Xpre$$!ons...
(published in www.deccanherald.com)
In the times when everybody is talking about grass, leaves and vegetables, the Ganesha festival too went green in Goa this year. What coaxed the Goan government to take such measures? The green activists there ensured that floral offerings made to Lord Ganesha would be converted to compost, and this happened after ‘hard line protest’ by ‘green activists’. They also made certain that the composting would be done in separate pits, respecting the sentiments of the people.
This is an example of how things can be moulded smartly without lighting communal violence. Hats off to the civil society groups in Panaji! They made Ganesha festival eco-friendly and even took measures to check water pollution. The compost will be used as manure for the parks and gardens in the corporation of Panaji.
We are all very familiar with ‘global warming’, but who cares! This is going to happen, but our stance is- let us see when that affects us…Our mind keeps trotting with such ‘chalta hai’ attitude.
We have to protest, not for language, state or statues but for ‘environment’. But there are a very few hearts that beat for ‘nature’. Unfortunately ‘mother earth’ has not been glamorous enough to earn fans like Mr Amitabh Bachchan and Dr Rajkumar did. Activists are summarily dismissed, their voices goes unheard. People brand them with different names but the fact is, these activists are right, very right. We have to go green in every way we could; thanks to the ‘Green Ganesha’. Just wished Bangalore raised this issue before, we could have used the manure for Lal Bagh and Cubbon Park. But is the BBMP listening?
Bumpy boule'words'...
25.1.10
Selling blessings in the God’s market!
Xpre$$!ons...
(published in deccanherald.com)
In His name we fight, in His name we kill and then swear upon His name of not having committed any crime. For His love to be known by many names He divides us, playing a joke with the country’s secularism but He is still the same; Godly and heavenly. It is not an atheist voice; it is the voice of a God’s devotee.
Recent visit to Banashankari temple near Badami (In North Karnataka) surprised me for its polluted land and corrupted scruples. When we go to visit some place at least after five-years one expects change and here everything seemed to have changed. The temple’s surrounding which used to be fairly clean, was filled with garbage. The temple’s interior needed immediate cleaning, unless one evades the dark corners of the temple. For some reason, even the space where a tap existed at the entrance, was converted into an area to store footwear; unlike in the past shoes were not allowed in the temple premises.
Many devotees fail not clean their feet before entering the temple, leaving the temple sullied. And then there is a cell for collecting funds for the temple. What happens to the funds? Why can’t the temple caretakers take charge of maintaining cleanliness? There are all kinds of rules framed for people who seek ‘darshan’ but no rules for maintaining cleanliness!
Cleanliness, says the proverb, is next to Godliness. We humans, are expected to take bath before we visit a holy place but if the holy place is dirty, then what are we talking about? So many dips in the purest water all in His name and not one dip for His holy place! It seems like a disgrace to the holy place, especially when you exploit every situation, in the name of God.
The priests’ today tend to behave like the frustrated auto-drivers in the metro city; they grab all that does not show in the meter. Rules are rules, agreed. Are they same for all? They are also paid extra, for that extra ‘darshan’ . Then why is it that most of the priests stand in the temples screaming ‘move fast’? Pay for your blessings in the God’s market, if that is the only way but make sure your ‘darshan’ is clean!
(published in deccanherald.com)
In His name we fight, in His name we kill and then swear upon His name of not having committed any crime. For His love to be known by many names He divides us, playing a joke with the country’s secularism but He is still the same; Godly and heavenly. It is not an atheist voice; it is the voice of a God’s devotee.
Recent visit to Banashankari temple near Badami (In North Karnataka) surprised me for its polluted land and corrupted scruples. When we go to visit some place at least after five-years one expects change and here everything seemed to have changed. The temple’s surrounding which used to be fairly clean, was filled with garbage. The temple’s interior needed immediate cleaning, unless one evades the dark corners of the temple. For some reason, even the space where a tap existed at the entrance, was converted into an area to store footwear; unlike in the past shoes were not allowed in the temple premises.
Many devotees fail not clean their feet before entering the temple, leaving the temple sullied. And then there is a cell for collecting funds for the temple. What happens to the funds? Why can’t the temple caretakers take charge of maintaining cleanliness? There are all kinds of rules framed for people who seek ‘darshan’ but no rules for maintaining cleanliness!
Cleanliness, says the proverb, is next to Godliness. We humans, are expected to take bath before we visit a holy place but if the holy place is dirty, then what are we talking about? So many dips in the purest water all in His name and not one dip for His holy place! It seems like a disgrace to the holy place, especially when you exploit every situation, in the name of God.
The priests’ today tend to behave like the frustrated auto-drivers in the metro city; they grab all that does not show in the meter. Rules are rules, agreed. Are they same for all? They are also paid extra, for that extra ‘darshan’ . Then why is it that most of the priests stand in the temples screaming ‘move fast’? Pay for your blessings in the God’s market, if that is the only way but make sure your ‘darshan’ is clean!
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