musings 139

now temple worship is usually confined to the following activities.

1.Paying dakshina and other perks to priests and his satellites..

2.Preparing a lot of food as offering to the deity and sumptuous community eating..

3. Feasts for the persons who are actively celebrating eating away at the expense of all..

4. Fireworks, and temporary decorations...

Of course, we will have to search very hard to find the presence of God and the intended spirit of worship.. That is another issue..

True, some professional priests artists, cooks, and some specialist bhaktas benefit out of it..

They are professionals.. they should also live.. No issues about that..

But do we ever go beyond this.. ?

To maintain the heritage, to uphold the social milieu, and so on?

People just spend their money far beyond their means on festivals..

Those who show off their affluence are considered the superior members of the society

and those who are either poor or conservative

and even those who are opposed by conviction against such practices and wasteful frittering away of resources are simply chided and berated..

Those in celebration mood would not mind murdering such people who murmur.

Whenvever a big festival is announced, the budget is mostly on eatables and dakshina to the priests..

I am not able to persuade myself to digest the idea..

We just sweat and evaporate our blood to eke out a livelihood..

but we see easy means of eating and prospering for some set of people..

Really at a loss to come to terms with such things..

Note...

I am sure this happens in Marriages too..

A good percentage of the lifetime earnings of the parents are just wasted in dining and dakshina.. Why should we not confine the ostentation to the optimum.. and if possible use the saved funds as investment for the nice future of the couple who get married