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Offering
liquor to Samshan Baba in Gaya
by Surya Pratap Singh
Gaya:
To many families taking alcohol may be a strict No, No. But in a holy
temple in Gaya, it is the way to appease the deity. Many of the devotees
coming here on various occasions or as a routine, it is a method to protect
oneself from the wrath of the deity and to seek blessings. Others, do
it simply because it is a ritual passed on to them through their ancestors.
"This is the way our forefathers worshipped here, at the Samshan Baba
(Graveyard's Holy Man) and we are merely abiding by what our ancestors'
valued as sacred and right," said Birju Paswan, a devotee who has been
making the rounds of the place ever since he can remember. "We worship
the 'Samshan Baba' here. Along with flowers and other offerings, we also
offer liquor to the holy man in the company of messengers and spirits
who relish such things. So to please the coterie of our deity, we offer
the things that can please him," said Vijay Kumar, a devotee who was visiting
the temple as his one wish materialised. Meanwhile, at a different section
of the the usual items like incense, flowers and sweetmeats are offered
to the main deities, Along with that earthen lamps are lit and hymns sung
to appease the God as mentioned in Hindu scriptures.
-Mar
13, 2006
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