Blind Culture

Culture is created

For the past many decades evolution in culture is stirring and we the individuals of the society hardly perceive the transformation. Many rituals, customs and traditions have under gone change without our knowledge. We have adopted many foreign cultures, as we live in a society where people belong to different caste, religion, language and so on. People never realize the actuality or the inner importance hidden in the culture. We are all blind believers, blindly following what our parents and ancestors passed on.

  Realization and questioning the traditions and customs simply means you are not a true supporter. It’s always tolerable to bring change but never acceptable to answer the quires hidden in them, as the present generation are badly informed about what they actually meant. People are impolite if questioned about that they are doing? The answer which we get is; this is how we need to do and no more questions. The current impolite and erroneous approach will never supply fresh nutrients to the culture rather adds poison which eats it from the roots. Adults and elderly individuals simply pass on what they know or learnt or herd. Its completely wrong. I have a very good example to quote here.

In India we celebrate Pongal in the month of January, it is celebrated by the framers( farming community); who offer their first harvest to the sun god and lord Indira such as Sugar cane, turmeric and  rice. It is celebrated for  4 days. Ist day it’s the Bhogi festival, Second day is Thai Pongal; the Third day is called Mattu Pongal; the Fourth day it is called Kaanu Pongal. During this month unmarried girls observe penance for the prosperity of the agricultural crops they restrain themselves from having dairy products and do not oil their hair for the whole month. Cattle’s are considered as god and they are fed with delicious food. Old objects are discarded and burnt to welcome new items. This was how it was done before, but now we do not depend on farming. We live in cities and consume food produced by farmers and well packed food from food processing industries. Still we celebrate Pongal that too in a new and convenient way; instead of providing freshly harvested rice and sprouts, we simply provide the rice that we consume which is old; just for their satisfaction people worship sun god and offer sweet desert which is made of rice, dal and jaggery . People never accept this, still they argue it’s our custom and tradition, we have to celebrate. People instead to discarding old things they  burn old files, newspapers and other discarded things.

In India Cow is considered to be sacred and is regarded as god, but yet few of the Hindu community worship as well slaughter and eat cow. Does it make any sense?

On the other hand decorating  the entrance of the house with Rangoli is considered as invitation to goddess lakshmi who brings prosperity and richness .With freshly ground rice power were various  hues are mixed to it; are laid on the floor in geometric patterns and shapes. During olden days the houses were built with mud and hay and doors were made of palm leaves, it was not easy to keep the ants away from consuming the food items, so people began laying grounded rice powder outside the house to prevent ants from eating the prepared food, the freshly powdered rice has sweet taste and that attracted ants. But what are we doing now, draw random designs using chalk!

 To prevent bacteria and other infections from entering the house people began washing their hands and legs before entering the house; they also applied turmeric in the entrance to stop the entry of microorganisms, as it has antibacterial properties. But now people paint the entrance with yellow paint, what does it has to do with antibacterial properties as that of turmeric? We blindly follow these customs and traditions and we do it for the sake of doing.

Here I have quoted very few examples but there are many which needs clarification and attention.

We are losing our culture; ignorance and lack of awareness is the greatest curse for the existing customs and traditions. Let’s not lose the value of our culture; comprehend and wipe away the ignorance to shed light to future generations and to preserve its worth.