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| Keywords: SADF Hindu Chaplain Shoulderboard.jpg en Image of shoulder board worn by Hindu chaplains in the South African Defense Force military Colonel Sybrand van Niekerk South African Defense Force Official federal government of Republic of South Africa reproduced on letter from Colonel van Niekerk with info from his doctoral thesis Image approved Aug 22 1996 of the meaning behind the symbol from Colonel van Niekerk's letter dated May 24 2011 The Chaplain General asked me to reply to your e-mail concerning the Hindu chaplain ™s insignia You are very welcome to place the information on Wikipedia The source of the info is Van Niekerk S G 2002 The History Role and Influence of the South African Military Chaplaincy 1914-2002 Doctoral Thesis University of South Africa p390 On 1 October 1996 Cpln Kiriti Kamalakantha Krish Pillay became the first Hindu military chaplain to be appointed in the SANDF He has now retired and a second Hindu chaplain has subsequently been appointed Both chaplains were appointed in the SA Navy and is addressed as Vipra a Sanskrit word similar in meaning to Reverend On 22 August 1996 the Chief of the SANDF authorised the Hindu chaplain badges that had been designed by the Hindu Advisory Board These badges are unique as all other Hindu chaplains around the world at the time of development wore military rank badges The emblem on these insignia is a clay lamp that represents the human body into which must be introduced the oil of devotion to God The mind is to be purified like the white wick through character-efficiency and selfless service When such a mind is saturated with devotion the Light of God is enkindled within a person The lamp symbolises the perennial quest of all Hindus Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya - O Lord lead us from darkness to Light On May 24 this information from Colonel van Niekerk was sent to Major General Cecil Richardson the Chief of Chaplains of the U S Air Force to help the U S Armed Forces Chaplains Board the board made up of U S Army Navy and Air Force Chiefs and Deputy Chiefs of Chaplains as that board works to make a recommendation for a Hindu chaplain insignia for the U S military Hindu symbols Military chaplains Military insignia of South Africa Hinduism in South Africa Military rank insignia of South Africa South African Defense Force | ||||
