Whenever we come to Kottarakkara to my parents' house, Lekha makes it a point to go to the nearby 'Ganapathy kshetram'. I end up being the chauffeur as there would be others who'd join her. Today, she'd a query that needed an answer.
It was about the 'Udayaasthamana puja' - the dawn to dusk prayers, when the normal routine of the temple comes to a standstill and is, therefore, carried out only once a week - and the specific queries were:-
(a) When was the next available slot to book, as Lekha's kid sister was keen about it?
(b) What's the rate of the puja?
And the answers were, as follows, ad seriatim:-
(a) 2034!
(b) Rs.50,000/- (Down payment, at the time of booking).
The frenzy with which people head for this particular temple and do penance(holding their ears with crossed hands and dipping their torsos at the god, many times over - the frequency, I suppose, depends upon the gravity of the devotee's crimes and his/her haste in trying to distance himself/herself away from that despicable act!
God acts as the Damocles' sword as every man is scared about possible retribution, for his misdeeds!!
Tailpiece.
I've the following queries on the information given by the temple authorities:-
(a) How sure are the people who book for the puja - that has a fairly long lead time - that they'd
be alive to live through to see it? ........Must definitely appreciate their positive outlook.
(b) And what's the rationale in collecting money at the time of the booking? Probably, it's to
ensure that the devotee doesn't chicken out and I suppose, the aspect of inflation is sorted
out by collecting the actuals - the difference that is - at the conduct of the puja!
(c) But why don't the temple authorities find out alternate measures that would make it more
meaningful, more realistic?
It was about the 'Udayaasthamana puja' - the dawn to dusk prayers, when the normal routine of the temple comes to a standstill and is, therefore, carried out only once a week - and the specific queries were:-
(a) When was the next available slot to book, as Lekha's kid sister was keen about it?
(b) What's the rate of the puja?
And the answers were, as follows, ad seriatim:-
(a) 2034!
(b) Rs.50,000/- (Down payment, at the time of booking).
The frenzy with which people head for this particular temple and do penance(holding their ears with crossed hands and dipping their torsos at the god, many times over - the frequency, I suppose, depends upon the gravity of the devotee's crimes and his/her haste in trying to distance himself/herself away from that despicable act!
God acts as the Damocles' sword as every man is scared about possible retribution, for his misdeeds!!
Tailpiece.
I've the following queries on the information given by the temple authorities:-
(a) How sure are the people who book for the puja - that has a fairly long lead time - that they'd
be alive to live through to see it? ........Must definitely appreciate their positive outlook.
(b) And what's the rationale in collecting money at the time of the booking? Probably, it's to
ensure that the devotee doesn't chicken out and I suppose, the aspect of inflation is sorted
out by collecting the actuals - the difference that is - at the conduct of the puja!
(c) But why don't the temple authorities find out alternate measures that would make it more
meaningful, more realistic?
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