Friday, April 26, 2013

Half hearted telecast.

I couldn't believe my luck .The sacred dip of processional deity of kallaazhagar in river Vaigai was being shown live on TV [pvt channel--25 .4.13].
Though i have witnessed this  annual religious event that is conducted on Chitra pournami , in person, from the bridge spanning  the river Vaigai in Madurai under scorching sun, it was decades ago and my  fervour for religious  rituals  and interest in them , wasn't, much.

The telecast live on TV followed the procession of the deity on a horse vahanam ,carried on the shoulders of a large posse, for an hour and just as the culmination was at hand  viz-dipping of the deity in the water of the river the telecast was abruptly cut and faces of the technicians was played and the next programme unconnected with the former followed after a spate of ads.

Seething with anger and disappointment ,switched on to another channel .In this the dip was shown but it was blurred and a very very long shot ,that left one guessing as to what was actually happening.

This further  fanned my  frustration.What is the big idea of making one sit for an hour and not show the actual religious act? Is this the effect of Perriyarism/atheism?An half hearted one.If so why isn't the same treatment accorded to the live telecasts of Katrthigai deepam and makra jyothi when the lighting of the sacred fire is shown in entirety?Or is it  a impotent form of selective secularism , a tease,that it may hurt some viewers sentiments[who anyhow will not see it nor would  very very orthodox Hindus who would rather see it in person]  or that viewing such a hoary tradition with aid of only a remote would radicalise the ignorant and the innocents and spawn hordes of Hindu fanatics?..

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