Archive for October 25th, 2007
Spirits and pumpkins
No matter how scientific a society we become, we will always remain fastened believers. I am assured of this when I look around myself on the day of Ayudha puja. Cars with microchip controlled fuel injection to give us smoother rides and airbags to safe guard us, trucks with the latest inter cooler technology, laptops with the latest quad core chip to help us be mobile etc. are all decked up with garlands and other paraphernalia associated with festivities in India. I wouldn’t be surprised if some scientific laboratories across the country too invoke the blessings of Gods and Goddesses on this day.
My company is reputed to be a pioneer in its field and is known for its emphasis on process to eliminate uncertainty. Well, it seems that even robust processes need God’s intervention; the office was completely decked up on the auspicious day last week.
A practice widely adopted on this day is to do puja of the office/ vehicle/ equipment with an unripe pumpkin and thereafter smash the same on a walkway where a lot of people would walk. The belief is that the evil spirits are passed on to the pumpkin and from there on to the passers by who step over it.
Well, what I noticed last week at my office was ironical in many ways than one. After the puja was done, the pumpkin was smashed right on the steps of the building. Now, what this essentially meant was the evil spirits were passed on to the employees walking out!
Now, how can the firm do well if its employees are haunted by evil spirits?!!!!
