Why is it that we in India don’t feel a strong need for shrinks, given that our lives are no less stressful, problem-ridden and hectic than in those developed countries where spending time on a psychiatrist’s couch is almost a part of the routine for many people? One obvious answer would be that we have a strong support system in the form of large families. We always have a relative (close or otherwise) to fall back on, in times of need. But, is that all? In my opinion, there’s more to it.
First, we have a large number of gods. Indeed, we get to pick our favourites in times of dire need in order to pour our hearts out to them. We also have different ways of striking deals with them. I personally like to classify these according to the level of difficulty. Let’s start with Easy. This must be a very simple one to perform from the devotee’s part. I would categorise dropping money in the hundi in this level.
Then there is Medium. Sura thengai, sedharu thengai, and archanai would belong in this level. Moving on to the Difficult level, we could include trekking up the Tirupati hill and fasting . All in all, we promise our gods something, as per our means and capability, in exchange for a solution to our problem(s), and continue hoping for the best.
Second, we have a mind-boggling, myriad and complex assortment of astrologers. We could choose a ‘type’ that suits our tastes and beliefs the best. We have kili josiyam, shozhi josiyam, tarot cards, elai josiyam, palm-reading and face-reading, to name just a few. And of course, the more suave and sophisticated among us prefer to get our horoscopes generated by a software and mail it to our personal astrologers, along with our concerns and queries.
Most of these psychics are gifted in that they make sure they have something positive to tell us. “This year is bad for you, as your Rahu dosha is just ending. But not to worry, the next year will be your best!” And the best part is, even if the stars have a particularly bleak future sketched out for us, there are ways to ‘correct’ them by appeasing the responsible gods. Even here, we have a wide range of pariharam processes to choose from, depending on the depth of our pockets!
Last but not the least, there is the most common, and in my opinion easiest, technique employed by the denizens of our land — that of digging into other people’s lives, hoping to rake up juicier grime! Tired of your own problems? No worries – let’s just drop into a friend’s, relative’s or neighbour’s uninvited, ask indelicate questions, give unsolicited advice and thus forget our own troubles, even if only for a short while!
And so, we carry on, hanging onto every tiny ounce of hope we manage to glean, in our very own ways!
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