Religion is no more a private affair and no more a way of life too. It has become a connotation of few rituals, that too glamorous, expensive and also means of sheer entertainment.On the eve of Ganga Dussehra lakhs of people from all over India reached Haridwar to have holy bath in the river Ganges. People from neighbouring state of Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh drove down to the city by pressing horn more than the accelerator..showing the skills of overtaking and overspeeding apart from the skills of tongue.
When these 'God-fearing' people reach Haridwar, they buy tons of plastic sheets (industrial waste) for seating purposes and when they leave the city they leave their mark by leaving those sheets. Loads of such sheets can be seen in the river Ganges. They buy flowers, they buy fruits and the milk all in plastic bags and when they offer 'Patram-Pushpam' as mark
of respect to River Ganges, they also offer these plastic bags to the holy river as bonus gift. Sometimes I feel like singing- Ram teri Ganga maili ho gayee Bhakton ke paap dhote-dhote...
On the very same day I noticed an ederly couple reaching the banks of this holy river and planting the sapling of Peepal and Pakad. They did not take holy dip in the river, they did not offer fruits, flowers and milk to the Goddess, but what they offered must have been the best offering of the day for the Goddess Ganges.
Why cannot we all practice this kind of rituals on the holy occasions like Ganga Dussehra? Instead of carrying other offerings, if we can carry some plants to plant on the shrinking banks of the rivers or the barren lands of temples, that will be best 'Tarpan' for the forefathers.
Bam-Bam Bholey..Har Har Gange...
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