Monday, April 9, 2007

MARY OF NAZARETH, MARY MAGDALENE AND ROSARY SALES.

After a weeklong catholic charismatic retreat I reach home by two in the Easter morning. The final service was grand. Priests, deacons, alter boys, singers, organists, light & sound men and many assistants got Jesus rise up from a card board tomb. Crackers, bells, loud speakers, bass boosters and a thousand throats sang Halleluiah for an event which is made a media hype after the real Discovery Channel advanced a controversial project which sought to project The Lord as a married man with a son.
One of the best sellers of recent times had actually made the son live long enough to establish a dynasty, which surpasses the ancient, medieval and modern ages to the present times. The sources of Discovery were kind enough to kill the child and publish a snap of the casket, which supposedly contained the remains thus terminating the dynasty.
Last year a book and before that a film had done thundering business during lent. ‘So why not a feature now?’- thought the most academic of all channels. Both its history and geography could be sold later by the respective outfits. In fact I too had almost typed a project report to make some quick bucks by selling pearl-and-gold rosaries along the ebbs of the fresh waves of interest in Marys – both The Mother and the DaVinci prompted daughter-in-law.
I felt the old lady, Amma or Ma as The Guru’s mother is called, had all chances to win. She had always won. Even during WW-I, the first all-world event of the last century, she did it as indeed in all centuries before. The word ‘won’ is not in Shiv Khera style. She did it as a kind and able middle aged mother. The contrast with the sizzling beauty who walked in flowing whites in a full moon night with an amphora of Nardine perfumes is stark enough. So I decided, Ma, The Mother will win the fight of in-laws.
Rosary is often said to be a weapon against Satan, a horrific personification of all about the world including globalisation. Hence the demand for rosaries will increase many times. The product range is quite short for those who really value their rosaries as all time personal possession. I thought a bit of ornamentation would add attraction and induce personalisation. The prototype, made of pearls I bought in Kathmandu and crafted by traditional jewellers of Kerala became so dear that I decided to donate to the church and started waiting for an opportunity. [That is what Indians do with their dearest things – give away to God] Meantime I lost interest in selling rosaries by Internet and courier service. If any one wants more details, he/she gets free advice.
However the great channels and scrupulous publishers pursue their ideas and the devotees get enough grit to pray on with fervour and they do so, of course with rosaries of lesser make.

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