My Vitthal

There was never a single time when I missed fasting on either of Ashadhi or Kartiki Ekadashi when I was home. The reason was that I did not have an option to.

Still remember how I used to cherish eating different type of food on those days.

I never believed in just one religion, always tried not to contain my beliefs - of course backed by my cosmopolitan upbringing.

For me, it's always been difficult to believe in something I have never seen, I have always been one of those people who needed physical/material proof to trust something.

For the same reason, when I see People believing in God, the only feeling that engulfs me that of Respect! Sheer Respect!

I read, see, hear about Warkaris traveling don't-know-how-many miles to see Vitthal-Rakhumai on the holy day; they walk, they dance, they sing, they chant without caring for heat/rains/meals. What in the world gives them the strength & will to do all that?

Looking at them makes me proud & humble at the same time. 

As said by the great Saint Tukaram: "The god resides in Bhakti (beliefs), not Murti (stone/statues)". 

For me too, I see my Vitthal in all these people!

Observing fast on this day has just got a whole new meaning for me :-)

देव दिसे ठायी ठायी
भक्त लीन भक्तापायी ...
सुखालागि आला या हो
आनंदाचा पूर ...
 

अवघे गरजे पंढरपूर
चालला नामाचा गजर ...

P.S. Dedicated to my Mom & every Believer I know

Give us our God back!

It disturbs me when someone tells me what to do and what not to. It might be because of my very understanding parents – the way they gave all the freedom I ever wanted – teaching me how to utilize that freedom and not get carried away!

It disturbed me last week when I read about some heinous acts committed – by people – under the name of God, religion, caste.

Iran orders stoning Mother of two

North India Vs Couples in Love

Yet another honor killing

It made me remember the incident happened last month – when I was asked to wrap a Dhoti around my waist since I was wearing shorts to be ‘BLESSED’ with the Deity’s Darshan (visit the God). Aren’t my legs a part of my body which is GIFTED by that god? Why would this God (or people who TRUST in him) feel uncomfortable with what I was wearing? (I agree to expect the existence of a civilized society where you can’t move around naked but this was so Talibanisque)

Taliban is not alone – we have many Talibans all around us. Women are beaten to death for infidelity, loving someone from another religion. It’s not just Pakistan or Afghanistan – it’s all over India – North India kills people for marrying outside the caste while South India beats girls for visiting pubs, wearing short clothes.

It’s not just the Muslims who suffer. Many Temples in India still disallow pregnant women, women going through their periods, people from so-called ‘Lower’ castes. Why do we take this crap? What type of GOD and what type of Religion denies people?

Why are these people lowering the stature of OUR gods?

Is Allah so small that he’s affected by a cartoon on him in a Danish newspaper? Is Ambedkar shallow to be dishonored by some idiot puts cow dung on his statue? Or is Krishna a petite existence that’s insulted by someone marrying out of caste/religion?

How are we belittling our Gods? Why in the world these fanatics can’t think that they are the ones who’re RESTRICTING something as big as GOD!!

Is it forgotten that God is above everything else? No human action can ever affect it.

Why is it that only fraction of crazy people dominate our societies, our religions? It’s because WE bow down to them, it’s we who surrender. It’s us who get suffocated in narrow-minded limits!

For that matter – all the revolutions have happened when WE fought for our rights, when majority fought & won against minority. Isn’t it time we fight to get our God/Religion back?