Yesterday marked the start of the Hindu calendar New Year. I celebrated in the village for the first time. There were sweets, food, music singing, and chanting. After the Gods, and Goddesses are done with offerings, the dead are visited for whom a grave-like structure is raised. Not every person dead is given such respect. This time we visited one such grave of our family member who was born around 200 years back. He had mystical powers. From taming angry elephants to curing ailments, he had shown his powers. People to this day from surrounding villages visit this grave.
It’s hard to believe such things with a rational mind. Probably he knew a few things about medicine which were rare in those days. Would have been good with communication skills.
All I can say is that faith in him is still strong for people in the villages nearby. Society needs faith. Or why would a person do farming in which everything is unpredictable? You like unpredictability. A strong faith is necessary for such a lifestyle.
Plus the poor need not spend a lot to get their wishes fulfilled. Breaking a coconut and offering sugar candies is enough to invoke grace.