No matter which caste or community you belong to, your village will have a shrine or a deity dedicated to your family or village deity. If not a temple, there will at least be a sacred spot. Earlier, there used to be priests or devotees from your own community who took care of these places. But find out now, is there still anyone serving there? Try to remember, when was the last time someone from your household offered something at that shrine? It’s possible that years have passed. It’s possible that you haven’t been there for decades. It’s also possible that you have no knowledge about this at all. Isn't it?
When funds are collected for the construction of a temple in the village, we all contribute according to our means. We also give donations for events at the temple. But think back, when was the last time you contributed money for the daily offerings at the temple? Do you remember?
Do you even know whether the priest at your village temple receives any salary? When was the last time you gave money to those saints or priests?
The condition of city temples is relatively fine, but most village temples are gradually becoming empty. In the past, saints used to serve selflessly at these temples. In the era of 'We two, our one,' who is becoming a saint now? So, to manage the temples, priests are being hired instead of saints. But most rural temples do not even have enough income to make proper offerings. Forget about the priest's salary. It's becoming difficult to arrange for maintenance and daily expenses. Now think! Who will take care of them?
If you look around, you will find countless village temples without even a priest. Who will take care of them? We don’t have time. Brahmins have been subjected to so much criticism over the last sixty to seventy years that no one wants to take up priesthood anymore, let alone live in a temple. Those who demand the right to become priests only talk on Facebook; they don't actually want to become priests. If they did, there are thousands of vacant temples, they could have gone to any of them...
Those who left their native villages and settled in cities have lost touch with their family deities, village deities, Kali Mai, Baram Baba. They don’t even have time to look back at those sacred places, and we think we are awakened Hindus.
As much as I understand, sitting in reverence at your village temple for an hour is the best pilgrimage. If you contribute to improving the condition of that small temple, it's like performing a great sacrifice. If our money can provide offerings at the temple even once a month, we can call ourselves awakened Hindus. If you restore a dilapidated temple in your village, if you start the tradition of worship at a village deity’s shrine, that’s equivalent to visiting Badrinath and Kedarnath, my friend!
The drums should also beat at the village temple, sir! God is present there too.
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