03-25-2007, 09:34 PM
<!--emo&:beer--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cheers.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='cheers.gif' /><!--endemo--> Tale of 'cocktail prasad'
Yudhvir Rana
[ 26 Mar, 2007 0231hrs ISTTIMES NEWS NETWORK ]
RSS Feeds| SMS NEWS to 8888 for latest updates
BHOMA: Tipsy devotees fallen on roadside is not an uncommon sight and is not something that is looked down on with disdain.
Though most of faiths of the world discourage believers from drinking liquor, but for devotees of Baba Rode Shah offering and receiving liquor in the form of parsad has been a ritual since 1924.
Devotees flashing bottles of liquor greets each other after paying obeisance at the samadhi of baba, where they arrive seeking mystical blessing. Not only people from in the vicinity come to pay obeisance at baba's smadhi , but several NRIs also make it a point to reach here during the annual fair with boxes of foreign liquor to 'appease' baba , who interestingly was a teetotaller.
At baba's samadhi , a large drum is kept to mix the 'offerings' and a 'cocktail parsad ' is given to baba's ardent devotees who gladly gulp it down. Issueless couples especially come here to seek baba's blessings.
The legend has it that Baba Rode Shah, who hailed from Dhiman village falling in Gurdaspur district had moved to Bhoma village in 1896 where his sister was married. Baba Rode Shah underwent austere penance and was endowed with mystical powers. He started helping people. Once, with his blessings, a child was born to an issueless couple, who brought a bottle of liquor for baba to show their gratitude, which baba distributed among his devotees.
Since then the tradition of offering liquor to Baba Rode Shah began. According to another legend, Baba Rode Shah had given shelter to one Sundar Singh, a bootlegger during the British regime. Despite all efforts by police, a miracle happened and he remained untraceable. Sundar Singh offered a bottle of liquor to Baba, who then distributed it among other devotees, said Puran Singh, one of the caretakers of the samadhi.
Des Raj, a devotee from Hoshiarpur, who arrived here along with six bottles of liquor to offer at smadhi of Baba Rode Shah after he was blessed with a son, was all praise for baba's mystical powers. He said though consuming liquor in large quantity was harmful, but its good if taken in small quantity. "
After all milk also causes problems if taken in large amount," he said. Davinder Singh another devotee of Baba Rode Shah said he along with his friends never misses to attend the mela . "We put up a make shift tent and spend all three days here by beginning our day with baba's prasad ," he said.
Yudhvir Rana
[ 26 Mar, 2007 0231hrs ISTTIMES NEWS NETWORK ]
RSS Feeds| SMS NEWS to 8888 for latest updates
BHOMA: Tipsy devotees fallen on roadside is not an uncommon sight and is not something that is looked down on with disdain.
Though most of faiths of the world discourage believers from drinking liquor, but for devotees of Baba Rode Shah offering and receiving liquor in the form of parsad has been a ritual since 1924.
Devotees flashing bottles of liquor greets each other after paying obeisance at the samadhi of baba, where they arrive seeking mystical blessing. Not only people from in the vicinity come to pay obeisance at baba's smadhi , but several NRIs also make it a point to reach here during the annual fair with boxes of foreign liquor to 'appease' baba , who interestingly was a teetotaller.
At baba's samadhi , a large drum is kept to mix the 'offerings' and a 'cocktail parsad ' is given to baba's ardent devotees who gladly gulp it down. Issueless couples especially come here to seek baba's blessings.
The legend has it that Baba Rode Shah, who hailed from Dhiman village falling in Gurdaspur district had moved to Bhoma village in 1896 where his sister was married. Baba Rode Shah underwent austere penance and was endowed with mystical powers. He started helping people. Once, with his blessings, a child was born to an issueless couple, who brought a bottle of liquor for baba to show their gratitude, which baba distributed among his devotees.
Since then the tradition of offering liquor to Baba Rode Shah began. According to another legend, Baba Rode Shah had given shelter to one Sundar Singh, a bootlegger during the British regime. Despite all efforts by police, a miracle happened and he remained untraceable. Sundar Singh offered a bottle of liquor to Baba, who then distributed it among other devotees, said Puran Singh, one of the caretakers of the samadhi.
Des Raj, a devotee from Hoshiarpur, who arrived here along with six bottles of liquor to offer at smadhi of Baba Rode Shah after he was blessed with a son, was all praise for baba's mystical powers. He said though consuming liquor in large quantity was harmful, but its good if taken in small quantity. "
After all milk also causes problems if taken in large amount," he said. Davinder Singh another devotee of Baba Rode Shah said he along with his friends never misses to attend the mela . "We put up a make shift tent and spend all three days here by beginning our day with baba's prasad ," he said.