Adulterated godliness in name of religion
The festive season was set in motion with Dussehra and now we’re awaiting Diwali. However, along with the celebratory regalia, some parts of the 10-day festival left me saddened. The festival spirit seemed diluted this time with unruly boys dancing to Bollywood tunes and collecting cash on streets. For what, no one knows.
My faith was shaken when a girl, who lives the neighborhood, came over and I got a peep into the changing contours of religion and celebrations of festivals in town.
As the loud Bollywood songs played on the road, the glass doors in my house rattled; but my excited young guest was at the door watching Lord Hanuman’s march on the road. A march, which any right-thinking mind would abhor, for it was nothing except a group of boys trying to exhibit firecracker tricks on their artificial crowns. As much as I was delighted to see the girl’s enthusiasm, I was worried about her safety. “We had 50 Hanumans in our locality and there were even more in my friend’s neighbourhood,” she said.
There was a time when emulating Lord Hanuman was considered prestigious and only those with virtuous qualities were chosen to essay the role. I pitied the new generation that will never know what it’s like to grow with an image of the burly Dara Singh as Hanuman, robust, muscular, a gentle giant and in spite having the most cheeky smile, he had a divine appearance. Very unlike the boys smeared with orange paint on their skinny bodies. Just by smearing paint, fixing a tail, walking in a loincloth and collecting money in the name of religion, can you turn into a Hanuman avatar? And perhaps give the right to plunder every civic amenity as if it was Lanka?
I wanted to know the girl understands her culture and religion but soon there came another uncomfortably loud music truck with a bigger procession. “Oh that must be Ravan!” she said. The 21st century Ravan was made to dance with women on a truck on some raunchy Punjabi numbers along with his demon brothers. The street turned chaotic in minutes but Ravan was busy doing bhangra!
Seeing such mockery of religion, I was reminded of childhood stories from Ramayan narrated by my grandfather, who after every story said, “Ravan was a learned man. People in some parts still worship him for he was the most knowledgeable man. But knowledge without wisdom brings the downfall of a man and his clan. This is what separates Ravan from Hanuman, who never let his pride come in way of his wisdom.”
I wanted to tell my young guest so much about religion that day but when I saw Ravan doing bhangra and Hanuman bursting crackers on his headpiece, I did not know where to start. As the day ended, I walked on the streets littered with remnants of firecrackers. I saw Hanuman and Ravan sitting together in a hidden corner, chatting over tea with their fake moustaches and crowns in their hands. I thought, like our food, is our godliness at the risk of adulteration too?
THE 21ST CENTURY RAVAN WAS MADE TO DANCE WITH WOMEN ON A TRUCK ON SOME RAUNCHY PUNJABI NUMBERS ALONG WITH HIS DEMON BROTHERS