Diminishing Divinity ….
I got my STUPID CHANCE to hop into our heritage pilgrim
Dakshineshwar and Belur Math few days back.
We pride our culture and social reformers for the knowledge they have conveyed
and enlightened our race to value mankind in all forms and embrace humanity without
discrimination. But somehow with rusting times, ideologies, moral values, beliefs
and campaigns of these divine souls got brutally mutilated in the hands of a
race pouncing on its hapless preys in the shadow of religious flaws.
Possibly every high rated devotional junctions in India is
suffering from religious anarchism these days, where mortal faith gets
slaughtered in the hands of brokers of deities every hour, every day. Our captivated devotion for the Supreme Existence
has given these brokers a hunting ground of innocent beliefs. The stripped
reality of class division in disguise of wealthy customers is getting reflected
in every religious compound these days.
ONE WHO PAYS …. STAYS!
These religious brokers are not to be impugned for this
drastic decay of moral values , as our society of ‘you’ and ‘me’ have lost our tolerance , encouraging
prejudiced means to bypass long tiring Queues and agree on any amount to reach
the holy feet without sparing our prized time and energy… that too hassle free.
Like any other established religious institution,
hooliganism of hawkers is a common sight before the very entrance of
Dakshineshwar temple. Obligations, compulsion,
administrative or security reasons, the trust has managed to keep away slum
dwellers and beggars off limits the main Temple. Quite a scenic view inside with fluttering pigeons
all around, few long ( for the ordinary class) and short queues ( for VIP’s) to
the Temple door with devotees carrying
ornamented dalas ( offering for the goddess as per budget ) bare footed
to reach the barricaded shrine , where trade of ‘blessings’ happens with shear money power. The simple
rule is, THE MORE YOU PAY …THE LESS IS THE EFFORT. The Door keepers and the priest’s leave no
stone unturned to deliver all privileges to their hefty customers and prolong
their stay in front of the deity once a 500 Rupees note is slipped in their
fist. Be rest assured that The Divine souls of Sri Ramkrishna , Saradama and
all those who walked in the path of self-penance and sacrifice must be really tormented
at the sight of this shameful act of
their sanctity defenders.
On the other bank of the river Hoogly is Belur Temple, an endeavor
that ovulated from the womb of Swami Vivekananda’s brains and furthered its
precedence all over the world with its colosseum grandeur and priceless
impeachment. One can easily assume the cost and effort of this grand
infrastructure once reached at the gates of this historic monument. The jurisdiction managed by Ramkrishna Mission
has got more to offer to high valued customers (disciples / admirers) than
those who can hardly manage a day’s meal. Swamiji’s clad in saffron dress are
in charge of the administration.
Corporate discipline is the key rule of this reputed organization. Strict protocols govern each department and a
devised hierarchy structure amongst the swamiji’s is marked at every collection
or assembly points.
Silence yells the slaughter of human belief inside these walls
of religious grandeur. Where a woman is showed the gates as her 2 years old offspring
committed the mistake of crying in this silent zone, where a lower graded
swamiji is abused in public by his upper hierarchy for a trivial issue, where
insignificant donors are kept waiting in queues as hefty donors don’t have the
patience to wait, where contribution figures determine the sitting arrangement
for prasadam, where religious travesty is an everyday business, WHERE THE POOREST SECTION WAIT OUTSIDE THE
GATES FOR THE LEFTOVERS OF THE ELITE CLASS.
DEAR SWAMIJIS, CAN WE
EVER EXPECT A CHANGE TO HAPPEN FOR THE SAKE OF BEING HUMAN? IF NOT, ATLEAST FOR
THE SAKE OF THE AVATARS?
