Spell of Miracles : Yeh Hai Indiya!

Believe it or not, miracles do happen in India, and may be in India only. The superstitious minds of majority of Indians defy any scientific logic offered. We have so many deities (33 crores in all for Hindus), and saints and babas that graced this great land in the subsequent era. Some Indians still believe and follows living Godmen that performs live miracles. No one can beat the Indians on spiritualism.

It started a couple of days back with the seawater getting desalinated at Mahim beach in Mumbai. A mass hysteria that followed to collect and drink sweet seawater (though dirty and muddy) lasted for nearly 24 hours. People attributed it to be a miracle of Maqdoom Baba, whose shrine (dargah) is located nearby (in fact in the sea). People flocked to the Mahim beach in Mumbai and happily devoured the muddy sea water. However unhygenic it may be, it had the blessings of baba! All of them will go to the heaven, if there is any.

This news had hardly died down, when another one popped up today as some television channels showed idols of god, appeared to be Lord Krishna, swallowing milk. Similar things happened nearly ten years ago when idols of Lord Ganesha sucked milk. The incident started near Delhi, and ironically, this time too the incident has been reported to be started from places near Delhi. Being the capital of India, God has probably decided to start off at Delhi!

The misery and sufferings has found a refuge in spiritualism and many fellow Indians has so much of spare time to indulge in such banal things. Unfortunately certain section of Indians are exploiting this blind faith in religion, be it Hindus or Muslims. So much so that a temple trust has recently declared its plan to construct a throne made of gold. The Saibaba Sansthan Trust has decided to buy a gold throne weighing 325 kg for the Shirdi saint at a cost of Rs 22 crore . What a monumental waste of money offered by devotees. The idol of Sai Baba in Shirdi temple already sits on a throne made of silver. This has generated so much response against it that even the savior of Hindutva, Sri Balasahab Thackery has also voiced his concern and has questioned the wisdom. Shiv Sena, who often has been in the news for indulging in vandalism on parochial issues, has for the first time since I have ever heard about Bal Thackery or Shiv Sena, taken up a genuine case. The money could have well spent on some charity and can bring smiles many deprived. The Sai Baba, who was a simple men during his lifetime, would have been more pleased this way then sitting on a gold throne.