Religion : Opium or Inherent belief

C ynics have labelled religion as the opium of the people. The subject of religion is very delicate
and sometimes very contraversial. Contraversy arises when dishonest persons exploit the belief
and trust of the masses.
I have travelled throughout Inida, from north to south and east to west and I am of the firm
opinion that it is the common from rural India who is the torch bearer of the great Hindu religion.
I'll relate just two incidents that I witnessed during my visit to Kedarnath in May 2007. Kedarnath
Temple and the adjoining mountains were covered with snow. I had put up at a hotel near the
temple along with an old friend. After keeping our luggage in the room we stepped out in the balcony. What we saw stunned us. Se veral people, men and women, were walking through the
snow and slush in simple slippers without any socks. The men wore ordinary dhotis and shirts with
a very ordinary shawl wrapped around them. The dhoti was pulled upto their knees. The women
too had on ordinary sarees and thin shawls. We stood on the verandah well protected from the
cold wearing woollen cap, jacket, thick trousers and thick shoes. You know where the difference
lay - we were visitors and they were piligrims.
The second incident on the same trip occured a day later on the way to Gangotri from
Gourikund.. We saw a tall slim girl carrying an old man on her back. Her feet was bare. She was
taking the old man for a darshan of Lord Shiva. In my heart she was Lord Shiva in the guise
of a maiden.


JK Ghosh