We Indians are an
interesting bunch. There is never a dull day with us around and believe me, we
are going to be around for a very long time! We are a very diverse bunch too.
No, I am not talking about the diversity in unity and all that jazz. I am talking
about the diverse ways in which we continue to shock and make fools of
ourselves.
India is a diverse country
- we love this line very much. We chant it every time someone asks us to
define/describe India. We feel proud and our chests puff up with patriotic
love. Nevertheless, this love-shove is only for 'India' and not so much what
makes 'India'.
We hate our fellow
men/women/children. We happily look down upon everyone we think is not like us.
We love caste/creed/race/wealth distinctions. In short, we love every divide
there is to help us make better 'Indians'. However, there is one thing that we
all love - RELIGION.
Yes, we love 'our'
religion. Religion too, is diverse in India and definitely not unified. There
is 'my religion', 'your religion' and of course, 'their religion'. In addition,
to make sure we always remember this there are the preachers, the so-called
sole karta-dharta men of god.
While we continue to love
our religion more than anything does, we also make sure that we make our gods
richer each day. Yes, we are a poor country with rich gods. We have built many
a fancy and opulent homes for our gods. We also religiously love to pay our
respects to these deities each day and it is here that we stand united.
Be it the rich, poor or
destitute, the love for temple hopping is the same! While we may not think of them every day, we
definitely stand in lines for hours just to get a glimpse and handout cash or
kind generously. Of course, how will god ever grant any of our wishes if we do
not bribe them? Oops, did I say bribe? Arre
nahi, I meant donation is obviously required else kaise milega kuch agar hum
kuch nahi denge toh?
It is all give and take,
our lives, and religion is no different. Our faith and hope in religion
strengthens each time we donate generously too.
Now take for example,
someone unknown follower of Shri Sai baba donated 2 diamonds worth 1.18 crore.
Now Sai baba look wonderful sporting these diamonds, won’t he? Already cast in
Silver, his aura continues to shine throughout and now the diamonds are going
to make sure that those who have been standing in hour-long queues just to
get a far off glimpse of him feel his presence getting stronger. Apparently,
the temple trust is super delighted. These are the largest diamonds donated so
far, making them 'shinier'!
Now Sai baba is not alone.
Ganpati bappa has a huge temple or rather temples just for him! He too is cast
is various expensive metals where his devotees come flocking every Tuesday
(everyday too!). They sing, dance and donate generously for him. It is little
or no matter how much the residents suffer due to all the noise pollution and
unnecessary security bubble built around bappa's abode.
Jain temples are in a league
of their own. Decked in fresh flowers and bathed in sandalwood, the gods are
pampered every day! The daily donations in cash and kind are another matter
altogether.
Our Sarvajanik festivals
have budgets beyond one's thinking capacity. A festival is a festival and so celebrated
in such grandeur as if it is a once-in-a-lifetime-event! It does not matter
that we continue to ruin nature (through visarjan and other physical properties
of pollution) in the garb of festivities.
In short, we shall
continue to offer everything we can to our gods blindly. In a race to build
beautiful religious sanctuaries, we have become deaf, dumb and blind to the
very core essence of our faith. We have forgotten what Sai baba said to his
followers, his principles and so on. We continue to pray to Ganpati bappa not
ever really wanting to know what he really wants! Anyone who wishes to question
me on this should first attend the visarjan activities at Shivaji Park,
Mumbai.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please note: I am not an
atheist. I love Ganesh Chaturthi and my parents are very religious. I have been
a spectator to many stupidities carried under the tag of religion. I only speak
of what I know.
This is exactly what I meant when I was tweeting the other day.. Awesome write up.. :-) Waiting to read more stuff.
ReplyDeleteI think you Amazingly explained what many of us think about religion and money spent on it .
ReplyDeleteTirupathi is the biggest example , daily the devotees give more than one crore .
In gods name there is so much stupidity going on . If all the money spent in the name of religion every day is used in Inclusive growth ,there would a one India with out so many differences .
Very well written...
ReplyDeletewell said. If we stop being blind (not literally) and hypocrites I don't think we can be called Indians :P
ReplyDelete@ Vector
ReplyDeleteGoing to be writing more soon :) Thanks!
@ Kalyan
I second your thoughts here buddy.
@ Ancel
Thanks love!
@ A Journey
ReplyDeleteHahhaa yeah!
I agree Niki. We do a lot of nonsense in the name of religion. Charity is misused and no one benefits. Very well written.
ReplyDeleteThe generous indian can only be seen in the temples. They go blind on the sights of poverty and deaf on the pleadings of the needy. Their religion teaches them everything other than respecting other religions. At home the child gets more religion classes than moral classes. From schools to friends to life partner, everything is chosen as per religion. We are this religious…….. stupid indeed!
ReplyDeleteWell, okay... this is going to be a long comment. I almost feel exactly the same way about all of this. You know, in our society, there are always people from adjoining mandals/pandals/any religious event who come to take daan dakshina and what's more, they insist on above 500 being a norm to pay. Now, I've been concentrating on something else and have not been working for the past over 6 months let's say. For that matter, even when I was, I'd always be wary of giving such donations.
ReplyDeleteWhat I've noticed is, during pandals, these people put up biases like 'VIP' 'VVIP' and so on; and they're allowed in to 'seek blessings' of the lord much before everyone else. I don't think God approves of such biases. Once upon a time a rugged, stubborn atheist, I'm a believer now since quite sometime. While I support special ques for senior citizens and pregnant women, I oppose the same for rich brickbats.
Like you say, its a case of they not understanding what God really wants. Look at so many of our Indian festivals. Lokamanya Tilak started Ganesh Chaturthi to surge a feeling of nationalism and patriotism in fellow human beings but now it's almost about 'whose pandal is better (Read: richer, grander) this year.' Sad state of affairs, this.
Thanks for writing on this! You've made me want to write something on this issue as well.
@ Sujata
ReplyDeleteI am afraid that these things will only get worse!
@ Sukku
I wish we only knew one religion - Humanity!
@ Sneha
ReplyDeleteHa! We get bappa home for 11 days. It has been a struggle to get dad to agree on a eco-friendly murti but we managed.
Very true. We donate to God, but we are never ready to lend a single paisa to a deserving person. Perhaps we believe that by bribing God, our sins will get washed away.
ReplyDeleteNikita,
ReplyDeleteI agree with each word you said. We are a bunch of show off hypocrites. I firmly believe that God listens to silent prayers said by honest & pure heart.
Take care
That is a sensible piece of prose. Believing in Gods per se is not a bad idea. But most religions are regression at best.
ReplyDeletetotally agree.. people are too busy praying to/bribing the idols rather than actually following the path that the religion states.
ReplyDeleteVery well captured...especially the con of donations...we always give in hope of returns
ReplyDelete@ Sabyasachi
ReplyDeleteYeah that is what we are made to learn as well!
@ Jack
Only if we listened to our hearts and stopped being so shallow!
@ Umashankar
ReplyDeleteThank you buddy!
@ Roshan
We are blinded by false values and of course, the bling value!
@ Vasuta
ReplyDeleteExactly. So the whole idea of Karm & Dharm is down the drain for us!
Nikita, here's what you've propelled me to write:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.induswomanwriting.com/surplus-extravaganza.html
Do check it out.
@ Sneha
ReplyDeleteWow! Fabulous:)
Well written .... or rather well spoken. Many of us do feel claustrophobic with what is going on around us but dare not voice the concern in public.
ReplyDeleteIf we look a little deep into it, its just that the children are following what the parents do and its a continuous chain which just goes on and on.
@ Haddock
ReplyDeleteI have dared to voice this opinion in my very house and have been reprimanded! :| Is Desh ka kuch nahi ho sakta :(
Congrats. This post has been chosen as Blogadda's Spicy Saturday Pick of the week.
ReplyDeletehttp://blog.blogadda.com/2012/08/11/indian-bloggers-god-life-raksha-bandhan-gokulasthami
@ Roshan
ReplyDeleteThank you! I know I am a bit late but thanks nevertheless!
but at the end of the day call it fear of god or simple bribery...some of those dubiously earned money are coming back in form of diamonds in hands of god...
ReplyDeleteits gods way for a payback! or watever
Very well written. If only we would use the money flowing into temples and other religious institutions for public projects and inclusive growth, our growth story would be shiny indeed. Instead, we make a few trusts and religious institutions very rich and wage wars and riots in the name of our "gods".
ReplyDeleteI am a firm believer in God but at the same time I am against all these stupid rituals associated in the name of God.
ReplyDeleteI am so frustrated when I am asked to be precise threatened to shell out hundreds of rupees to offer on God else he may get angry with me.. what a bull shit this is.
If I raise voice against such acts we are termed as Paapis.. common get some life...
I totally and fully agree with each and every word written in this blog.
Brutally honest Nikita... Brutally honest! Knowingly, unknowingly... we too have got accustomed to these vices. In a country where discrimination is rampant, God will keep getting richer. Let me say,'This is one of the brilliant most on religion blog posts'
ReplyDelete@ Buckingfastard
ReplyDeleteI think we know that 'fear of god' or rather 'god-fearing' is vastly different than bribery. Bribing is not done for God here. It is done in the name of the almighty. Plus, do we know if the diamonds really lie in the treasury or simply some vile punditji is using it?
@ Modern Gypsy
ReplyDeleteYeah true that. And currently it should be temple trusts shining and not India shining!
@ Ravindra Rajput
ReplyDelete:D I'd rather be a papi!
@ Bengal Surprise
ReplyDeleteWoah...that is huge! Thanks :)
Touche to that.
ReplyDelete@ Aishwarya
ReplyDeleteThank you!