Visiting the family deity

 It's been a while since I wrote here. I was busy expressing my political views on a website which I do not own anymore. It has been a rough ride trying to regularly bring out content for an audience that really cares about what I have to share. But I gave up. It was taking a toll on my mental health.

So, apart from sharing my opinions occasionally on twitter, I do not get involved in collecting information through news channels that I can share.

That brings me to my current situation. I have been living with my parents for quite sometime and I am working for an IT company remotely.

I used to be an atheist when I was in college convinced by one of my close friends that there is no God. I believed him and made up my mind that there is no God. I also read the book by Richard Dawkins, The Greatest Show on Earth which explains how creatures have not been created but have evolved through millions of years.

Through the years, I have learned that religion is something that helps reduce the burden in people's lives. No matter what religion you follow, prayer has power. Prayers are answered if you have faith.

I was not interested in following any particular religion until one day, one of my paternal grandfathers advised me to pray to the family deity (kula deivam in Tamil) twice everyday, when I wake up and when I am about to go to sleep. The family deity is someone who is worshipped only by the family members and there is a temple dedicated to the deity. It's a sort of made up God for the family members.

After marriage, my father's family deity became my mother's family deity.

I have visited the family deity temple several times now. It's a place where I pray for me and my parent's well being. I also enjoy the trip to the temple with my parents.

I used to go to temples despite being an atheist to appreciate the architecture. But now, I can say that I am a believer. I go to temples to pray to God. Although I know that the form of God is made up by human beings, the act of prayer to a sentient being definitely has an effect.