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God will keep us alive

Updated on: 25 August,2009 04:17 PM IST  | 
Varun Singh |

Foolhardy ganpati mandals spurn protective masks saying havans and aartis will keep temperatures high enough to kill swine flu virus. (and, of course, there's god and prayers)

God will keep us alive

Foolhardy ganpati mandals spurn protective masks saying havans and aartis will keep temperatures high enough to kill swine flu virus. (and, of course, there's god and prayers)

Religion, Karl Marx famously said, is the opiate of the masses and in Mumbai it has certainly drugged devotees into being foolhardy.

Committee members of the GSB Mandal, King's Circle and Lalbaugcha Raja have complete faith that the lord will protect them and every single devotee against swine flu.

This means, nobody wears protective masks. And it's not just faith they say, but scientific rationale.






We will hold an aarti and a havan 24X7 for all the five days the Lord is with us. The heat generated by these will not allow the virus to spread."

The doctor in question, Dr Bhujang Pai is also convener of GSB mandal. "It has been noted that the virus spreads in cool temperatures, which is why Pune has been affected.

In the pandal, there are going to be regular havans and artis, due to which, the temperature within, will be on the higher side.
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It will certainly be above the body temperature [98.6u00c3u0082u00c2u00b0F or 37u00c3u0082u00c2u00b0C] and will therefore prevent the spread of the virus," said Pai, who is the chief of the radiology department at a private hospital.

He added the mandal would not be using ACs or coolers, as the temperature will then be lowered.

Dil Bole Bappa!: Major pandals in the city, including Lalbaugcha Raja, have not taken any precautionary measures against swine flu. Visitors, organisers, shopkeepers, on-duty cops at the Lalbaug pandal were spotted without masks or any kind of face cover.


"We haven't measured the temperature in the pandal, but what makes our claim strong is that till now not a single person has come to the pandal wearing a mask or has covered his face," he said.



Not true

However, other doctors slammed this step. "As per literature documenting swine flu, the virus gets killed at a temperature usually above 70 degree celcius.

At a body temperature of 37 degree celcius (98.6u00c3u0082u00c2u00b0F) it propagates faster, and if the temperature is higher, it will still propagate, but at a slower rate," said Dr Jalil Parkar, respiratory physician.

Yet, Pai maintains the mandal has done nothing "major" to contend with swine flu. "A day before Ganesh Chaturthi, the chief priest and I prayed to Ganesha to take care of the devotees.

We are sure that the virus will not affect anyone visiting the pandal," he said calmly. The GSB mandal had three lakh devotees last year, and this year, they expect at least four lakh visitors.

The, 'God will save us' ideology also works for Lalbaugcha Raja, which had nearly three crore visitors last year.
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This reporter spotted visitors, organisers, shopkeepers and even on-duty cops at the pandal without masks or any kind of face cover.

Satish Khankar, president of the mandal said, "We are not worried about swine flu. The panic is created entirely by the media.

It will not affect devotees and in fact, I have been praying to God to keep the disease out of Mumbai." Khankar and committee members had prayed on the first day to keep the virus away from the pandal and the devotees.
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"We aren't wearing a mask or even covering our faces because we are sure Bappa will save us," said Abhijit Phalke, a committee member.

No worries

Visitors and shopkeepers supported the belief. Said devotees Hardik and Subha Shah, "We were carrying handkerchiefs, but only to wipe the sweat from our faces.

A darshan of Lalbaugcha Raja will keep swine flu away."

Added Maruti Walankar, a shopkeeper, "We know that people from Pune have also come to the mandal, but if you look at devotees here, you will find not find a single person is wearing a mask. God will take care of the flu." Amen.

Nana ke ghar pe mat aana

Actor Nana Patekar, who has been getting the Lord home every year, has barred darshan to strangers this year.

A notice board on the gate of his Matunga house says only relatives and friends wearing masks will be allowed in a precautionary measure against swine flu.

Said Nana, "Is it wrong to take precautionary measures against the infectious disease? I don't think that will hurt the feelings of my fans. I don't want people to die so I have asked them to cover their faces."

Bipin Kumar Singh

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