The Business of Bhakthi
The Bhakti tradition in India has seen a renaissance in the last few decades. With the rise in the Bhakti and pujas, the conduct of ancient Vedic rituals like Soma Yagams have declined to almost zero.
Most Puja rooms in our grandparents times were simple rooms with a few pictures of Gods/Goddesses, the oil lamp, the kolam or rangoli with home grown flowers and fruits and the food cooked at home being offered as neivedhyam. There was no room for ostentation. There was an emphasis on personal hygiene (madi/acharam), simplicity and individual practice/ritual be it Shiva Puja to the Saligramam or daily prayers.
With the rise in material prosperity, the temples became yet another way to display wealth especially by families who came into wealth recently - be it as the 1008 prasadams, manicured lawns, silk clothes and jewelry to the Gods/Goddesses, the many change in ensembles(Alankarams) to the Gods with fruits, vegetables, savouries etc. And the annual ustavams/functions with many lights, flowers, fire crackers, food varieties and pomp. And competition among the organizers. The Ganesha Jayanti celebrations in Mumbai, Durga Puja in Calcutta, Garba in Gujarat and even Shashta Preethis have all become bigger, grander. The increase in pomp and show has coincided with a decrease in rituals. Somehow more Big morphed into more Bhatki!
At homes, the interior decorators added bells and mandapams/platforms, antique became the new fad!There is a surge in the number of dolls arranged in Kolus during Navaratri, firecrackers during Deepavali, number of oil lamps, number of silk sarees, jewelry, sweets, thamboolam gift packs,.. good business all around for every one! Even the Rudraksha beads have not been spared from ostentation! A good deal of plastic pollution, environmental degradation as well!
Yet, the number of homams, Yagams are almost nil. The more we bought for the Lords, the less time and energy we spent on Vedas. The more chants and bhajans we did, the less we thought of Vedic chants intoned with the right diction! The more devoted we became, the less we are thinking of world welfare - be it pollution, degradation of forests and animal welfare.
Even in devotion, we have brought in business! We have moved outwards instead of inward. And this ancient Sanatana Dharma will become yet another Bhakti laden fanatic religion, (if it hasn't already ) if we don't bring back the Vedic rituals.
What can we do, you may say? Let us eschew ostentation for authenticity. Devotees can insist on conduct of homams, Maha Rudrams, Ati Rudrams and Soma Yagams - Veda centered - during temple utsavams or annually. At homes, homams can be performed. We can buy less on God's gifts and spend more on Veda Patashalas. The same amount ear marked for offering can be used for the sustenance and rejuvenation of the Veda.
Periyava Thunai