Our country has gone to GODS!

I don't think Ganesha would be too happy with all of us... for polluting the rivers in his name. Year after year, putting POP down the lakes. Saying Ganpati Bappa Morya, and adding chemicals to the water-bodies.  He never asked for it. No God ever asked for it.

Today I was walking down a road which has a huge Ganesha temple at the corner. The biggest rangoli I have ever seen, the most beautiful idol, that agarbatti smell, the garlands... and the devotees immersed in a BRAWL! One of them holding the other’s neck, shoving him to the temple wall, calling him names...

Many a times I wonder if we actually fear God. We keep our phones on silent during a meeting with our boss, but attend calls in a temple. We build temple to encroach a land and then keep expanding it, because we know no authority would dare touch it.

We remember Him in trouble and forget Him as soon as we are out of it. We pray hard during exams and an hour before the result, but we would rather watch a movie during our holidays. When we are left with nothing, we leave it to Him.

We pollute His land on Holi, His air on Diwali and His water on Chaturthi, and we USE Him in doing all this.

You say it’s all written in the puranas. But can you tell me even one line from the same puranas which makes you do all that you actually end up doing on these festivals? They say Parvati created Ganesha from sandalwood paste. But did Parvati also ask you to create him every year from Plaster of Paris, paint him with some chemicals and immerse him in water? Ram returned to Ayodhya after 14 years of vanavas. But did Ram ask you to blow up thousands on useless firecrackers for his feat? When Prahlad sat on the pyre and Holika burnt instead, did he also ask you to burn trees each year and give the Earth a colourful chemical bath the next day?

God has become a commodity these days. Man uses it to take holidays, to enjoy, to blame, to kill, to hate. Seriously, God looks like the most pitiable personality I have come across.

But God, please don’t worry. Not everybody is that bad. Not everybody is trying to ruin your creation. In fact, some of those great souls have taught me the good lesson too.

My Ganesha is only clay. I double-checked. No colours added. And by God, it looks so beautiful! Even Parvati would be proud of it!!

I haven’t burnt any crackers for ten years now, ever since I took that oath in class 9^th. Yes, I stuck to it. Last year, I bought two sarees for my maid’s daughters for the same amount that an average Delhite burns on a Diwali night. She was so happy. Told me the elder one wore it at her graduation.

I don’t play Holi even if they keep asking me. They tried to drag me into the mess this year, but I am strong, you know.

God, I am on your side. Not only because I fear you, but also because I love you and respect you a lot. I know you painstakingly created the world where I live. I know how much it hurts when someone puts a minor scratch on my car. And look at you... they are putting major scratches on your model every day, every minute, every second! From my side, I can assure you I won’t add to your miseries. Promise. I don’t know about others though.