Rituals are defined as “a religious or solemn ceremony consisting of a series of actions performed according to a prescribed order”. Rituals are mostly rooted in traditions and blindly followed these days without a second thought.
In my opinion, with the passage of time, the amount of influence of rituals has drastically reduced and today, they are just practised as an ordinary thing, with the least amount of faith and sincerity but with more pomp and ‘time pass’.
Just take the example of a wedding function, which earlier was more about religious rituals and a small family gathering, and has now turned out to be an opportunity for showing off money, wedding photos, grand food, wedding reception, wearing expensive clothes etc.
People hardly give importance to the ritual part, it is just to satisfy the need of the society. At the same time, people spend time talking to each other, clicking pictures and selfies. There are a varied set of people who attend marriages or religious festivals just to enjoy free food. At the end of the day, some of these marriages end up in divorce.
According to me, there are three different types of people who practice religion.
The first type which is interested, and practice with utmost sincerity. Religion is life for them.
The second set which is not at all interested but is forced to follow it because they are born into it because of parental pressure, societal pressure, etc. They follow it but they are not sincere in what they are doing.
The third type which doesn’t really care, nor is interested in it but does it to show people that they are religious. They follow it, spend time and money on it without a second thought.
Being an atheist is apparently a myth in India. You are somewhat glued to the idea of faith. At least your parents will be following a religion, you will have a religious name but you don’t believe in God.
Many of the youth fall into this category. The same person despite being an atheist, wish to take the privileges you get in society, like reservation and says that “I don’t believe in God, religion or caste”.
Rituals these days are a mere photo op. The rich people who put lakhs of rupees for big temple festivals, festival parties etc. don’t even think twice before spending this much money.
They may not even know the benefits of the ritual or why it is done but will reply that it is for their well being of his family and society. You may ask them if they will get something in return and they won’t have a proper response but will reply that it’s all about faith.
The same people cry for the money they pay as tax to the government and why its benefits are not returned to them. These are self-centred, selfish people who don’t care about anyone but themselves and their families.
They could have spent the money for charity. But they won’t, because there is no benefit in it for them. All they want is name and fame. The amount of money they wasted in the ritual is not going into the hands of God but to the temple management’s coffers. It’s just a business these days.
No one needs faith. If you have some money and you are ready to spend it, then the faith is yours, God is yours. The money you spend here must be peanuts for you but not for the majority of your countrymen.
The amount of money the government spends on Kumbh Mela and as Hajj subsidy is immense. The priorities of the government are misplaced. Now, people want to build a mandir or a masjid in a disputed land with taxpayers money.
This is the situation we have landed in. The same money could have been spent elsewhere. The government is more sincere to get votes than to work for the common man.
What’s the point of doing a ritual if you have no belief in it? Why follow a religion because you’re just forced into it? Such actions don’t have any benefit. You are just wasting your time, energy and money.
Whatever you do in your life, you need to have faith and sincerity in it. Religion is just one of them. Who are we showing ourselves because being spiritual and going for the pilgrimage is the new fashion? This idea is totally false.
One main issue people point out is that they are born into the wrong religion. They follow it because they’re born into it and not because they’re genuinely interested in it. The freedom of what to do should be left to the follower, even the option of whether to follow a religion or not. There are many countries where being an atheist is a crime. India is not one of them, but there is no special privilege for you if you are one.
You are free to follow whatever faith, religion, ritual etc you want. Please don’t take away others’ freedom using yours. If you’re genuinely interested and sincere, continue or else leave. Just like people who leave jobs, if they can’t handle it. Just understand that God is not going to measure your faith in the amount of money you donate or the number of lamps/candles you light.
Even a single rupee or a single lamp with utmost sincerity is worth more than lakhs of rupees you are going to donate without any sincerity. You don’t even have to visit Mecca, or Varanasi or the Vatican to get God’s blessings. You just need to close your eyes and believe in the fact that God is everywhere and he is listening to you.
He doesn’t differentiate between the person who worships in a home or at holy shrine and between a rich and poor person. If you’re an atheist, please don’t waste your time convincing your religious friend Why God doesn’t exist.
My problem with the rituals is that they may have been made with good intention, but blindly following it without knowing the reason is not justified. Most of them are highly discriminatory against lower caste, poor, less privileged and up to some extent women. Some cause immense pain and stress to the person.
The rituals in the modern era are now just a business. If you have the money, you’re the best. A lot of rituals have now lost their relevance and are now just counterproductive.
Take the example of river Ganga, which is polluted and you immerse offerings, dead bodies, etc in addition to industrial waste. Jewish and Islamic laws certify religious circumcision of children. Another example is a ritual practised in South Karnataka, where people roll over the leftover food eaten.
Thankfully, it was banned by the religious leaders. Imagine the distress of the person who is doing this. Forcing people to follow rituals doesn’t hold it’s true value. Do practice rituals if you believe in them, at home or with family. You don’t have to spend a big amount. The effect is the same. If you want to spend money on the welfare of society, do charity, build a school or hospital. Most of the religions have not gone through updates. Practices have often stayed the same.
Freedom is the best privilege you can enjoy. In someone else’s satisfaction, lies your happiness. Follow the liberal principles like live and let live. Don’t impose your belief, faith, culture on someone else nor force anyone. Understand that you are not alone in this world and you were not asked before you were born, how you want to be.