It is an early Tuesday morning. There is a serpentine queue outside the famous
SiddhiVinayaka Temple at Prabhadevi. The devotees have been standing there since
previous night - some of them have walked there barefoot. The shops selling flower
garlands and coconuts open up to another day's brisk business.
These garlands will be taken from the devotees during the 5 minutes they will get to
spend at the Sanctum Sanctorium and they will either be given a garland that has already
been on the idol or a flower to take home. What is the life of a flower or a garland of
flowers for that matter? A day or two maybe - definitely not more than that.
By the end of the day thousands of coconuts will pile up at the temple a sign of the
visitors' devotion despite the fact that every devotee who offers one will be given back
half of it. It takes an imported machine to slice away at these coconuts so that the Prasad
can be prepared for the devotees. Some are turned into sweets but more will get collected
tomorrow and day after tomorrow and the day after that
It is someone's marriage anniversary or perhaps a birthday - an occasion for donating to
the temples. But the donation has to be made to one of the well-known temples or else
how can you talk about it at your next office party or family get-together?
Try asking one of these devotees why they are spending money on buying flowers and
coconuts and chances are that you will receive one of these answers:
Our tradition tells us
to offer flowers at the temples as a gesture of humbleness.
Our tradition also tells us to feed the hungry and help the needy. How far have you
been following it?
It is my way of
expressing my gratitude. I got what I had asked for and this is my way of
repaying back.
Who told you that the good Lord needs only coconuts, flowers or money to repay for
what he gave you? A mere gesture of folded hands can express the same powerfully.
Or how about a resolution to help others in return for the help that you received
from God? Sure, it is more difficult to implement but does not that make it more
sincere?
Hey, I am earning so much and spending on so
many other things, then why not spend some money here at the temple?
Why not donate the money to some worthy cause? Don't you think it will please
God more ?
If everyone starts to
think like this who will pay for the maintenance of the
temple?
Point taken. You can use money alternately for both on one visit to the temple
offer flowers and on the next greet the deity with only your folded hands.
Oh, thank Heavens, at least you don't have
anything against offering of the flowers! Don't you think it might be a big problem for the
temple authorities to dispose of so many flowers and garlands getting
collected daily?
Steps:
1) Donate to the temples that don't enjoy too much of a patronage or a rich
patronage. You can also ask the temple authorities if they need any specific item
or offer to carry out part of the maintenance if your budget so permits.
2) You can make your apartment complex or locality adopt a local small temple.
This will help meet its maintenance costs easily. This way you can also make the
temple authorities keep the accounts open to people. In villages, one of these
temples could well be an old structure with an archeological importance that
needs to be restored.
3) Get information about the community work that the temple might be undertaking.
You can donate to that cause. If they don't have any such activities, maybe your
donation will help kick start it.
4) Please note that there are many organizations that need not only your money but
also your time. They need volunteers. Compile a list of such organizations and put
it up at the temple site so interested people can sign up as volunteers. Remember
that Community Work is a service to God.
5) One of the reasons why cities lack good libraries is the space crunch. Start a
library at the temple premises if there is room available.
6) You can offer your professional services free-of-charge for these small temples.
7) You can put up boards detailing the history of the temple at a small cost.
8) Donate for a water cooler, benches or for planting samplings.
WSD organizes sales of its products like Mugs, T- shirts, Caps, Writing paper, gift tags, envelopes,
Trays, Eco friendly wood free pencils, Jute bags, cloth bags, Bowls, Towels, Dog and Cat collar tags
and Car stickers at various venues.
If you are interested in buying their products, you can call the WSD office
at (022)3733433 or (022)2074275.
You can also donate:
-- beds, medicines, equipment to charity hospitals
-- equipment, firemen's uniforms to local fire brigades
-- lab equipment, old textbooks to colleges
-- money for restoration of heritage or historical structures
Donation should be preferably in the form of such an item that can't be sold easily.
People can visit local hospitals, get a list of needy patients from doctors, talk to the relatives about the medicines needed, purchase and hand over these medicines directly to the relatives so as to avoid their misuse. Local citizen groups can also remain in touch with the hospitals for a list of such patients who need help for medicines.
In case of items like uniforms or hospital beds, the items should be marked with the hospital or institute name so as to prevent their resale.
Feedback :
Please write to us if you have any pointers about:
Suggestions for temple donations.
Information about small temples in need of restoration.
Information about any such efforts carried out in past successful or otherwise.
Any other organizations which need donation in form of items and whose business is
transparent to the public.
