Indra’s Drishtikona (Viewpoint)

Scientific India coexists with Myth Believers

Posted : January 15, 2010 at 10:24 am [IST]

I found all the gates of Shakti Mandir locked. A board declared it closed till around 4 PM because of Sun Eclipse. I am sure many other temples also would have done the same. Many, particularly uneducated Hindus believe the eclipse as phenomenon to occur when the sun or the moon is under attack of Rahu or Ketu. It was Sun and Moon gods who saw the Rakhsha along with other gods in disguise taking the divine nectar, and cut his head away from the body. Both the head and trunk became immortal under the two names Rahu and Ketu, and have been troubling Sun and Moon till date. India has rich literature of the myths, and so are the literatures of other civilizations.

Is it not surprising that the India that discovered zero and many scientific facts much before the developed nations of today and their scientists did, still believes in the myths originated perhaps in some tribal communes? How funny it appears when on one hand ISRO will launch satellites to search answers for some questions regarding solar eclipse, on the other hand Yamuna and millions in India will not take food till the eclipse is over?

Surprisingly, the same temple was decorated with flowers on the New Year. However, even today Sai Temple was open. Perhaps that is the secular temple representing today’s India.

I did chant my mantras bowing in front of the Shakti Temple, as I do every day. And I am not on fast till the eclipse ends. Yamuna used to follow many funny practices. Fortunately, she has shunned them. However, millions in India and many of them highly educated ones too still go by many scientifically silly practices because of superstitions innovated by many of our imaginative ancestors.

However, according to me, all Indians must participate in fighting only two rakhshas of poverty and illiteracy.

- Indra

Category: Religious/Social issues |