EXPEDIENCY IS THE WORD OF THE DAY
The urbanization is taking its toll in our day- to-day life. No one has time to pause and think. The general & popular mantra is to see behind and move forward, so no scope for innovation or concern or personal touch. Nowadays the personal touch is also accorded in the business like manner and promptly signified through packaging for utmost mileage otherwise it looses its relevance because the memory of people is too short. In some sense the short memory is good also otherwise life of a person will become so tense that he would not be able to pull along the life.
You must have noticed the scene in a park or ground where a politician or a dignitary is scheduled for a lecture or visit. Before the D- day, the screening of area is done, survey is carried out by security personnel, the area is sealed and various works for protection is carried out. Then snuffer dog squad sanitize the area prior to the visit and finally the visit takes place. What happens after the visit? The area bears the deserted look as if no one cares for it. It does not matter to anybody that some miscreants may take a round of the area , may carry out even photographic survey and can wait for a easy prey next time who would in no way be less important then the previous one. But who cares?
Take another example. The foundation stone for a new building is to be laid out by a renowned person so before this not only the ground is purified by sprinkling sacred water but the place as well as all the implements are also offered worship by priest prior to use. What happens afterwards? Let me tell you, If the area is not isolated by the barbed wire or fencing you would not find even the inaugural stone and the very next morning you would find people and animals attending to the nature’s call over it.
I happened to attend a mahayagya by the side of Ganges in Allahabad sometimes back which was to be conducted by the one hermit of repute. I would not take his name. During the puja and hawan , all the God & Godess were summoned to that hawan- kund and were given offerings by way of Ahuti. After conclusion of the puja, all God & godess were requested to go back to their respective Places ,in Hindi it is called loks. After that there was a feast which was attended by thousands of people and prasad was taken by everybody. Then every body dispersed after touching the ground by forehead at hawan-kund. Now the hawan-kund was open to its real claimants and there was no body else. The dogs had the feast after their masters, after all the loyalty of a dog is undisputed and at many times it has been found to be more than that of the human beings. Next morning the same drama starts again. The remaining Ahuti and the ashes were taken out of kund in the most sanctimonious way and then taken to the river Ganga for immersion. You must have noted that without dumping the dirt in river Ganga no purification takes place. And we do this with utmost religiosity. I do not know that how long we will keep on generating dirt in the society and the sacred river would keep on cleansing our dirt as it has been doing since time immemorial.
Why I am taking examples of religious activity ? It is because this is the activity which we do with utmost sanctity, devotion and care. At other places the situation is bad to worse. Recently I was attending the inauguration of a fate by a dignitary. As usual, no new work commences without the worship of Ganesh ji- God known to dispel negative influence and bad omen. The priest was aware of the requirements but was oblivious to the availability of a statue of Ganesh ji. We all know that necessity is the mother of invention, so it took place. A burning lamp, in Hindi it is called diya, was ignited and kept on the ground assuming it to be incarnation of Ganesh ji. Everybody was very religious at that point of time with folded hands and closed eyes concentrating on Ganesh ji in the form of diya. After that a rock was put on the ground duly sanctified which was worshipped and finally a coconut was broken over it.
Now guess what happened subsequently. Everybody present there had actually very short memory, so every body forgot that the burning lamp is still lying on the ground along with the sanctified rock and the broken coconut to which they were worshiping just now. People were going crossing it, over it, with every body attentive towards the VIP and the God, who was summoned to propitiate the ceremony seconds before ,was still lying on the ground. After some time I turned back and found a lady sitting on the ground, struggling to lift that lamp below the feet of people with the intention to shift it at a separate ,proper place. The lamp was hot and it was little bit difficult to shift it. That stupid priest was standing like a dumb as if remembering something , lost in thought to figure out as to how that lamp has been there.
If in a crowd of 200-250 people , you find it hard to find a person who is sensitive to this very evident requirements & facts then you can very well imagine that in which type of mindset we people are living. That’s why in this country it is very easy to find a good temple built by a wealthy businessman but it is equally difficult to find it properly maintained subsequently. It is altogether different matter that a very pompous ceremony takes place for installation of deity and more grand ceremony is organized for its inauguration by a VIP or minister or industrialist who puts a plaque proudly stating- this temple has been constructed by so & so….. OR this temple is inaugurated by so & so…
In this country of millions, God also needs donation by a mortal being created by himself for his residence and needs a introduction too like issue of identity card in the form of a plaque proudly affixed on the gate of temple at a prominent place. Thanks to the Department of Registrar of Birth & Death who does not come to God asking for his birth registration certificate and the affidavit needed for registration when He is born……. Good
The urbanization is taking its toll in our day- to-day life. No one has time to pause and think. The general & popular mantra is to see behind and move forward, so no scope for innovation or concern or personal touch. Nowadays the personal touch is also accorded in the business like manner and promptly signified through packaging for utmost mileage otherwise it looses its relevance because the memory of people is too short. In some sense the short memory is good also otherwise life of a person will become so tense that he would not be able to pull along the life.
You must have noticed the scene in a park or ground where a politician or a dignitary is scheduled for a lecture or visit. Before the D- day, the screening of area is done, survey is carried out by security personnel, the area is sealed and various works for protection is carried out. Then snuffer dog squad sanitize the area prior to the visit and finally the visit takes place. What happens after the visit? The area bears the deserted look as if no one cares for it. It does not matter to anybody that some miscreants may take a round of the area , may carry out even photographic survey and can wait for a easy prey next time who would in no way be less important then the previous one. But who cares?
Take another example. The foundation stone for a new building is to be laid out by a renowned person so before this not only the ground is purified by sprinkling sacred water but the place as well as all the implements are also offered worship by priest prior to use. What happens afterwards? Let me tell you, If the area is not isolated by the barbed wire or fencing you would not find even the inaugural stone and the very next morning you would find people and animals attending to the nature’s call over it.
I happened to attend a mahayagya by the side of Ganges in Allahabad sometimes back which was to be conducted by the one hermit of repute. I would not take his name. During the puja and hawan , all the God & Godess were summoned to that hawan- kund and were given offerings by way of Ahuti. After conclusion of the puja, all God & godess were requested to go back to their respective Places ,in Hindi it is called loks. After that there was a feast which was attended by thousands of people and prasad was taken by everybody. Then every body dispersed after touching the ground by forehead at hawan-kund. Now the hawan-kund was open to its real claimants and there was no body else. The dogs had the feast after their masters, after all the loyalty of a dog is undisputed and at many times it has been found to be more than that of the human beings. Next morning the same drama starts again. The remaining Ahuti and the ashes were taken out of kund in the most sanctimonious way and then taken to the river Ganga for immersion. You must have noted that without dumping the dirt in river Ganga no purification takes place. And we do this with utmost religiosity. I do not know that how long we will keep on generating dirt in the society and the sacred river would keep on cleansing our dirt as it has been doing since time immemorial.
Why I am taking examples of religious activity ? It is because this is the activity which we do with utmost sanctity, devotion and care. At other places the situation is bad to worse. Recently I was attending the inauguration of a fate by a dignitary. As usual, no new work commences without the worship of Ganesh ji- God known to dispel negative influence and bad omen. The priest was aware of the requirements but was oblivious to the availability of a statue of Ganesh ji. We all know that necessity is the mother of invention, so it took place. A burning lamp, in Hindi it is called diya, was ignited and kept on the ground assuming it to be incarnation of Ganesh ji. Everybody was very religious at that point of time with folded hands and closed eyes concentrating on Ganesh ji in the form of diya. After that a rock was put on the ground duly sanctified which was worshipped and finally a coconut was broken over it.
Now guess what happened subsequently. Everybody present there had actually very short memory, so every body forgot that the burning lamp is still lying on the ground along with the sanctified rock and the broken coconut to which they were worshiping just now. People were going crossing it, over it, with every body attentive towards the VIP and the God, who was summoned to propitiate the ceremony seconds before ,was still lying on the ground. After some time I turned back and found a lady sitting on the ground, struggling to lift that lamp below the feet of people with the intention to shift it at a separate ,proper place. The lamp was hot and it was little bit difficult to shift it. That stupid priest was standing like a dumb as if remembering something , lost in thought to figure out as to how that lamp has been there.
If in a crowd of 200-250 people , you find it hard to find a person who is sensitive to this very evident requirements & facts then you can very well imagine that in which type of mindset we people are living. That’s why in this country it is very easy to find a good temple built by a wealthy businessman but it is equally difficult to find it properly maintained subsequently. It is altogether different matter that a very pompous ceremony takes place for installation of deity and more grand ceremony is organized for its inauguration by a VIP or minister or industrialist who puts a plaque proudly stating- this temple has been constructed by so & so….. OR this temple is inaugurated by so & so…
In this country of millions, God also needs donation by a mortal being created by himself for his residence and needs a introduction too like issue of identity card in the form of a plaque proudly affixed on the gate of temple at a prominent place. Thanks to the Department of Registrar of Birth & Death who does not come to God asking for his birth registration certificate and the affidavit needed for registration when He is born……. Good
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