Kolkata, the cultural city has been attracting and on the first opportunity my wife planned the trip of tour to Kolkata. On 14th Oct. 2011, the very first day of our visit we decided to start from the famous KALI TEMPLE. As soon as my taxi stopped a dozen of people in Dhoti - Kurta and Kurta - Pajama rushed towards us, shouting and offering their services for the DARSHAN of MAA.
One of them was given the acceptance who informed that he would take 21 rupees to help us DARSHAN. This man lead us to a PRASAD shop and handed over to another person. Immediately a basket full of PRASAD was put in the hands of my wife with fast calculation of all the items for rupees 125.
We followed the so called Pandit who lead us to the temple. There he chanted few MANTRAS and demanded 500 rupees for DARSHAN. He was given 51 rupees. He handed over us to the the Pandit on the main gate of MAA KA DARBAR. The Gate-Pandit chanted some MANTRAS and demanded 500 rupees for DAKSHINA. He was also given 51 rupees. Then the Pandit demanded again 500 rupees for BHANDARA.Till then we had already realised the organized cheating and refused to give anything more. By now we had had the DARSHAN.
The Gate - Pandit told to the Pandit who was accompanying us that we were a different SHRADHALU and handed us over to him. (On the main gate there has been kept a big cannister with sacred lamp and intentional blockage at the door to stop the common devotees for normal DARSHAN). The Pandit again took us to another Pandit who again chanted some MANTRAS and demanded 500 rupees for the final DAKSHINA and Bhandara. Realising all this organised looting; making easy victim to the devotess for their faith in religion, some coins of 7 rupees were handed over to that Pandit.
Now we were lead out to the PRASAD shop where we were charged 250 rupees for PRASAD which at the beginning was told of 125 rupees as per my calculations. Later we paid 250 rupees and wanted to come out. The Pandit demanded the final DAKSHINA which was, truly speaking, denied. Chanting Jai Maa Kali we left the place and startede searching our taxi to visit some other place.
Why even the DARSHAN of DEITIES has been commercialised? why the devotees are looted in this way? Why not Temple Trusts and Pandits and Pandas are being monitored by the local governance or the governments? Why not such practices are stopped? Why the DARSHAN of DIETIES are sold?
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