It is not just humans who are feeling the chill this winter, Gods are too! As winter this year is getting colder by each day, a temple in Uttar Pradesh has installed heaters for the idols inside. The diety at Janki Ghat Bada Sthan temple in Ayodhya also gets ‘jalabhishek’ with hot water just in case the idols were catching a cold. ANI quoted temple priest Mahant Janmey Sharan as saying, “Heater installed for god at Janki Ghat Bada Sthan temple in #Ayodhya, Jalabhishek with hot water keeping in view intense cold weather.” The news has generated a lot of reactions from social media users. A lot of Twitterati commented on the irony of the situation where Gods, believed as the supreme power is provided with man-made technology.
Earlier this week, PTI reported that the Vishwa Hindu Parishad had asked if the deity in Ayodhya’s Ram Lalla be provided with “woollen clothes, quilt and a room heater so that he can counter the cold weather”. VHP regional media in-charge Sharad Sharma said that the Hindu god Ram symbolises faith and devotion for crores of people across the world, and looking after him is the responsibility of all devotees. Twitterati came out with strong criticisms saying Gods should not be treated as humans.
Here is the temple with heaters:
Here is how Twitter reacted to the incident:
In 2012, there were reports of Sankalp Siddh Hanuman temple in Gujarat having an AC during summer to help the God beat the heat. While it was for the temple deity, authorities said that it was also to cool devotees who came to visit the place in the scorching heat.