The Mata Rani Temple in NFC is considered a rich man’s temple as it charges quite a considerable amount of money from the people who book its premises for prayer meetings to pay respect to their departed souls. Recently, we saw one leaflet from Mata Mandir Management Society on WhatsApp about Nirjala Ekadashi on June 18. The leaflet advertised that sweet water chabeel is being organised outside the mandir. The good part was that it was for a good cause – to serve sweet water to the passersby in this hot summer weather. However, in the leaflet the Gen Secretary requested the devotees to donate rooh afza, milk, sugar ….cash / cheque.
What happened in Nayaganj, Kanpur
An outsider hired a manual rickshaw to go from Nayaganj to Birhana Road (Kanpur). This was during last winters and it was very cold. On the way, the rickshaw puller very politely requested the sawari, “Sir may I get some tea from that alav (a huge wood fire) where many locals were warming themselves in a circle around the wood fire. In no time, the puller brought two tea kullars in hand, with two donas carrying two small samosas and one piece of burfi in both the donas, and he insisted that the sawari also has it. On enquiring…. what it was all about he told that the bhandara was on. The puller further added, “Sir, every year, during winter the merchants’ wing organises this 24/7 high wood fire and tea along with hourly changeover of snacks, now burfi, then kalakand, akora, mathi etc.”
The entire community of that area without any consideration of caste, creed, job, and work, rich or poor makes it their responsibility to make the bhandara a huge success. It looks as if the entire Nayaganj is in a festive mood.
Why can’t a sweet cold-water service be provided in front of Mata Ka Mandir in NFC during summer without requesting for donation or money? Why can’t the mandir committee, local residents, RWAs, market associations, masjid, other societies, and various groups come forward to serve sweet cold water to all the entire stretch of summer on a daily basis. There is a need for change in thinking.
