I live in Kolkata and one of the major festivals of the people living
in here is the Durga Puja. Its a festival celebrated for five days and
the people go for pandal hopping day and night these five days to see
the various pandals and idols made on a variety of themes. And, I was no
exception.
But, as I moved about along with my companions I noticed people giving money in honor of the Gods in glass boxes kept in the pandals for this purpose and a thought struck me. Are we big enough to give money to the Gods? Gods are believed to be the most powerful forces in the universe and man is just an creation of the God just like the earth and all other things, only blessed with a soul. Then how can human being which is so small in contrast to the universe have the audacity to donate money towards God?
Whenever we give money to someone, we may not tell it in words, but subconsciously it is understood that we are greater than them in terms of money, power, position or whatsoever. So do we convey that we are
greater than God when we donate money towards God?
However, by all these I don't mean to say that you should not donate money towards the trust or foundation which are organising the puja. Don't get me wrong. I am just saying that if you really want to donate some money towards the organisation it should be done at a corner and not at the centre. The donation box should be kept at a side where people would donate if they wanted to. But it is never done. The donation box is always kept at the centre in front of the Goddess and whenever you give some money over there it seems that you are giving money to the God.
But, as I moved about along with my companions I noticed people giving money in honor of the Gods in glass boxes kept in the pandals for this purpose and a thought struck me. Are we big enough to give money to the Gods? Gods are believed to be the most powerful forces in the universe and man is just an creation of the God just like the earth and all other things, only blessed with a soul. Then how can human being which is so small in contrast to the universe have the audacity to donate money towards God?
Whenever we give money to someone, we may not tell it in words, but subconsciously it is understood that we are greater than them in terms of money, power, position or whatsoever. So do we convey that we are
greater than God when we donate money towards God?
However, by all these I don't mean to say that you should not donate money towards the trust or foundation which are organising the puja. Don't get me wrong. I am just saying that if you really want to donate some money towards the organisation it should be done at a corner and not at the centre. The donation box should be kept at a side where people would donate if they wanted to. But it is never done. The donation box is always kept at the centre in front of the Goddess and whenever you give some money over there it seems that you are giving money to the God.
