corona times 05....It is confusing. Let's light the candle, torch!

Rhea  is now prescient. This goes into the future,

 suit up will be required for a while even after lifting the Lockdown. 

Well done Rhea

I think we all are ready to get into this phase asap.

We can think of the many scenarios that may possibly unwind in the future. more about it later!

I was a bit confused when the virus was called 'maha maari' in an appeal made by the PM to light candles tonight at 9 after switching off other lights. As expected this was ridiculed by many. I am with Sadguru who said "let's just do it to show our solidarity".

There seems to be a problem, it is against opposition dharma, against the belief of rational and irrational intellectuals, atheists and other superior beings who scoff at superstition!

First about my confusion. Maari or mariamman is a powerful deity in south India. It is said it even predates the newer avatars like Rama and Krishna. I wonder why maha (great!) maari is used to describe an epidemic?

I distinctly remember that, after I recovered  from chicken pox, my mother sent me along with Thimma, who stayed with us, to the Mariamma temple near our home, with rice and jaggery(?).    The offering is called 'thampu' -cool.  We are expected to send this offering every summer without fail. In fact, this is my earliest memory of going to a temple. It predates by a few years the Hanuman shrine nearby which we kids adopted and it was a must we go and touch Hanuman's feet after our game of cricket or soccer or whatever.

My guess is there are more devotees of Mariamman, called by other names as well, than any other deity all across rural India. She is surely very important, and even in Bengaluru, her temples are full on appointed days. I have seen mothers wait in queues to place an ailing child at the feet of Mariamman,

Mariamman Temple in Bangkok

It is an old temple,  built in 1879 by Vaithi Padayatchi, a Tamil Hindu immigrant. We used to go with of our friends who would visit this  temple regularly. During Navaratri a chariot with an idol of the deity is taken round the temple. The busy road is closed and many Thais participate. It is said that there are more Thais than Indian devotees now. Yes, our friends, Mrs. Kamala Iyer and Mr. Iyer would sing every week at the temple as long they were in Bangkok.

I wrote this story to urge people not to scoff at the believers, probably it is their only solace. You are lucky if you are more evolved, but please have patience with those who believe differently. It is  known as culture!

By the way Brazil is said to have done this. Also another European country!