“Haven’t you heard? They have built a wonderful temple in Ayodhya!”
Everyone screams about that city these days. It has become the new Jerusalem. A city is only as holy as the blood spilled for it.
But then I decide to go to my rooftop. It may not be holy but at least no blood was spilled for it yet.
I come up to see the eagles, pigeons, squirrels, parrots, plants, and trees. I can even spot a few decent human beings if I am lucky.
“This, This is the only temple I need,” I said.
I sit on the chair and embrace the sun. The warmth of the sun in January seems like god’s embrace.
I looked across the sky to feel at peace but then I saw those saffron flags flying. Each attached to a household. There were more saffron flags than the tricolor. Religious identity has become more important than national identity.
It is precisely for this reason that every major religious group has wanted its own nation in the past. The Hindu nationalists think they are boosting the nation with their temple celebrations but they are dividing it further.
I was feeling a bit suffocated inside the house, and that is why I escaped to the roof, but these days even the skies are not free from ideology.
About the author
Chirag Saxena is the author of ‘Reinventing the Wheel’ and a content marketer by profession. He takes great interest in philosophical questions.