It was certain quick turn of events few years ago, that made me to opt for a day fasting once in a week. It started with a #naturotherapy session at my office which highlighted the benefit of giving a rest to our internal body organs by avoiding meals and solely relying on fruit diet. It might soundd strange, but once I get into tgis practice, I start realazing it's importsnce. While discussing the same with my colleague, he motivated me to try from next day. He is a Vishnu devotee and wanted me to join him to keep fast in Thursday. So I began fasting from #Thursday since that day. The day just chosen over the course of few official events and there was no other official reason.
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Logic vs Practices
In India, Many people like to observe fasting on Thursdays, for almighty blessing. Some say that fasting on #Thursdays can also protect people from negative forces and evil spirits, and help them take the right path in life. People have variety of reasons, including to honor deities, improve health, and receive blessings:
Hindus may fast on Thursdays to honor the deity Vishnu or his avatars, such as Rama, Parshurama, Narasimha, and Buddha. Thursdays are also associated with the Navagraha Brihaspati, or Jupiter, and devotees may fast to please him.
Some believe that fasting on Thursdays can improve health and financial conditions.
Fasting on Thursdays may also help people connect with a spiritual deity and receive blessings.
Thursday fasting involve worshipping Lord Vishnu and Devguru Brihaspati considered to be the master of the universe. The worship of Jupiter Dev is done by offering #yellow things, yellow flowers, gram lentils, dry grapes, yellow sweets, yellow rice, and turmeric. Even people chooses to wear yellow cloth on this day. In my cases it all started with the health prospective, but gradually turning into #spiritual.
Obliging free inputs
As soon as people learned about my fasting schedule and that too on Thursday, I started getting many instruction. They started showering with many inputs and suggestion. They even instructed me with dos and donts. I humbly accept all of them, but one particular ritual is alwsys out of context. As per the rituals, while keeping a Thrusdsy fasting, people [Do Not] not make use of soaps and detergents. On Thursday, they neither apply soaps on their body neither wash cloth with detergents. They either wash them simply with water and leave it for next day.
There are many beliefs associated with this practice. But how this rituals comes into pracrice is still unknown. According to the beliefs :
using soap on Thursdays can diminish wealth and good fortune. It's also thought to displease Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity and consort of Lord Vishnu. Some say that using soap on Thursdays washes away a home's prosperity. Others say that washing clothes on Thursdays is forbidden according to Vastu Shastra.
Some other things that are considered inauspicious to do on Thursdays include: Cutting hair or nails, Shaving, Disposing of garbage, and Using a broom to clean floors and corners.
Unanswered logic
When I asked about the reason of not using soaps and detergents , no one gave me satisfactory answer. They simply say "not to do, as it it is not auspicious". My curiosity led me to search on internet, and Quora* has this explanation :
Thursday to be the day of "guru". By washing hair, body or clothes with soap ,it is assumed that our dirt and impurities get washed off. On Thursdays if we do this, it is supposed to mean that we are rendering our impurities to our Gurus, which is considered to be offensive.
But in my opinion ,
what is the fault in surrendering to the supereme power by cleaning away all the dirts?
In earlier times, people used to bath with mud, or ashes , so why don't they follow them these days.
I am not matured , by I wanted certain logic behind the practices. My perspective simply different from these rituals. I do have faith and belief of following certain rituals but avoiding soaps and detergents is out of context. In my opinionas our culture has been influenced with ancient vedas and rituals. But in that era these chemicals product were not existed. So how people started to put a restriction on their usage.?
It has been so many years, there were so many talks on these, that every #Thursday it came to my mind. But
I failed to follow it. I am not in habit of bathing without soaps, as it feels awkward to me. And with that disturb mind, I am unable to focus on worship. I am still wondering about the logic of such practice, and who all have started it. I am yet to bring it in practice.
How would it feel of bathing without cleaning properly?? But you can't argue with so many people.