Faith over reason: Rush to offer deities milk continues

NEW DELHI: The faithful continued to flock temples since the morning as word got around of idols of Hindu dieties drinking milk while scientists ascribed it to soaking
of liquid by dry clay and some leaders on Monday asked people to use reason instead of going by superstition.

Long queues of men, women and children were seen in front of Durga, Shiva and Ganesha temples in several parts of Madhya Pradesh as people offered spoonsful of milk to the idols and many went there out of curiosity. At some places, religious rituals were also performed.

Reports of people witnessing the 'divine event' were recieved from Indore, Ratlam, Mandsaur, Jabalpur, Guna and Gwalior.

"I have personally offered milk to Goddess Durga and similar offerings were made by devotees since last evening," a priest of Bhavani temple in Bhopal said.

People with milk pots also made a beeline for temples in Kanpur. Ram Prasad, priest of a Hanuman temple said they started reaching the temple to offer milk since last night.

The industrial town's Shiva temples, Durga temples, Shani Dev temples and Sanatan Dharma temples were also full.

There was a rush to a temple in Kolkata's Kidderpore area last night to offer milk to Shiva after TV channels beamed reports of the happening.

West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee asked people to go by logic and reason. "It is unfortunate that a large section of the people is still guided by illogical
views," he told reporters when asked about the re-run of the 1995 episode of Ganesh idols drinking milk.