From temples to upscale neighbourhoods, Indians show extraordinary tolerance to filth
Mahatma gandhi wrote that when he visited the famous Kashi Vishvanath temple in Varanasi, he was "deeply pained", He described how the approach to one of the most holy sites in Hinduism was through a narrow and flithy lane, swarming with files, gutters overflowing, and rotten and stinking flowers were piled up within the preciencts of the temple. That was in 1928.
I visited the Vishvanath temple some months ago, and i can vouch that,in terms of our tolerance to filth, nothing has changed. The 'galis', narrow alleywalls, are as dirty. There was garbage piled everywhere. A short spell of rain has caused flooding, and filth abd excreta flaoted around . A dead dog lay to the side of one alleyway, even as busy shopkeepers, tea stalls and paan-wallahs carried on their trade as though nothing was wrong.
Only recently, i also visited the Jagannath temple at Puri. This too is one of the most important 'tirthas'. Plastic and filth and empty containers of prasad were strewn all around. Huge swarms of flies hovered over the food being cooked for devotees. Cockroaches could be seen on the ornate garlands on sale for offering at the sanctum sanctorum.
What explains our extraordinary tolerance to filth? At an individual level we are consumed with 'purity'.
Families will keep their own homes spick and span and throw the garbage on the streets because that is public domain,somebody else's concern. A pious hindu will take a dip un the ganga totally unaffected by the garbage on and around the bathing ghat, and the polluted state of the river itself.
Ghandi jii believed that cleanliness is next to godiness . A clean body , he said cannot reside in an unclean city. PM modi has also said "Pehla Shauchalaya, phir devalaya". First toilets, then temples. The message is the same. But are indians willing to understand that an unhygienic nation can never become a superpower.?
