A Better Superstition?

There is this column in a national newspaper where you can seek advice on your personal problems. There was this businessman who had recently built a house. Soon after moving in to his new home, he started having problems. His son fell ill. He himself started having financial difficulties in his business.

Apart from seeking medical help for his son, he sought the help of a Tantrik (a black magician, a voodoo man). The Tantrik gave him an amulet to be tied to the son's arm. It did not help. Now he had sought the help of this advice column.

Advice was forthcoming, but with a preamble. It berated the man in no uncertain terms. How could a an educated man fall prey to superstitions and seek the help of a Tantrik? He should have known better! This was the general vein of the preamble.

Then the advice was dished out generously. Block the present door of the kitchen in your new house and provide a new door facing a different direction. Close that window off, open up another elsewhere. Many more such alterations to the house were suggested. All this was to make the new house conform to the "Ancient Indian science" of Vaastu. These alterations are supposed to ward off tevileil eye, not allow the ill winds to enter the house, dissuade Yama, the god of death from entering the house and many other benefits.

Apparently the person who gave all the advice believes that his brand of superstition is superior to that of the Tantrik.

Also, the poor advice seeker will be considerably poorer, making all the alterations suggested.

To make matters more interesting, the advice seeker had the same name as a famous Malayalam matinee idol!