Disclaimer 1: I am not against religion and religious
worship; rather I consider it a personal affair.
Disclaimer 2: I stay at Bangalore,
and this is with reference to Bangalore.
There is nothing wrong in closing eyes before the deity in a
temple and praying for 2-3 seconds. But what if the person who is offering such
prayers is on his two wheeler riding at 30 – 40 kmph? Drivers already have the
risk of potholes, other speeding vehicles, garbage strewn over the road,
footpathless roads, cows, pushcarts and now blind belief.
Blind belief here is in the literal sense – the belief which
blinds you for 2-3 seconds. But the vehicle must have gone forward by about 15
feet by the time the driver comes to senses after his mobile prayer. I wouldn’t
want to travel with such a cab driver. There is no dearth of temples along the
roads and it is a habit of the riders to turn to the direction of the temple,
close their eyes, not caring about fellow riders and pedestrians and risking
their lives.
Well.. may be they believe God(s) would take care of them.