My Autobiography: When we believed in Hoaxes!
I remember two instances during my childhood when people in my area believed in religious hoaxes and they got spread quickly.
One was Lord Ganesha drinking milk. I returned from school one day to find everyone in my apartments talking about Lord Ganesha drinking milk. Believing it, I too went to the nearby Vinayagar Temple (along with my friends) to check it out.
In the Temple, demonstrations were already in full swing. When we went, the pujari was feeding Lord Ganesha with spoons and spoons of milk, and to our awe, the God was drinking it! At least that’s what we thought as the milk was getting emptied quickly from the spoon when it was placed at the end of his trunk.
Later on, in the newspapers they wrote that the milk was actually flowing down behind the statue’s body, hence we couldn’t see. Think about it, the pujaris should have been aware of what was going on — especially since all the milk was flowing down. Instead of telling us the truth, they took full advantage of the situation and (I guess) collected a handsome amount of money from the public on that day.
I know there is nothing illegal about this, but when Pujaris take advantage of such a hoax, won’t people feel betrayed (when they eventually learn the truth)?
I remember another instance where a small Temple was rumored to be shaking. Everyone around my area was talking about it. I too went and saw. The Temple was like a small room covered on three sides with frail walls and it was standing on a large empty ground.
The shake was actually mild and I couldn’t recognize it much. Later we came to know that due to the thin wall and a weak foundation, the Temple (walls) was shaking when there was a strong wind. Talk about taking advantage of (what was actually) a fault!
We were kids, so we believed in these hoaxes. But I find it mysterious on why adults believed in them. Did they really believe or did they think of it as a fun time-pass, especially in those days when ‘Reality TV’ was not existent?
Let me know if you remember any hoaxes that spread around your area, when you were young.
Destination Infinity
Yes, I remember Pullayaar drinking milk.
Oh, the hoax news reached as far as US back then?!
Destination Infinity
I too have feed milk to Ganesha idol and the milk disappears. It is a mystery still for me, and i couldn’t come to a conclusion though i don’t believe in such. Later there was even news that Gandhi statue and cobblers shoe anvil drink milk.
India is not a scientific nation that is reason this happens.
even ministers told to media that they saw statue drinking milk and they also offered milk to god
Pujari’s and their ways…
I too remember the milk incident , I was in Mumbai that time .. and there was chaos.. on streets
Bikram’s
I was in Bhilai at that time.
I thought Hindus can do it. And I started it.
Haha yeah i scoffed upon the the Ganesha milk drinking incident even when I was a child, but that may be because I was raised in such an environment. But yes, you are right – it is weird that adults believed in that rumor. I think all our lives we wait for that one miracle, one sign to show us the divine presence, that we are ready to lap up anything thrown our way, and hence despite logic telling us otherwise, we believe in stuff.
As for other rumors, there was once a rumor that a devil knocked at your door at midnight and if you wrote ” naale baa” meaning ‘Don’t come’ on your doors, he would leave you alone. If not, he would eat you! ROFL
Thanks for mentioning about the new hoax. I am not sure if it’s about hope or fun.
Destination Infinity