Kerala man worships 'Corona Devi' for well being of frontline fighters

Amid the unprecedented times of coronavirus outbreak, people are resorting to advised precautionary measures to prevent themselves from contracting COVID-19. However, a man in Kerala has started worshipping the novel coronavirus for the wellbeing of not only the frontline warriors but also the scientists who are tirelessly working to obtain the vaccine. In Anilan’s house at Kadakkal, the puja room has a unique addition among other Indian deities that is a thermocol replica of SARS-CoV-2. Till now the newly-found pathogen has infected over 7.9 million people across the world with 433,959 deaths. 

While talking to PTI, Anilan has said that the reason behind him worshipping the coronavirus by doing daily pujas is to wish for the safety and well being of people battling the COVID-19 pandemic on the front lines. Moreover, he has said that it is his was for ‘creating awareness’ and remains unaffected with the trolling on the social media by the people who mocked him for offering prayer to ‘Corona Devi’. Anilan has also noted that there are over 33 crores Hindu Gods and choosing the coronavirus as a goddess is his fundamental right as per the constitution.

“I am worshipping the coronavirus as a goddess and doing daily pujas for the safety and well being of health professionals, police personnel and scientists, who are toiling to discover a vaccine, fire force and media personnel and others engaged in the battle against the virus, Anilan said.

“This is my way of creating awareness. “There are 33 crore Hindu gods and I am worshipping the virus as a goddess as part of the fundamental right guaranteed under the Constitution,” he added. 

Read - Kerala Government Issues SOP & Health Advisory For Short Visits To The State Amid Covid

Read - Kerala Boy Develops Light Motorcycle Using Scrap Material From His Father's Workshop

‘Carry the extreme ends’

Sunil P Elayidom, a well-known writer, critic and orator said that people in the society “carry the extreme ends”. He said that on one hand, people are holding degrees and becoming experts in almost all fields of science. But however, there are still “blind beliefs and communal expressions” among the members of society. Elayidom called Anilan worshipping the coronavirus as “crude expression” of the same phenomenon. Many other parts of the nation including rural areas in Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal have also started worshipping the pathogen that has rocked the world. 

Elayidom said, “At one end, our society and its people are well known for their knowledge and degrees and have become teachers, professors, technical experts, scientists and professionals.

“But on the other side, we still hold close to our heart such blind beliefs and communal expressions. We carry the extreme ends of both worlds. We never feel anything wrong in it. This worship is just a crude expression of that phenomenon,” he added.

Read - Kerala Chief Minister's Daughter Weds CPI(M) Youth Wing Leader

Read - Kerala CM Seeks PM's Intervention For COVID-19 Tests Of Expats

(With PTI inputs)