If they had thought human comfort is
more important, would they have built this?
Why should we fight for Ayodhya Ram temple? Because it is
the soul of our civilization.

20. Cleanliness part of our Temples
Our Agamas lays strict code of life on cleanliness one should follow,
in order to enter the temple. There are elaborate procedures of
cleaning, before daily poojas start in temples
Manu Smriti enforces highest ethics and hygiene for
brahmins to follow. Only such brahmins are allowed to
enter garbagraha
When every hindu takes vow to follow the cleanliness, prescribed in our
shastras, there is no need for toilet or sewage or any sanitation project.
But for that, the constitution should facilitate for hindu way of life. It did
NOT. Why?

21. Our Cleanliness is Inward Looking
Our Civilizaton Stresses on personal Cleanliness more than
external.
We are an Inward
Looking Civilization
Whereas
Western Civilization is Externalized. For them External
Cleanliness is important. NOT personal.
When every home maintains the (Internal) cleanliness & hygiene as per our
shastras, the external Cleanliness is automaticaly ensured.
Any policies by govt should facilitate our dharmic life style.
Our Building design should facilitiate our life style.
Our Street Design should adhere to Agamas.

22. What is the Solution?
The Problem is NOT with temples or society. But with
the Colonial system we are living in.
Not the society