Final Transit: Priyank Thatte’s personal weblog and travelog
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Feb '06
27

Milk down sacred drains

Shivling
Hundreds of liters of milk is wasted daily in offerings to lord Shiva. This figure spikes every Monday, a day supposedly sacred for Shiva. On Mahashivratri day, while devotees celebrate the marriage of God Shiva and Goddess Parvati, this wastage reaches its highest limits. Devotees compete with each other for offering milk, and sometimes as high as one-hundred-one liters of milk is showered on the shivlinga (object symbolizing Shiva).

Many years back, the rumor of ‘milk drinking Ganesha’ saw a squandering of thousands of liters of milk in a single week.

Does God need milk to be pleased? Do we – Hindus in particular – need to squander valuable resources in order to appease the deity with material goods? To me this looks as simple as either:
a. bribing the God (because I want something)
b. fear punishment from God (because I did cheated)
c. incorrect interpretation of religion (It is our duty to feed the God)

I’d rather feed the hungry little boy sitting outside the temple. I’m sure God will prefer that.

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5 Responses to “Milk down sacred drains”. Add Yours

  1. Name matters ? says:

    I completely agree with you. We end up creating a mess at our temples with our such rituals.
    Very few are able to understand the need to be spiritual than be religious.
    Kaun samjhaye aise logon ko ki khuda/bhagwan/isah sab hamare andar hain, bahar nahi !
    Khair, apne ko samajh aaya, ye hi bahut hai ! hai na ?

  2. trisha says:

    so can we do smthng abt it then?since we see? :)u are exceptionally gifted at communication and getting better, maybe u cd think of ways to enable us (like teachers etc) to sensitize people so that such practises doesnt carry on wth this gen? I mean why just think of it n stop there whn u cd do smthng abt it?

  3. Priyank says:

    Name matters:
    I know who you are :P There are few rational people in this world. But I am hopeful that this percentage is increasing…

  4. Priyank says:

    Trisha:
    I think it all depends on the way a child is brought up. If the parents are rational, there is a high chance that the kid will be one too.

  5. trisha says:

    “…hopeful that this percentage is increasing” “…chance that the kid will be one too”"…apne ko samajh aaya, ye hi bahut hai !” my plea to you was: shd it stop there then, until u hv ur baby and bring it up rationally and it writes another blog?

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