by B. R. GOWANI
recently, Rakesh Dalal filed a petition in the Indian Supreme Court
the reason?
one of the Hindu deity he wanted to pray to had lost his head, literally
he said the Vishnu idol was beheaded during Mughal invasions
(but knowledgeable people don’t think Muslims were involved)
Dalal didn’t say whether Lord Vishnu was alive or dead
he wasn’t brave enough like Nietzsche’s Madman who declared:
The Madman.—Have you ever heard of the madman who on a bright morning lighted a lantern and ran to the market-place calling out unceasingly: “I seek God! I seek God!”—As there were many people standing about who did not believe in God, he caused a great deal of amusement. Why! is he lost? said one. Has he strayed away like a child? said another. Or does he keep himself hidden? Is he afraid of us? Has he taken a sea-voyage? Has he emigrated?—the people cried out laughingly, all in a hubbub. The insane man jumped into their midst and transfixed them with his glances. “Where is God gone?” he called out. “I mean to tell you! We have killed him,—you and I! We are all his murderers! … God is dead! God remains dead! And we have killed him! …
Friedrich Nietzsche, The Joyful Wisdom, The Project Gutenberg eBook, section 125.
he was hopeful that Lord Vishnu could be restored
Dalal asked India’s Supreme Court to repair Lord Vishnu’s idol
he complained that the British colonists in India didn’t do anything
nor did the governments in independent India do anything in 77 years
this, he said, violated worshipers’ basic rights to pray
Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai told Rakesh Dalal:
“Go and ask the deity itself to do something now. You say you are a staunch devotee of Lord Vishnu. So go and pray now. It’s an archaeological site and ASI [Archaeological Survey of India] needs to give permission etc. Sorry[.]”
CJI Gavai termed it as a “publicity interest litigation.”
“In the meantime, if you are not averse to Shaivism, you can go and worship there… there is a very big linga of Shiva, one of the biggest in Khajuraho.”
in South Asia, of all sentiments, religious ones are the most fragile
they are like goods from a dollar store — easily breakable
there was criticism of Gavai for hurting people’s religious feelings
Gavai: had to issue a statement
“Someone told me the other day that the comments I made were mis-portrayed on social media. I respect all religions.”
“God is dead.” Solicitor General Tushar Mehta defended Gavai:
“We used to learn Newton’s law – for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Now with the advent of social media, we have a new rule – for every action, there is wrong and disproportionate social media overreaction.”
Mehta termed the controversy “unfortunate”
On Oct 4, 2025, Maharashtra Governor Acharya Devvrat launched a book
during the ceremony, the governor infused divinity in Modi:
“Where there is the need for a great man to bring change to a society, such people come there from a divine order … When such people come from a divine order, they carry the power to make the impossible possible. The decisions that Modi ji took in his life cannot be made by ordinary people.”
a free nugget of wisdom for Rakesh Dalal:
according to the Ganesha myth …
goddess Parvati created Ganesha out of clay for her protection ..
when Lord Shiva came to his wife Parvati, Ganesha stopped Shiva
Shiva beheaded Ganesha
but then he restored the head with the head of an elephant
Dalal could restore Lord Vishnu’s head with that of Lord Modi
Dalal could then open up temples devoted to Modi Bhagwan
Modi himself thinks he is the son of God
he could also sell the temple franchises to Modi’s followers …
there are hundreds of millions of them,
many of them are millionaires & billionaires
I promise, I won’t sue him for this brilliant idea
franchises make a lot of money in today’s world …
B. R. Gowani can e reached at brgowani@hotmail.com