It was a plan which was not planned much!.I reached Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium at about 
11.45am where my friend was already waiting for me.I was amazed to see the view close to the planetarium.Though I had expected to see few people at that place I could now see many cars parked all along the road adjacent to the planetarium...I immediately turned towards the building and was shocked to see a 'jaathre' of people,thats what it looked like to me!I approached closer and heard the enthusiastic noise the huge number of people produced. My friend and I quickly walked towards the large number of people to try and do what they were doing.
11.45am where my friend was already waiting for me.I was amazed to see the view close to the planetarium.Though I had expected to see few people at that place I could now see many cars parked all along the road adjacent to the planetarium...I immediately turned towards the building and was shocked to see a 'jaathre' of people,thats what it looked like to me!I approached closer and heard the enthusiastic noise the huge number of people produced. My friend and I quickly walked towards the large number of people to try and do what they were doing.During my morning ride in the city bus to my workplace I could sense a significant drop in the number of people who were traveling.There were no morning peak hour traffic jams and buses reached there destinations before there due times.I had thought that the people were all staying home watching the grahana on TV and observing fasts and conducting prayers and offering poojas and things like that.I was wrong, the people were all at the planetarium!
I didnt know what that feeling was which I experienced but that was wonderful.Seeing people appreciate something good was a step forward for our countrys development.Accepting science and logic rather than blind beliefs and false traditions was what I noticed there.I saw people and more people, toddlers, grannys, standing, supine, professionals, amateur photographers, youth and kids... whose faces were brightly coloured with joy and enthsiasm and also painted were spots of relief, of having learnt something new today.Yes, relief, that was what I felt too!
For how long can truth be subdued?For how long can men and women be left unenlightened?When is the time when we accept nature in its true senses? When will education prevail over ignorance and orthodoxy?Logic and science over blind beliefs and false traditions?Not long my friend, not long, and the evidence is right in front of us.The crowd, the number of people at the planetarium is the answer to the questions.
I happily spent about 3 hours at the planetarium and relearned a lot of my high school physics.I watched the eclipse through the no 14 welders glass and also through the glasses I bought at the place, did 'the pin hole effect', saw hundreds of 'pinholes' created by the trees,saw the virtual image on the projected screens,took a lot of photographs of the eclipse,saw my shadow edges go hazy,etc, etc,... which gave me immense joy and satisfaction.But the most important feeling was the relief!
You are absolutely right in observing that the throngs of people assembled at the Nehru Planetarium is the clearest indication of how people in India are walking out of the darkness of ignorance and superstition.
ReplyDeleteIt is to be hoped that even the innocent rural folk with their well-known native intelligence will take note that people who went about their business did not get injured or otherwise damaged by the solar eclipse.
Maybe, one day soon, everyone in India will depart from the shadow of superstition and embrace Enlightenment. It should not be too much of an effort for a people who gave the world the numeral zero, to do so.
You have done a good job of capturing the essence of what you witnessed on the grounds of the Planetarium. Good for you.
Thank you for the report on your yesterday's visit. There are quite a number of people who believe in Science.Only those were present at the planetarium. That will never amuse me. Those who believed in something else, they always stayed at home doing their regular duties. Planetarium had about a maximum of 3k people. Which is a very very less turn around for me.
ReplyDeleteI will be interested to see the ignorance eclipsed of those who believed in something else. I heard a couple of initiatives being taken on creating that awareness yesterday by National Science Foundation specifically to counter those superstitions. But i have not yet read the report of the same.
Your account of the eclipse gives a feeling of hope if not a full sense of relief...As you rightly said accepting science ,nature and logic in everyday life is the need of the hour....But why should education prevail over orthodoxy?...Orthodoxy (ortho mean "right" or "True" and doxa means “Opinion" ) ..........
ReplyDeleteNice post. Another interesting thing was the fair participation of many people across the country in Eclipsewatch (http://eclipsewatch.in). Good signs. :)
ReplyDeleteGood post!
ReplyDelete@Nuggehalli: Lo, have you posted data on Eclipsewatch yet?
brother, people's belief in "grahana" and it's effects is stronger than my belief in the ability of "science" to answer all the questions. so i just marvel at their faith and feel ashamed at my lack of it.
ReplyDeleteThanks all for your encouraging comments.Also nice to see some suggestions and queries as well.
ReplyDeleteSrik has raised an important issue here, which I believe is also closely related to science.If people are willing to come out today, maybe we can expect them to have lunch under the eclipsed sun tomorrow.Of course NSF's campaign has to be taken note of here as it is worth a praise.
If I put it in Hari's way I would say something like 'sensing hope is what has given me the feeling of relief'.Relief of seeing the process of change happening,of learning something new and of course feeling the relief of sensing hope.
I'm not that sure about 'orthodoxy'.I still think that was the right word to be used there,but I'm ready to correct it it found wrong.Ortho means, as Hari has said straight, right, normal or true.Orthodoxy means 'old and traditional thoughts of a society, religion, philosophy or political party'.Looking at the present scenario(eclipse) and also our society and religion, I think it gives a negative meaning to the word.I'm hoping Narasim or NS will help us clarify the doubt.
Yes, its good to see people participate in eclipsewatch.I will surely keep a watch on eclipsewatch!
The second photo is really good.
ReplyDelete