The other day, I was watching a video of my nephew’s naming ceremony happening at Baltimore. All was fine but for the way the priest was reciting the mantras. I bet I could recite it better than him! It makes me think at times, how pathetic todays religious system in India is. Everything boils down to money! I very much know how important liquid cash is, but then one is at least supposed to do justice to what he’s doing. I’ve seen quite a few ceremonies happening at my own house . Years before, I remember pujas were performed in depth and at times lasted till the evening. But now it’s all done in a just an hour.The pujari gets a zillion calls amidst the ritual and he attends it with all pleasure handing over the reins to his secretary (I really don’t mind using that word).

I learnt the vedas for almost a year and I really did enjoy reading it. This was during my first year of engineering. What I was interested then was not in what I was saying, it was the way in which it was recited that lured me to it. The rhythmic rise and fall of the sloka with regulated breath and the chorus that reverberated through the room was just heavenly. I was and am still an Atheist. But still I did try to find the meaning of what I was actually reciting. The Guru’s reply was this, some things are just not to be understood or are beyond comprehension. Something that I still cannot digest! The only reason I respect him is for his mastery over the recital of the slokas and the way he expresses it.

There’s always a fine line between Doing what one believes in and Believing what one’s doing. It’s a matter of how you take it. It’s been almost seven years that I haven’t been to a place of worship. I see no reason why I have to. Even if I’ve been, when compelled by a couple of my friends, I’ve experienced no sense of relaxed atmosphere in the ambience. In fact there’s not one moment in the last seven years that I really felt like going to the place for clearing my conscience or relieving my tensions.

What I don’t understand is if people believe so much in rushing to a temple to relax and pray before pushing off to their office; doing that ceremonious action with their hands when they come across a religious place while travelling in a vehicle or just drop by once a while, why don’t they do it the way the seers claim it has to be done? And if you tell me time is the factor. Please.. give me a break! If I though being an atheist, can recite a few slokas much better than quite a few people; can find time to ( if I want to that is!) go to spend some quality time at the place, why can’t you spend some time to do things the way it is to be righteously done?

P.S: These are just my thoughts and I have no intentions to hurt your religious sentiments. In no way am I trying to influence the way you think or trying to put someone down or some religion down. It’s the least of my business to do it!