Rituals for people or people for rituals?

I remember one catchy line said by Mithun Chakraborty to Paresh in the film OMG "they are not God loving people , they are God fearing people" as the later tries to fight against "Act of God" .
The above line holds true for most of us. When we were kids we we asked to fold our hands in front of God or else face his wrath. In fear we used to do as was told.

I used to see my grandma being a widow, never used to touch any non veg food which she at one time loved dearly. She used to fast for every "amabasya" and then used to have some non cooked food like fruits etc. She was strict about not touching non veg also. My mother used to cook for us , clean the kitchen and then cook for her separately. All the non veg items should not touch any veg item. The utensils were not even barred.

Now when I was getting married I was asked to fast the whole day. I was made to eat at 5 am in the morning( I was feeling miserable eating at such time) and the remaining day I was made to eat only sweets or lassi. Damm. By the time I reached the mandap in the evening I was starved and feeling less energetic. I begged everyone to bring me some food. My elder brother brought a handful of pakoras and asked me to eat quickly. So I there was eating pakoras like a thief as if I am punished for getting married.

These are very common example that I have stated. We Indians follow loads of them almost everyday. Rituals are part of our lives. There are some rituals which we should follow whereas some are too much for us. Why do we need to fast the whole day twice every month? Just for pujas.What will happen if you do puja at your home? Will God not listen to you? Then why do you feed HIM everyday after bath? Why is a widow punished for someone who is no more? Why cant you live your life as before? As far as marriages are concerned we are told that in order to maintain good health fast that day. Comeon think about the sugar level getting dropped, the hunger pangs we get. How is that worth?

One collegueof mine says "We dont drink coconut water after sunset". Bewildered I asked the reason thinking it must be linked with acidity. But no her answer was something which lacked logic. "I am taught that way and I follow that".  I asked her instead "Is ritual for people or people are for rituals". Comeon drinking coconut water has nothing to do with Sun rise or Sun set. The Sun God is busy with other things. He is not perturbed by this. What gets perturbed is your system. It might not take it well as the metabolism slows down at that time.

But alas where there is logic there is no God and subsequently no rituals. So mainly the rituals are too much exaggerated. You follow some and do what you feel comfortable. God surely will not be angry on you. God is not vindictive. Love your God, love your religion but first love yourself. Dont sacrifice your health. Its not doing any good. Think about it. If you still cant get the answer I will utter like Shah rukh Khan "Rehn de..tu nehi samjhega".

 

Blogging - the journey I love

It all started some 7-8 years ago when a friend of mine studying in a elite college told me that he reads people's blog. He used to get unlimited internet connection in his hostel and was an addict. Bewildered at his words I asked "What is a blog?" When he told me about it I started reading few. I was studying Engineering and was not as fortunate as him to get an unlimited net connection. I had to coax the Airtel guy for not giving us proper 3G signal in our hostel (mind , in those days 3G was just launched and not every area had got it. If u get a 2G thats pretty good enough).

Back at home I used to stick to the computer chatting with him and surfing the various sites. There grew the urge to write my heart's content. I thought of giving it a try. I was not sure how to write and whether anyone will read it or not. As human beings we are always afraid to take the first leap. Once you are within it , your fear goes. I was tempted to write about my personal thoughts that too somewhere different from my diary.
There I went opening my 1st blogspot account and started with a movie review.

As years passed by the blogging continued. I enjoyed it thoroughly and its still my favorite pastime. The best part of it is I am not dutifully bound to it. People lack interest once anything becomes a duty. If any idea pops up in my mind I sit down and write it. Being moody I sometimes lost interest but that doesnt stop me from writing. I have invited people including my friends and colleagues to read and comment. Their honest criticism help me to look forward and improve.

In recent times people are more engaged in writing biographies and personal thoughts as a book hence the importance of blogging has  increased manifold. My best critic is my English Mam who read my blog posts and commented "Never give up on your passion dear." They say what your nature is will be reflected on your writing. I am too straight forward and believe in writing or talking to the point. Anything beyond that is something that can be ignored.

Coming to indiblogger I have found so richly talented people that its a complete pleasure sitting and reading their posts. Many are informative, some are funny , some are witty. I am amazed at the number of members this site has. It brings me sheer joy when I find people taking their time and reading my post or commenting.And with Indispire topics I am now never short of any topics to write my blog post. I dont write for all of them though( I am choosy about it).

For the last 7-8 years of blogging irrespective of any progress or improvement on my side I have just loved writing. Its just that I am the owner of my own kingdom and I can write whatever I like. The freedom and also boundless nature of blogging has given me the true essence of satisfaction.

The tagline of Indiblogger beautifully says "We blog therefore we are"....Happy blogging.

All about books

I am choosy about everything.Be it food,clothes,color even books. I read them all only if they are interesting enough to catch my attention . Once I am into it there is no leaving. As a book worm I read all type of authors. Some write great stories , some have great story writing style but the content is so-so.

To list down favorite author I would start with Agatha Christie. I am a fan of her books. The way she writes and solves a murder mystery is something which leaves me awe struck. I started her book with "The Crooked House" and then went on and on. She never disappoints me. Her detectives Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, Mr Harley Quin, Tommy and Tuppence , Mr Parker Pyne are by far my most loved characters.

Then comes Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Who can say no to Mr Sherlock Holmes. The suave writing and plots are something incomparable to any other mystery stories.

I must include my Harry Potter series. I am never too old not to read them again and again. I love them a lot and would love to read the 7 series of novel as and when I get time. I am in love with Harry, Ron & Hermione and have never missed any movie of them.

For Indian authors I have liked Chetan Bhagat but not fond of his writing now a days. He has the ability to hook the reader till the end but the content is not upto the mark. Ravinder Singh's books also has so-so content. What matters is the story and the way u r writing it.

A book is something I never regret to buy and build a library of my own. I carry my kindle everywhere and "I am never without a book". I love reading short stories if I cant complete my long novels. I thus reside in my own world most of the time.