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To me, devotion has never been about pleasing God. God is not the destination.
I am not a devout person in the conventional sense of the word. My understanding of the various religious rituals is pretty rudimentary. Not something to be proud of I know.. but also not something that bothers me in any way. I do believe in God. I do pray. But in my own way, much to the chagrin of those who expect others to believe in their beliefs. But, doesn’t that go against the very definition of faith? It has to be personal, it cannot be generalized. Fortunately, most understand and there is a mutual respect for each other’s ideologies when it comes to Almighty.
Over the years, I have sincerely endeavored to make myself more aware about religion and the rationale behind different thought processes. This has indubitably enlightened me and also made me more accepting, more appreciative and certainly more considerate towards conflicting beliefs. What I have come to recognise is that ultimately it is all about establishing that “connection” with the Supreme. Sometimes, it can happen within the confines of the bedroom. Sometimes, it can happen because of the aura of a holy shrine. Sometimes, it can happen in the lap of nature. And sometimes, one may not feel the need to establish that connection at all.
To me, devotion has never been about pleasing God. God is not the destination. Had it been so, atheists would have gone astray which is not true in any way. God is the means. God is the path through which I find strength to introspect, to submit, to find peace and to tap the reservoir within which lies dormant at times due to the daily grind of life. The last time I had felt so deeply lost in sublime reverence was at Golden Temple. The temple was thronged with devotees, yet there was no pushing around or attempts to get in the way of others. Because, each one present there had surrendered to the divine power inside them. I could feel the spiritual connection. I felt vulnerable. I felt powerful. I met myself – my raw and unmasked self.
Call it soul-searching or worship, but I exited from the temple premises a different person – more cognizant of myself, more clear-sighted and perhaps a tad more grounded.
Image via Pixabay
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Shows like Indian Matchmaking only further the argument that women must adhere to social norms without being allowed to follow their hearts.
When Netflix announced that Indian Matchmaking (2020-present) would be renewed for a second season, many of us hoped for the makers of the show to take all the criticism they faced seriously. That is definitely not the case because the show still continues to celebrate regressive patriarchal values.
Here are a few of the gendered notions that the show propagates.
A mediocre man can give himself a 9.5/10 and call himself ‘the world’s most eligible bachelor’, but an independent and successful woman must be happy with receiving just 60-70% of what she feels she deserves.
At one point, she confesses to her mother that the beatings are no longer physical, they have started affecting her mentally as well, and she wants to break free of this cycle of abuse.
Trigger Warning: This deals with domestic violence and may be triggering for survivors.
I recently watched Darlings on Netflix. It’s a quirky, dark satire featuring the dynamite duo of Alia Bhatt and Shefali Shah. The movie depicts domestic violence and the psychology of abuse.
Even though the subject matter is dark, there are light moments and humour, which make it immensely watchable. It stands out for its powerhouse performances and unique storyline.