Religion makes me a good human: N Srinivasan

Understanding of GodThere is a word in Tamil ‘Manasatchi,’ which means conscience. I believe god exists within us, in our conscience. He is our soul. All our questions regarding god’s existence will be answered once we understand this. There is no point searching for god everywhere, he lives in us, with us. So, a little bit of soul-searching is required.Take on religionI believe in Hinduism. I think everything is interconnected. Religion helps me be a good human. I owe everything to religion. It has blessed me with good food habits and traditional clothes. And once I am surrounded by all goodness, I am able to create art.Take on superstition and miraclesSuperstition is man-made and therefore, I do not believe in it.Every new creation is a miracle. For example, when you make lemonade, you mix water and lemon juice, and add salt to taste. And then, maybe, you can add other citrus fruits to make it taste a little different. So the effort is yours, ingredients are from nature but the end result or the taste is a miracle. Meditation and awakeningI believe in meditation. Meditation is for my soul and prayer for common cause. Concentration and observation help me create better things.Favourite pilgrimage sitesOne of my favourite pilgrimage sites is Thillai Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and he happens to be one of my favourite gods. Mount Kailash is another place I would like to visit when I find some time. The absence of human settlement and purity of nature attracts me the most.(N Srinivasan is a city-based contemporary artist)