Rituals : Boon, Business or Hypocrisy

A temple/Shrine is a house of the Almighty!!
Nowadays, my heart aches when I just see devotees carrying huge baskets of offerings, chanting the holy names but fail to implement the things mentioned in our scriptures !!!
The best business men nowadays are the priests, only some actually care, rest are just lunatics !! 
Chanting Mantras, terrifying devotees stating your Shani is heavy, mangal is heavy & asking them for huge donations to resolve the issues (though that never gets settled) Eventually the nature does the trick !!!
The worst part is the way they maintain the deities, Bombarding heavy jewelries, stacks of chunri( Red cloth adorned with golden borders), sarees garlands , even fruit garlands. Just try to lay these things on a human, the person would suffocate to death.
The idol is made up of life-less things that's what makes them think to do such shameful acts.
It's not mandatory to have 108 things arranged for worship but in mind one is just cursing other, praying for other's illness, lust etc won't be of any good.
The Almighty is innocent, sweet, adorable. they just carve for true love & devotion. And trust me friends, when you love someone compassionately, knowing no rules, scriptures etc will still lead you to the Lord, the desireless actions which you would perform will be accepted by the almighty.
The only priest who used to cr while doing the aarti was Shree Ramkrsihna Paramhansa who loved Mother Goddess Kali like anything. He used to play, sing, eat food with the Mother Goddess & it was believed that Mother Goddess only use to eat the bhog offered by him. The locals called him mad, but once when Ramakrishna Parmhansa was irate he hit the idol with a sharp object. Immediately blood started flowing from the idol & then & theer people came to know about RamaKrishna's divine interventions were true.

Though, I was not fortunate enough to be born in that era but my heart aches when I see such Kaliyuga dark practices prevailing these days.

Let me tell you an incident which was witnessed by my family.
It was the sixth auspicious day of Chaitra(spring) navratra,  when my dad, mum & younger sister went to pay their obeisance to the mother Goddess Kali. By the time they reached the shrine the door was closed, as it was the time when the goddess is fed in the non & is put to rest ( just like an afternoon nap). Dissapointed, when they were about to leave, the priest opened the door stating " Mayer Dorshon Korben ? ( Want to see the mother goddess ? ) My family was amazed to see the priest gesture, as once the gate is closed it's not open till it's time for the evening aarti. Anyway they all prayed & thanked the priest for the same, the priest tied the holy thread on their hands ( a symbol of protection from evil spirits). When mum tried to offer him some Dakshina( money), he simply refused, that shocked them more,as normally they take & some even demand for more. Still, mum requested him to keep it as a token of love & respect. As they were about to leave he shouted " Tomra Bhog Khabe na ? " ( Won't you eat the Prasshad, food offered to the God/Goddess) They all had Khichuri & thanked the priest for his humble behavior & hospitality. A rare but an enchanting inccident. 
All these things happened in just one day, the same auspicious days of navratra where most of the temples in northern India are filled with devotees, where the priests are either busy entertaining their high-profile clients or are busy hunting the offering baskets. Shameful, I would say.

Moreover some devotees I tell you, I happen to visit Isckon temple on sunday, As it was time for the afternoon aarti we gathered in front of the Lord, A middle-aged lady out of nowhere very abusively stated " Hare Krishna HAre Krishna hatiye hatye" ( Hare Krishna Hare Krishna move) I was like maybe she is looking for something but no she anted to stand first in the row. I was like there is no need to shout mam, please stand here. And the fun begins when the priest throws the flower/garlands so that devotees can bless themselves & keep it with them. All respect, discipline goes down the drain. I simply laugh & help only the poor old aged people who are there just to get a glimpse.

I am religious, but I don't follow any specific rules, scriptures etc. Have plenty of scriptures which I read during the grand Durga-puja, Lakshmi puja but doesn't make them mandatory for my family members. 
At the end of the puja, I request my members to just grab a flower dipped in sandalwood paste( after all the Lord needs the be serve the best as I love them ) & request them to pray & offer their obeisance. 

By this blog, I just want to make the virtual readers aware that, no matter what happens don't fall for superstitions, just keep your faith on the lord. As they will be with you forever. If you make elaborate arrangements for your love that's fine but even a leaf, lighted wick( diya), water, Incense stick & bhog ( Lord's food :  fruit, home cooked dishes avoiding garlic & onion) is sufficient to please the lord. And most important  sanity, if you ever visit Kalkaji temple you will be petrified to see it's situation. Outside it's filled with  garbage & who is responsible for that ? Devotees throwing plastics, garlands, foods etc etc. Why don't they understand they are littering the Almighty's house. Simply donating 1001 rupees & coming back to your own house after doing all the mess, that won't earn you any good fruits.

I wanted to pen down many incidents but for the meantime lets keep it short.

Almighty is omnipresent, try to feel them & offer your true love & devotion for them.

Living "Life"

It may not be a path full of roses, it may seems like the clods are getting darker, your loved ones may turn their backs for you, when all the doors are closed there is only one who will always be with you no matter what happens. The Almighty who has been watching you & is always there to bestow it's mercy on you !! 

No matter what you do there will be some mortals whom you can't please, no matter how much you have given !! Don't crush your self-respect, you are strong, you are the power, no need to be diplomatic !!! Be vocal when things go wrong !!! No need to be diplomatic no matter what the world says you to be. Love yourself first & then seek for love. Try to seek love from the Almighty, as the Love received is pure, innocent & is specially for you. 

I know you might have heard these before but trust me this is something which I have personally experienced. I have loved each & every individual in my life & expected people to be happy with the same, but you know that saying, do your work(Karma) but don't expect the fruits, same goes for Love. Love but don't expect. All we need is patient listening from our loved & dear ones. A warm hug, A shoulder to cry & the eyes which can read your state of mind. 

Try not to throw dirt on others but bloom yourself so that the fragrance can disperse all over the world & snubs down the negativity. Remember, a lotus blooms in a swamp . You don't need to compete wit others. the competition is with yourself. You need to groom yourself everyday. the Almighty is the creator, you are the creation. the Almighty need to mold you into a precious Vessel. The Almighty might remove you from your comfort zone, stroke you to give you beautiful patterns, mold you into a beautiful clay pot just like a pot-maker do, so that you can proudly & divinely bear he love which the Almighty bestows, so that you can also serve the unfortunates & serve them. 
Yes, you have to  be positive, don' think bad for anyone, because you know the saying what goes around, comes around. Greet people with a smile. place you smile on others & trust me it changes the atmosphere. Never stop learning. Try to learn from everyone but positive things only. things will knock you down but surely you will get up everytime with more strength & confidence.

It's your journey, you only know how many milestones you have crossed with your sore, paining feet. No one will feel the pain for you. 
Love everyone, but expect none, change for positive not for diplomacy.
In the end we all know that We don't need a PERFECT life, all we need is a HAPPY life.

Life -a rose or a thorn ?

Another day ends. As I pass thorough the streets towards my place I noticed a small rose sapling uprooted from somewhere & thrown on the road. I picked it up & took it with me. after reaching my place I planted the sapling in small earthen pot. In the morning I watered the sapling though it was a bit crushed & had few leaves left still I was determined that it would survive. Everyday before leaving for work I used to talk to the plant just to give it a moral support. I don't know but that small act became a routine for me. I used to say "Hey buddy, You look better today. I love you. You have to live for me & for my love. You are the bravest of all". And finally the small sapling started to grow & sprouted small leaves. I was so excited that I almost cried. Tears of joy I would say & after couple of months it beared it's first bud. And finally it bloomed. I was on the seventh sky as I was eagerly waited for this day. You know why I am so attached with the plant ? It reminds me of my own life. Crushed, Shattered, Betrayed, Mocked. But still I move on. I have to bloom & bear the fruits so that I can be helpful for someone. Life is not only about satisfying our own greed. We need to be helpful as bringing a smile on others will bring internal peace to yourself. I have learnt that no matter how hard the path is, no matter who leaves you in the middle of the journey & no matter how much sacrifices you have to make in order to reach the paradise where the Lord awaits for you. Speak kind words, help those in needs, spread love &  peace. There will be good days & bad days but the only thing which needs to be constant is our faith & ethics. A rose never blooms alone, though it has thorns on it's stem but the fragrance fills the ambiance with a heavenly feeling. To get the rose one has to feel the pain of the thorn.

The unfortunate MOTHER

Again the eyes were wet today. No matter how much she tries to stop herself not to think about the past but still she breaks down & cry her heart out in silence. The word "Mother" can be defined & quoted in infinite ways. For a woman the stage of Motherhood is very crucial & enchanting. For nine months she hold a life within her & with bone breaking pain she gives birth to her child. The nine months time is crucial for the mother. She has to eat healthy, carry the weight all over & has to stay positive. And all these things are arranged by the father who takes care of the mother & fulfills the promises & the vows which he took on the wedding day. But life is not easy for a woman who has no one in her life, who has been abandoned & moreover has lost her baby during an accident while she was 4 months pregnant. All hopes & dreams came crashing through when Roxy was informed that her baby is no more. She was shattered. She tries to feel the baby bump which is not their anymore. Tears started trickling down from her eyes. When she was discharged from the hospital she straight away went to the church & with tears in her eyes she started arguing with the Lord. " I never complained when I was deprived of love from my parents, I never complained when my friends betrayed me, I never complained when my marriage broke, But today I need an explanation why you took away my baby? You knew that to be a mother was the only good news I ever had in my life but still you didn't felt sorry for me & decided to take away my happiness. I wanted to feel the soft heart beat of my baby, I wanted my baby to hold my hand through it's little fingers. I wanted to see my baby taking it's first step & referring me as Mommy. I wanted to feel the joy of giving birth. But that pain has been substituted by some other pain which can never be healed."  saying this she left the church & from that day onwards Roxy's life changed. She was not the same person again. Just like a robot she managed her  things & feelings. But deep inside she still is tender & caring. She loves going to the park, not because she loves the bright beautiful day, it's because of the kids & family coming there. She loves to see babies been carried by their parents, some of the toddlers are playing with their parents & are throwing their tantrums. She places herself on the park bench & tries to get a glimpse of the toddlers around. She hids her eyes with big sun-glasses so that no one notices the tears once she gets nostalgic. After an hour she leaves the park & visits the church where she speaks to her Lord, the only companion whom she had all through her life & prays for a bright future for all the kids out there.

UNSPOKEN WORDS

It was near evening time when I went to the terrace to water the flower pots. I went to the terrace with my coffee mug & opened the gate. After watering the flower pots I decided to relax & enjoy the coffee. The winter evenings are a bit soothing for me. And whenever I am alone I get drowned in my thoughts & get nostalgic. Sometimes I do wish that someone can get to know what I want to convey or why I am acting so strange ? Some people have the tendency to judge others by their looks, verbal speech, behavior etc. No matter how good you do for them they will still be ungrateful. There has been many instances in my life where I was like that's it I am not going to be nice to them & will take revenge but the very next moment I put on the radio & listens to a song which makes me remember the happy old times just flushes the anger away & the very next moment I am weeping like a toddler. One does feels low when things  are not in your favor, when people creates a false perception on their mind against you, when you have thousands of contacts in your phone-book but still no one calls or text to know whether you are alive or not. Yes, I have been through various instances of life where I have been shattered, exploited, betrayed & crushed. I had some people who promised to be in my happy & sad moments but to be honest I fail to remember any of them who fulfilled their promises. Once I had a face to face conversation with them they said that you are too emotional & sometimes you yourself don't take the first step to communicate. Indeed I was shocked. I was like if I don't go around mocking people, if I don't go to disco & party like them that doesn't mean I don't like to be with you. I never asked you to change for me then why do I need to follow the clauses to be you "FRIEND". When you wanted your needs to be fulfilled I did my best but when I just needed a shoulder to cry why did you ran away ? It's been quite some time sine I have been in touch with anyone. Rarely I go one the social site & upload any status. But still till date I remember each &

every individual in my prayer. I pray for their well-being, those who betrayed me I pray to the Lord to make them wise. with a deep breath I try to come out of the nostalgic feeling & try to get a glimpse of the street from my terrace. Lods of people roaming around. I see a group of people chatting, laughing, sharing hi5 to each other  in a cafe coffee shop. It brings a light smile on my face & suddenly a tear trickles down from my left eye. I turned my face away & looked up at the evening where the North star was visible now. It was the only star visible at that point of time but later on it will be accompanied with the other twinkles as the night will grow on. With the same feeling & hope I close my eyes & wish that someday there will be good times & there will be an individual whom you don't have to explain anything, that person will be able to acknowledge your pain & sorrows through your eyes itself. strange but true ....

Being a LOTUS

Time & situation won't be the same as before neither will people...It's true that nothing will stay for long but life has taught me a very good thing...Whatever be the situation, no matter how rudely people behave or they take for granted just remember you don't have to justify your position because true people will never ask for any justification & will always be with you..Even if you walk alone, just walk, if you want to sit down & cry you can cry, want to sing then just sing or dance as if no one is watching you, Just never lose your charm & morals. Because that whats makes you unique. And just remember no matter who you are, wherever you are, no mater how worse the situation is just remember the Almighty, have faith & be yourself. Try to sympathise, empathise & most important try to bring a smile on others face. For me happiness is not limited to iphone, tablet, bid mansons, gold etc. When a baby hold your finger, when you see the sun rise, when you smell a flower, when you soak your feets in the river, when you play with your pet, when you silently talk to the Lord,  when you enjoy a family dinner, when you see your kid walk for the first time, the joy a kid feels when he/she sees his/her daddy back from the army, they joy of being a mother/father.......all these feelings are just priceless.... I know sometimes it's not at ll easy to stay strong all the time & just fake a smile behind those tears. Sit down, talk to the Lord, tell the Lord about your sorrows, cry, ask for forgiveness. Trust me you will feel a bit light. Your tears can only be valued by the Lord or by someone whom Lord has saved for you.... And no matter what happens don't lose your fragrance . Remember a lotus only blooms in a swamp.....

Shakha & Pola ( Conch Bangle)

Shakha & Pola ( Auspicious Conch Jewellery) : Bengali wedding special:

Shakha & Pola are pairs of conch shell specially Shakha the white bangle is made of conch shell, crafted & polished out of conch. Shakha & Pola are a symbol of a married woman. This custom is most popular in eastern part of India.
In west bengal according to the bengali culture the Shakha & pola has a great significance. Before the actual bengali marriage day in the wee hours of very day, married women perform ritual called Dodhi Mangal in which they soak bangles made with shells in turmeric mixed water. Seven married women put shankha pola into bride’s hands. It symbolizes as seven forms of Goddess. According to the folk stories it is believed that this shankha pola custom belongs to poor fishermen because they can’t afford expensive jewelries. The bride has to wear Pola between Shankha or iron metal bangles. It is said that the iron bangle provides firmity to the relation & helps to balance the positive & negative power.

According to me this custom is another golden page of a married life. Shakha & pola are nature's blessing to the married woman. It's a naturally made shell just needs to be carved with care & patience. The Shakha though seems to be firm may get brittle if handled carelessly. Similarly in a married life the bride needs to make sure that she fulfils her responsibility without losing her charm, sensitivity & morals accompanied with auspicious thinking.
It's not mere a decor item but it's a proud for a married woman.
Traditionally whenever a married woman applied vermilion/sindur on her forehead as a symbol of being married she also applies a little vermillion on the left shakha.
Though nowadays Shakha & pola are quite expensive & not that cheap as it was before but still this wonderful tradition goes on without any hindrance.