Recently i happen to visit some temples nearby. incidents just made me back-off from the crowded temples around the city. May be her after i will rethink before planning to visit a temple where it is run by the senior most, close minded, spiritually inclined and so called people.
First to tick me off was the visit to Birla Mandir in hyderabad. I do accept the security concerns and other factors influencing the temples maintenance. but also the factor that pisses me off is the way the higher, decision making crowd resolves the problem.
In the first part, due to security concerns, none are allowed to take their bags, mobile and etc items into the temple. accepted that this is OK to be concerned of. But, considering the fact that we have to leave our belongings with some unknown people who claim to have lockers for these items or just open shelves with tokens. You cannot claim the security agency any responsibility inc ase of theft or loss of items here. none of them make entries of the type of phones which are given for safe keeping here. more often than not, my concern is the data that will be lost or misused in case of theft of my mobile phone. recent developments have shown that it snot the device that will be costly but the data carrie don each device that makes the loss more costly. Added to the fact that, no police station around the city will actually file a FIR for loos of mobile device unless its confirmed that its lost or robbed. I do not know the sense in it, but true to all facts available form different people who have lost it.
So me and friends proceed and bought pooja items(usual coconut and flowers) sold outside the temple gate. once entering the temple, we left our shoes and othe items including mobile phones for safe keeping. then went ahead to the Hanuman and Ganeshji mandir's at the entrance. the priest did the pooja and gave the one half of the cocunut that we bought as prasad.
Now we were heading to the next security arrangement where the officers said the coconuts are not allowed from there and we had to leave it in a wooden box kept there. got pissed off though and asked what if we don't get them back as there were no entries. He said we cant help it. we can take if any available there when we come back. This even more pissed us off and so we returned yelling and cursing the security fellow for being so dumb and irresponsible at a place like a temple. This is where our security stands and we feel so safe... :)
So we returned from there with lot of anger and frustration. I though visiting temple will give me more peace of mind but it was the other way round.
Second incident happened while visiting the famous Rajarajeshwari temple in Film nagar. Same security but we can still take our belongings into the temple. no restrictions. but since we went on a day of Sankasti, the temple was crowded and the pooja was going on. lot of people in form of the ganeshji and around. Here we can see a strange ticketing system. For coconut aarathi its Rs.3/- and mangalarathi its Rs.10/-. we took the usual Rs.3/- token and moved ahead towards Ganesha gudi with our coconut. now comes the fun part where the guy formed a gate and checked our ticket and tells, this is not allowed today. wow.. i though. even God's will go crazy when people act like this. Asked why, he said like a ignorant child, that since today is sankasti, the tickets is given till 6.00 PM only. we went at 7.00PM which is after our office hours. not sure if this makes sense to religious people, but sure makes sense to my managers. :)
So we went to the nearby Rajarajeshwari's temple and did our pooja and came back to the Ganeshji's gudi.
Then when the pooja started, the purohith came to give all the bhakthjan's akshatha's. when he came to the far end, he realized that those were the people without sankasti tickets. so he stopped in between his distribution and went away. All standing there felt more frustrated and disgusted. i could see that on their face. I just gave a smile and stood still..:)
That was it for me and God's. The people have control over God's here. i am not sure if ever God came to life here, he will definitely walk out of those restricted areas and will be in a park or on the middle of the road where there is more freedom to people.
Just pity the state of God, that he is locked in that small room, with no air circulation or light till next day morning when the gate keeper comes.
Just cant believe how far the knowledgeable people have come, to understand that God's are under their control and they are not in any one's control. They just sit and tell the less powered, that which God is free for appointments and which God is not.
Really guys, do you think its so easy? Am not sure how Tirupathi, or Dharmastala is since even there there is ticketing system for Gods. also Black marketing the tickets i have heard of.
But then coming to the matter here, does any of these godly men even understand that God is free to all and all are free to God. God is not an entity or an object of interest that can be captured and locked as these godly men like. I say men cos women are never kept in charge anywhere. Even to dress up god's (Male or Female) men do it all. Whats the logic? none knows. May the age old argument like Men are superior to women probably. hehe..funny humans though.
Is it possible to make all understand that God, is an idea of the highly knowledgable, highly respected and highly influenced humans? For more control and more obedience from the people whom they want to control?
Is it possible to have this idea of God, free to all?
Is the very Idea of God, bound to rules, restrictions and boundaries?
Does this idea of God, follow any rules only understood by select few humans who control these ideas?
Seriously, we Indians are so near to God with our culture, which we lost 500 years back. now are we in a position to question other ideals of God, that are practiced elsewhere in the world?
Are we even open to respect other Godly ideas followed by African natives, Mayans, or any cave dwelling population? Lets not speak about the modern christian, Muslim or any religion.
But how different are these Gods? Every tribe, group or sect pray to these Gods' or ideas, worship them and follow the set of rules made by the elders to please them.
But are the Gods pleased if you show disrespect to the very people who worship them?
So does worshiping one God will make the other God's angry?
If so, since all God's are omnipotent, do we see fire works of Gods wrath in the skies every day? Just because a Muslim entered into a Hindu temple? or a Christian prayed to Jesus in Hindu style? Or a Jew entered a mosque to pray to Mohammad?
This definitely is not understood by the least of humans for sure. if so, there will be Godly ideas clashing in the skies too. So to keep the Gods in harmony, we humans have to fight to please each others god.
I am sure God does not play dice. :) But God's are no crazy either. They might be betting on who will win the fights on this earth for sure and pretty high stakes going on there in the heavens for sure.
