Ritika
Bhubaneswar: Saints and religious leaders in Odisha have expressed outrage over the serving of chicken biryani at a community feast by some people in Bhubaneswar during the solar eclipse. A group of people claiming to be rationalists had organized this banquet to break the ‘blind belief’. Some religious organizations have lodged at least four FIRs against the ‘rationalists’ at different police stations in Puri and Cuttack. Swami Nischalananda Saraswati, the Shankaracharya of Puri said, “They are ignorant. His actions are against the basic principles of Sanatan Dharma.
The food (chicken biryani) eaten by those people during the eclipse could be the curse of their life.” He said those who create new theories in violation of basic principles, “harm their lives and the society at large”. The saint said, “The rules and traditions are based on the philosophy, science and social behavior of Indians. They tell at what time what should be eaten. Noted spiritual guru Padma Shri Baba Ballia also condemned the act of ‘rationalists’, who on Tuesday “publicly challenged the practice of fasting during solar eclipse”.
read also
He said, “No one can stop anyone from eating food. But, misleading the society is not a healthy culture. The practice of having an empty stomach during a solar or lunar eclipse is based on science. Meanwhile, ‘rationalists’ said they would do the same during the lunar eclipse on November 8.
Pratap Rath, a retired professor of psychology at Utkal University, said, “I stand by what I believe. Whatever is not based on science should not be followed. I have eaten food during eclipse since childhood and will continue to do so in future also.” “I have not violated any law or acted against the Constitution,” said 66-year-old Rath. (agency)
