One of the very common questions we face when we speak about Hindu issues, be it the attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh or the Tirupati laddu controversy, is (the same question was asked when demands were raised for Ram Mandir in Ayodhya or during the protests over SC judgement allowing women entry into Sabarimala) – But what about Development?

This is an utterly lazy binary that assumes cultural issues must be given up for economic development.

Consider this – The Ram Mandir movement wasn’t just about a temple—it was about reclaiming a civilizational memory. And yet, Ayodhya today is witnessing massive infrastructure upgrades, from revamped roads to a new airport. The Sabarimala protests weren’t against women—they were about preserving a unique spiritual tradition. Kerala, meanwhile, continues to lead in human development indices. The Tirupati laddu controversy, involving allegations of adulteration with animal fats, sparked outrage not just for religious reasons but also for food safety and ethical governance—both essential to development.

True development includes cultural preservation, religious freedom, and social justice. Economic growth without respect for identity leads to alienation. Just look at how indigenous communities worldwide resist development projects that erase their heritage.

It’s a way to delegitimize Hindu voices, suggesting they’re “regressive” or “distracting” from progress. But development isn’t just GDP—it’s dignity, belonging, and the freedom to practice one’s faith without ridicule or compromise. The assumption is that the ones who raise these issues don’t care about development, which is inherently flawed, and comes from a binary thought process which looks at either development or culture.

Events like the Kumbh Mela are often dismissed as distractions, yet they generate massive economic activity, create hundreds of thousands of jobs, and catalyse infrastructure upgrades that benefit cities long after the pilgrims leave. Take the 2025 Maha Kumbh Mela for example, it garnered ₹2.5 lakh crore in projected revenue, nearly 0.8% of India’s GDP, ₹6,400 crore allocated for infrastructure—roads, sanitation, water supply, and more, 800,000+ jobs created across hospitality, transport, retail, and event management and Global exposure and cultural branding that boosts tourism and soft power.

So when critics say “China is racing ahead,” they often ignore the real reasons for the gap:
Structural deficiencies in academia—India’s R&D spend is around 0.65% of GDP, while China’s is 2.68%, Our brightest minds are drawn to quick-return startups instead of deep-tech or scientific research. Outdated education system, a legacy of socialist planning that prioritized quantity over innovation. China’s rise isn’t because it skipped cultural events—it’s because it strategically invested in AI, semiconductors, and space tech while nurturing a national narrative of innovation.

Liberal, Secular Hindus looking down on Kumbh Mela , reflects a disconnect between cultural pride and developmental ambition, as if reverence for tradition somehow negates progress. But the truth is, India’s strength lies in its ability to integrate both—to build bullet trains and temples, to launch satellites and celebrate saints.

The Chatur Purushartha—Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha—form the philosophical backbone of Hindu thought, offering a holistic framework for human fulfilment. What’s remarkable is how these four aims aren’t isolated pursuits but interdependent dimensions of a meaningful life.

Dharma

Righteousness, duty, and ethical living, the foundation that ensures Artha and Kama are pursued responsibly. It is contextual, what’s Dharma for a student differs from that of a parent or warrior. In texts like the Mahabharata, Dharma is often portrayed as the first and guiding principle.

Artha

Encompasses wealth, career, and economic stability. Not just about accumulation, but about sustaining life and fulfilling responsibilities. Kautilya’s Arthashastra argues that Artha is essential for Dharma and Kama to flourish. When earned ethically, Artha becomes a tool for service and upliftment.

Kama

Includes sensory pleasures, emotional fulfilment, and aesthetic appreciation. Not limited to sexuality—it embraces love, art, music, and joy. Must be pursued within the bounds of Dharma, so it doesn’t devolve into indulgence. The Kamasutra explores this realm with surprising depth and nuance.

Moksha

The ultimate goal, representing freedom from the cycle of birth and rebirth. Achieved through self-realization, detachment, and union with the divine. While Dharma, Artha, and Kama relate to worldly life, Moksha transcends it, the culmination of a life well-lived, where the soul finds peace. What’s profound is that Hindu philosophy doesn’t ask us to renounce the world to be spiritual—it asks us to engage with it wisely, balancing duty, prosperity, pleasure, and liberation. It’s a blueprint not just for personal growth, but for societal harmony.

The pursuit of Artha (wealth) and Kama (pleasure) isn’t condemned; it’s contextualized within Dharma, ensuring that prosperity and enjoyment are aligned with ethical living and spiritual growth. Deepavali isn’t just about lights and sweets, it’s a spiritual invocation of Lakshmi, the embodiment of abundance, grace, and auspiciousness. The festival begins with Dhanteras, honouring both Lakshmi and Dhanvantari (the deity of health), symbolizing that wealth and well-being go hand in hand. Lakshmi’s blessings are sought not just for material gain, but for divine qualities like generosity, discernment, and compassion.

Dharma acts as the ethical compass that governs how Artha and Kama are pursued. It’s not a rigid rulebook—it’s a living framework that adapts to one’s role, stage of life, and context. Without Dharma, Artha can become greed, and Kama can become indulgence. But with Dharma, both become pathways to fulfillment and service. Moksha is the culmination of the human journey, representing liberation from ego, attachment, and the cycle of rebirth. It’s not a rejection of life, but a transcendence through it—achieved by those who’ve harmonized Dharma, Artha, and Kama. While not everyone may attain Moksha, the pursuit itself elevates one’s consciousness, making every step meaningful.

Sanātana Dharma doesn’t ask us to choose between development and devotion—it asks us to integrate them. It’s a philosophy where building a temple and launching a satellite aren’t contradictions, but complementary expressions of human potential.

So, why is culture important?

Because it is the soul of a nation, without which we will just be a geographical landmass. We will be like South Korea, a nation that rose from post-war devastation to become a global tech and entertainment powerhouse, yet now grapples with identity dislocation among its youth.

South Korea has the highest per capita rate of cosmetic procedures globally. Nearly 25–50% of women aged 19–29 have undergone surgery, often to conform to rigid beauty standards shaped by media and societal pressure. Many young Koreans report feeling rootless, caught between hyper-competitive academic and corporate systems and a lack of deeper cultural grounding. Sites like Gyeongju, Changdeokgung Palace, and Haeinsa Temple are UNESCO World Heritage Sites—but for many locals, they’re more tourist destinations than living traditions.

Despite this, it’s worth noting that South Korea has made significant efforts to preserve its heritage, the government has enacted cultural heritage protection laws, funded restoration projects, and even designated “living national treasures” to pass on traditional arts. Confucian values still permeate aspects of Korean life, especially in family structures and education.

Development without soul leads to spiritual poverty. A nation’s culture isn’t just its monument, it is its collective memory, its rituals, its stories, and its sense of belonging.

India, with its vast tapestry of traditions, philosophies, and festivals, has the opportunity to integrate Dharma with development—to build smart cities that still echo temple bells, to launch satellites while preserving sacred rivers, to educate minds while nurturing souls.

Bharata stands as a civilizational outlier, where the ancient rhythms of Sanātana Dharma still pulse through daily life—not as relics, but as living, breathing traditions. It’s not confined to scripture or ceremony—it’s woven into the fabric of existence, from the cradle to the cremation pyre. Morning chants, temple bells, seasonal festivals, ancestral rituals, these aren’t performances, they’re acts of remembrance and renewal. Unlike many cultures where indigenous faiths exist in museums, India’s spiritual heritage remains viscerally alive.

Temples in India are not passive structures; they are dynamic ecosystems of devotion, learning, and community. From Varanasi’s ghats to Madurai’s sanctums, these spaces host rituals, music, dance, and discourse—a confluence of the sacred and the social. They serve as cultural incubators, preserving oral traditions, classical arts, and regional customs.Many temples still operate annadanam (free meals), vedic schools, and community services, echoing their ancient role as spiritual and civic anchors.

In much of the world, Pagan traditions were systematically dismantled, often replaced by centralized religious systems. Bharata, however, retained its pluralistic soul, where ritual, nature, and metaphysics coexist in harmony. Even today, pilgrimage routes, seasonal fasts, and ancestral rites continue to shape the rhythm of life. The soul of Bharata isn’t a metaphor—it’s a living legacy, and when development is pursued without reverence for that soul, it becomes hollow, even grotesque.

In 1990, over 90,000 Kashmiri Pandits fled the Valley amid threats, killings, and targeted persecution. Their homes were marked, their temples desecrated, and their voices silenced.Today, only a few thousand remain, scattered and often marginalized. Despite development efforts in the region, the emotional and cultural vacuum left by their absence remains unaddressed.

During the 1971 Liberation War, an estimated 2.5 million Hindus were killed in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). The Hindu population has plummeted from 30% in 1947 to less than 8% today. Attacks on temples, forced conversions, and land grabs continue, with over 205 incidents reported in 2024 alone. Even today, Hindu homes are torched, and temples vandalized, often with impunity. Hindus in Pakistan face blasphemy accusations, forced conversions, and social ostracism. Their temples are often desecrated, and their festivals disrupted. The Hindu population has shrunk dramatically, with many fleeing to India or living in fear.

Development without dignity, without memory, without justice, is like gilding a tomb. The soul of Bharata is not negotiable—it’s the source of our resilience, the reason for our renaissance, and the heartbeat of our civilization. Sanātana Dharma has always embraced development—not as a rival to culture, but as its extension.

From the Mauryan highways to Chola irrigation systems, our rulers didn’t just build—they built with Dharma as their blueprint. Ashoka’s empire saw the construction of roads, rest houses (sarais), and medical centres for humans and animals alike. Chola kings engineered vast networks of tanks and canals, turning Tamil Nadu into an agricultural powerhouse. Gupta rulers promoted urban planning, education, and trade, while patronizing art and philosophy. Tree planting, water conservation, and public welfare were seen as acts of Dharma, not just governance.

In texts like the Arthashastra and Rajadharma Shastras, rulers are instructed to protect, nourish, and uplift their people. Building infrastructure wasn’t just practical—it was spiritual service, aligning with the cosmic order (Rta). Temples often doubled as centers of learning, healthcare, and community welfare, showing how sacred spaces supported societal progress.

To discard culture in pursuit of development is like cutting down the tree that bears fruit. Culture provides meaning, cohesion, and identity—without it, development becomes soulless. Sanātana Dharma teaches us to balance Artha and Kama within the bounds of Dharma, with Moksha as the guiding light.

 

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