In the world of diamonds…….
A recent news coverage on the TV flashed the donation of diamond embedded artificial eyes to Karvirnivasini Goddess Ambabai or Mahalakshmi of Kolhapur. The form of the Goddess was shown in all its glory with her eyes full of compassion – an image that is embedded in memory and so very familiar. Later they adorned her eyes with the diamond cornea and the face of the Goddess glowed with the glitter.
And yet the image suddenly became so very strange as the heart had absorbed the plain eyes that conveyed kindness. Have you ever realized that the people that you have grown up with, you always nurture an image of that youth and even when you meet may be 20 years later it is these memories that flash before your eyes, totally discounting the aging lines of the person that you meet in the present. I exactly got the same disturbed feeling on seeing my Goddess in this new avtar.
Later when I read the news in the newspaper, I realized that the eyes were donated by an ocularist who had obtained a patent for developing the eye jewellery branded as Laser Eye jewellery, in which the lenses can be decorated with precious stones and was to launch it in the market. As a precursor to this venture, he had offered artificial eyes to the Goddess for seeking her blessings.
We all know that wax body parts are placed at the dais of churches like say Mount Mary of Bandra in order to seek the healing. Or for that matter the eyes of the Lord Ballaleshwar Vinayak (one of the Ashta Vinayak deities) are traditionally adorned with diamonds. However the donation of diamond eyes by an ocularist had transformed the Goddess (revered as mother) to a fashion icon to popularize the product. This piece of news tickled my funny bone.
Imagine an optician launching fashion shades in diamond jewellery donating sunglasses or spectacles studded with diamond & rubies to the Goddess. The temple is more than 700 years old and so does the mother now need reading glasses too? She is ageless and beyond the finite. For that matter in the hope that the Goddess more intently listens to the prayers one could donate a hearing aid to her, to be used only when the devotee visits her. Another devotee could donate battery operated bejeweled heart so that it throbs in response to the prayers. One can donate a crystal studded writing pen to be sported by the Goddess to give autographs to the faithful. How would Ambabai look? Sporting sunshades on her eyes, hearing aid on her ears. She is the ultimate symbol of perfection, least requiring these appendages. The list could be endless as one’s imagination can run riot.
While faith has no binds (so the phrase - blind faith) and such donations are manifestations of deep rooted belief, one has to draw a line somewhere. After all faith is not a means of satiating one’s desire for PDA. (public display of affection) or a marketing tool but a simple pious prayer of the heart.
Anagha Hunnurkar
22nd February 2012
A recent news coverage on the TV flashed the donation of diamond embedded artificial eyes to Karvirnivasini Goddess Ambabai or Mahalakshmi of Kolhapur. The form of the Goddess was shown in all its glory with her eyes full of compassion – an image that is embedded in memory and so very familiar. Later they adorned her eyes with the diamond cornea and the face of the Goddess glowed with the glitter.
And yet the image suddenly became so very strange as the heart had absorbed the plain eyes that conveyed kindness. Have you ever realized that the people that you have grown up with, you always nurture an image of that youth and even when you meet may be 20 years later it is these memories that flash before your eyes, totally discounting the aging lines of the person that you meet in the present. I exactly got the same disturbed feeling on seeing my Goddess in this new avtar.
Later when I read the news in the newspaper, I realized that the eyes were donated by an ocularist who had obtained a patent for developing the eye jewellery branded as Laser Eye jewellery, in which the lenses can be decorated with precious stones and was to launch it in the market. As a precursor to this venture, he had offered artificial eyes to the Goddess for seeking her blessings.
We all know that wax body parts are placed at the dais of churches like say Mount Mary of Bandra in order to seek the healing. Or for that matter the eyes of the Lord Ballaleshwar Vinayak (one of the Ashta Vinayak deities) are traditionally adorned with diamonds. However the donation of diamond eyes by an ocularist had transformed the Goddess (revered as mother) to a fashion icon to popularize the product. This piece of news tickled my funny bone.
Imagine an optician launching fashion shades in diamond jewellery donating sunglasses or spectacles studded with diamond & rubies to the Goddess. The temple is more than 700 years old and so does the mother now need reading glasses too? She is ageless and beyond the finite. For that matter in the hope that the Goddess more intently listens to the prayers one could donate a hearing aid to her, to be used only when the devotee visits her. Another devotee could donate battery operated bejeweled heart so that it throbs in response to the prayers. One can donate a crystal studded writing pen to be sported by the Goddess to give autographs to the faithful. How would Ambabai look? Sporting sunshades on her eyes, hearing aid on her ears. She is the ultimate symbol of perfection, least requiring these appendages. The list could be endless as one’s imagination can run riot.
While faith has no binds (so the phrase - blind faith) and such donations are manifestations of deep rooted belief, one has to draw a line somewhere. After all faith is not a means of satiating one’s desire for PDA. (public display of affection) or a marketing tool but a simple pious prayer of the heart.
Anagha Hunnurkar
22nd February 2012
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