Wednesday 27 June 2012

Half Baked Religion...


When you are 11, have first time stepped into a metro city and have absolutely no scuttle to reach your relative's abode; you never hassle that how many signals have snatched away your time. You simply get pleasure from the entirely new scenario- the crowd, the roads, the greenery along the road side. On one such signal I was busy with a new video game that my cousin has bought. Suddenly I got a knock at the glass window of the cab that we hired; I raised my head in response to the stimuli. My eyes got jammed with the person standing on the other side of the window. A young man with a crown on head, face painted in blue, a bow in one hand and a bowl with few penny's into it stood bare footed in front of me. I was surprised to know that the person in attire of lord ram was actually a beggar!

He disguised himself as the hero of the nation- an ideal son and a promising king. As I keenly observed him from head to toe, a nasty smile took over my face. After waving for money for a few seconds he moved on to the car next to us. My ogle moved in synchronization with him, the suited man in a Mercedes with a tilak on his forehead lowered his automatic glass window,  dropped a coin or two,  folded his hand, bowed his head and with deep respect yelled "Jai siya ram" and to add to my surprise the disguised man blessed him! The Richie rich pulled up the window back. The entire scene made me giggle my cousin saw me with disgust. He thought that I was laughing over the poverty on road but, to me the incident was hilarious rather than being upsetting. Two things were very strange to me. Firstly, the man in the Mercedes would have been a CEO, manager or director of a firm but, felt no shame to bow down in front of a beggar, to this I can consider that the man actually saw his god in the beggar then secondly, contradicting his deep rooted faith the man who would have been earning millions or billions per annum spent just two coins for his so called lord ram, it's because may be subconsciously he knew that he was just 'a beggar'. He sacrificed his ego but not the currency.

May be the man was a sheer idiot or just confused that whether the man in front of him is a beggar or lord ram!
But to me it was very clear - it was another tight slap on the face of religion where lord ram was begging on the traffic signals of Mumbai for a ten-ner!

Why do we run to temples when result or exam dates are around the corner? Why do we talk of culture and religion only when we are required to conceal the decline on our nation? Why do we pray only when we want something, can't we remember the almighty without any specific occasion? Why do young girls fast without knowing its significance? Is it just to impress their boyfriends portraying an image of a traditional girl?
 I ask why? Why? We tangle religion with our selfish needs.
Be it Ramayana, Bible or Quran every epic teaches us a way of living. It has unmatchable content of wisdom and knowledge. But in a world where everybody is busy making a wish list, who has time to introspect?

People, there’s a lot more in this world other than name, fame and money game. Please open your eyes and find the reason of your existence.

Arushi A. Shukla



A 19 year B.Tech student who loves writing whatever comes to mind, dancing without any occasion, gossiping with a never ending list of friends, meditating (it strengthens me), watching movies and eating heavily. I am a typically religious girl having a 24*7 hotline with god. I am grateful to my nation and love my sweet family, I truly believe in simplicity and destiny.
Contact : arushishukla027@gmail.com

29 comments:

ASHUTOSH HIDKO said...

it is a very worthy article...nice one..

The Adroits... said...

Thank you so much for your appreciation sir..:)
your views are valued..:)

vamsi said...

gUd1 AruShiii :)

n this line was d BESt * Why do young girls fast without knowing its significance? Is it just to impress their boyfriends portraying an image of a traditional girl? * [:)] ..

keep goin all d best [:D]

The Adroits... said...

Vamsi sir..:)
thanks a lot... while writing this line, i actually giggled...:)
thanks a lot for your best wishes..

Ritu said...

I have a pet peeve, people come and start collecting money to build yet another temple in the town ... which already has too many. And they get a lot of donation. God does not need it. There are orphanages, old age homes, homes for lepers and for the blind that need that money. But no one thinks of donating to them. Great article

The Adroits... said...

Ritu mam thanks a lot for your appreciation. And i agree to every single word of yours. Its so true people should realize the meaning of "good deeds". Spending on temple is no way going to benefit the needy.
Thanks again mam..:)
Your opinion is truly respected..!

Priyanshi said...

great yrr i love it......

Priyanshi said...

i like the last 2 lines......its too touchy...

Unknown said...

Thanks for reading and responding so nicely. I am so glad that you loved my work...:)

Mansi Jain said...

really a masterpiece..
nicely amalgamated poverty n our religious belief..
hilarious.. yet made me ponder at times..
Ur work is getting better all the time..
keep up.. :) :)

The Adroits... said...

thank you so much mansi..:)
your words have always helped me to write and get better...whether it is a poem or an article..:)
you have always been there...so glad to have you..:)

Sarang Mahajan said...

It's amazingly funny how we flex and bend the meaning of religion as per our need and convenience. Rather than plunging into a serious debate on why we are that way, like we do every time, I loved that you have merely brought out a funny side of this. This is how one should enjoy India. :-) Nice article.

Harshita Srivastava said...

great work Arushi :)
Keep it up

The Adroits... said...

Sarang sir - train loads of thanks for the encouragement. And i firmly believe that we should leave this attitude of sheer selfishness and adopt the correct approach.!
My article was just a small effort to bring this notion to reach the mass and i am so glad that you liked the write.

The Adroits... said...

Harshita mam- thanks for spending your time to read my article..:)
and thank you so much for the appreciation mam..:)

normal boy said...

The point raised by the author is worth appreciating and the way it has been represented is even more worthy!
The observation is keen...but i would like to know that whether the encounter with the beggar actually took place..??
but really what so ever hats off..!!

The Adroits... said...

normal boy- thank you so much sir..!
and ya you got the point..the write up is totally fictitious just a mere imagination to highlight a section of society..:)
and i am so happy to read such words of appreciation..:)
thanks again sir..:)

The Observer said...

What a work..!!
girl you have brought up such a good topic at such a age this itself is commendable,i come across many articles over country, corruption, degradation etc etc etc..but somehow we forget about our roots, our culture, i am a learned person with the knowledge of many epics and i strongly feel that if we start following their inner meaning soon we will achieve a better place to live!

again "applause"

The Adroits... said...

the observer- i actually got goosebumps while reading your comment.. i don't care about the response because i have done my part, i have done my effort to make the youth to come out of the false world...but it is just an "effort" of mine..i have left the result up to the hands of the readers..:)

and really i am very puffed up after your words of appreciation..:)

Sudam said...

When travelling I've seen many people throwing coins to the Ganges or any river...for what no one has an answer. Seeing something religious, a temple or an insignia we slightly genuflect to show our veneration.

The fasting, by girls...is one of that variety as you said.

There are so many things, still to be backed and I think they will always be half backed as changes specially positive takes time to spread and in the meanwhile some another half backed act creeps in

We are insecure by feeling and always try to replenish our dwindling security level. Hence, we try to follow everything, or don't want to take chance.

This is why there happened much fuss about Ram setu being destroyed, or a Ram Temple coming up in Ayodhya.

These are so triffle but big issues of our religious life. Religion still to be confirmed to science and there are so many superstitions in our society.

You have summarised the situation beautifully. A pretty good article once again. Keep it up.

The Adroits... said...

Sudam sir- i am extremely obliged and inspired by your words sir, and as always you again hit the bull's eye. sometimes people just don't have any answer for what they do, its some times just a matter of "faith" and "belief" which knows no reason. but gradually people have made it a business they have started filling their pockets on the name of "Allah" and "ram".
We humans are so selfish sir, we have the ability to twist and turn every thing according to our desires..:D

thanks for your very precious comments sir..:)

Unknown said...

Arushii... really nice 1.....
i know u have superb skills..
CARRY ON!!!!!!!!!!!

Unknown said...

really appreciable.
nicely written..

The Adroits... said...

siddharth- Thank you so much for reading and commenting, i know you don't enjoy reading as such...but i am really grateful to you..thanks a ton for appreciating me.:)

The Adroits... said...

Parag mittal- loads of thanks, for reading and appreciating my work, i hope to present few more articles in the coming future..:)

Ishi said...

i agree to each and every word mentioned in this writeup- i really pondered over the irony of CEO spending merely few bucks for his god and giggled at the way you have wonderfully expressed that irony..Indeed, religion is a game these days,flexed to suit convenience..so true that we use the excuse of tradition and culture whenever we want to conceal the decline of our nation!well written and well thought! loved it!

Unknown said...

Ishita mam..i just cannot express my feeling after reading such a beautiful comment of yours..all i want to say is train loads of thanks for your praise..i am so grateful to you...:)

Unknown said...

This is the true scenario of the extorting harsh world we reside in...
Very well said that:-) "Why do we run to temples when result or exam dates are around the corner? Why do we talk of culture and religion only when we are required to conceal the decline on our nation? Why do we pray only when we want something, can't we remember the almighty without any specific occasion?"

These are the questions that none of the dharam-gurus can answer in today's world....

Religion must be an abode for good learning and not just fantasy....

The Adroits... said...

Ashutosh- i agree with you..thanks a lot for reading the article and responding so positively.:)

Post a Comment