The Psychology of religious beliefs

Thoughts on Naraka Chaturthi

Today is Naraka Chathurthi – the day the terrible demon, Narakasura, who persecuted the people and killed them with impunity was, killed by GOD and relieved the people of the evil demon’s atrocities.

This is a Puranic story – undated – unlike Ramayan and Mahabharat which are supposed to have been enacted by real human beings, some 4000 to 6000 years back.

We celebrate this day as Deepavali – some say as per the wish of the demon – with lighting of diyas, lamps, firing crackers – may be to imitate the sound of weapons during the war between God and the Demon.

I was wondering at the the psychology of people which made them to celebrate an un-proven incident of victory, which can be read only in imaginative Puranas, with so much gaiety, colour, spending and joy, when the proven incident of Independence from the mean, looting English Demon, is to be observed – not celebrated  - only in Government institutions, schools, almost by official  force, and not by common citizens, who simply treat the Independance Day, as one of the paid holiday,

For all that matters, it is only 62 years back we got the Independence from the Demon of English rule, whereas it is – 5000 years back when we got the independance from the Demon of Narakasura.

That is an intriguing question bothering my mind for years.

This is also the case with Krihna Jayanthi, Ramnavami as compared to Ambedkar’s, Gandhi’s Jayanthi.

The simple answer is the former is Religious whereas the latter is historical, not associated with religion. The former is divine – associated with Gods – and the latter is just practical – associated with mortal humans. God’s acts are superior than humans’ acts.

But I am not satisfied by this simple answer.

Now the question is – why is it that we believe anything religious blindly and follow them, even though we know very well that these incidents are purely imaginative story telling and there is no compulsion to follow and practice them; but we show great apathy towards celebrating proven historical incidents which have given us concrete benefits, reliefs, which directly have affected our lives.

That, now, is the real question.