Billi raasta kaat gayi

I hear these superstitious things everywhere, and it irritates me to the core. I don't understand, that how one's day will be spoiled because a black cat crossed their way. This is only one of the millions of superstitious beliefs that exist in the minds of people around us. It seriously leaves me amazed. I always ask my mom that why do we believe in all this, she asks me to shut my mouth and do as said, because, even she doesn't know the answer to this question. Even she would have been asking this question from her mother since childhood, and her mother would have been giving the same answer.

Recently, my grandfather passed away, thirteen days of rituals were performed, in which thousands of rupees must have been spent. And when I asked my grandmother, why are we doing it, she said " so that his soul rests in peace". I wonder how would his soul rest in peace, when his sons are spending hard earned money on performing rituals for thirteen whole days, serving lunch to relatives, feeding the pandits, paying them high "Dakshinas" for uttering the mantras and other things that I don't understand. And, this doesn't end in thirteen days. Some 21 pandits were served after the completion of one month, and a hawan was performed after the completion of 3 months. I don't see any logic behind all these ceremonies and rituals. The one who has passed away, his deeds will decide whether his soul rests in peace or goes to heaven or whatever happens after death. The mourn of his loss should be in our hearts. Feeding the poor is also a very good deed in his remembrance. But, why these absurd rituals?

We go to the temple, we pray to the god, we respect him, we have faith in him. Very fine. But, people also create strange beliefs related to god. First of all, monday- shiv ji's day, tuesday-hanuman ji's day, thursday- sai baba and so on.. If the creators of these beliefs were dedicated enough, then they would have considered each day as god's special day. People flock together at the hanuman temple on tuesday, sai baba temple on thursday and so on. They believe that, if you will go to hanuman temple on tuesday, he will listen faster.
I believe, if you actually have faith in him, every day is tuesday for you. Why wait for tuesday to visit the temple? Go whenever you feel like, go whenever you seek god. It may be everyday, once a week, or once a month, any day of the week, any date.

Recently, solar eclipse was seen. Ten days before it, and the news channels had these baba's, the fortune tellers predicting how one's life will be affected by the solar eclipse according to their sunsign. Strange, very strange it is. And on the top of that, they suggest ways to overcome these negative effects. Most of these ways include filling the pockets of pandits and baba's like him.
God is within us, we ought to have faith in him. Our life is in our hands. We make our own destiny, not these baba's and pandits.

You all must have been watching the serial balika vadhu on TV. It shows hardcore reality. It still exists, the life of widows and young girls are miserable in villages, and even in cities. I strongly disapprove of these superstitions and many others, that exist in our society. These are simply creations of people's own minds and have been followed through generations. Its YOUNGISTAN now, and we can liberate our society from the shackles of these beliefs which do not let people live freely.