Commercial Devotion

If you visit a mandir in India nowadays, you probably will notice priests walking around the halls stopping unassuming NRI devotees and other foreign tourists to offer them deals on enhancing (and often expediting) their spiritual experience. These priests offer personally guided tours of the temple and more importantly, clear a path through a dense crowd of locals for their clients. If you manage to secure a host that is "in the know" or perhaps has an official temple ID card or badge, you may even be escorted to the front of the main altar, where the general public is not allowed to go. Of course, all this special treatment is granted for a fee.

I don't mean to sound negative. I myself participate in commercialized prayer. If I get to choose between (a) getting pushed and shoved while trying to maintain my balance in a crowd of perspiring devotees for an indefinite period of time only to be rushed past the altar which is the main attraction and (b) giving a cash gift to a priest, a worker of God earning modest income, in exchange for a jump in the line to a secluded area where I can pray quietly and peacefully- jolt and perspiration-free, I choose (b). Ultimately, God may weigh the time and effort we invest to come "see" Him/Her in determining our fate; however, God probably also understands the tight schedules of modern day devotees and that paying cash to be closer to Him/Her more quickly is not necessarily evil. It's efficient. The capitalist way. The priest-cum-tour guide wins, the devotee-cum-customer wins, and the rest of the crowd wins as there are now less people for them to compete with on line. It's commercial devotion. And I wouldn't be surprised if the next time I go to India and visit a popular mandir I see hung up all around me pictures of well-known characters from Hindu mythology alongside signs that read:

SPECIAL DARSHAN

Fruit Prasaad, Rs. 250

GOLD DARSHAN

Fruit Prasaad plus Flower Garland, Rs. 500

VIP DARSHAN

Gold Darshan plus Pass to Express Prayer Line, Rs. 1000

PLATINUM DARSHAN

VIP Darshan Upgrade with Personal Kneeling Space, Rs. 2500

BE GOD TODAY

Platinum Darshan Upgrade with Personalized Throne; Milk Bath; 6 Yards Orange Cloth; plus Unlimited Photographs with Temple Priests, Rs. 5000

DRIVE THROUGH/TAKEAWAY in REAR