Screen seize from video
Image Credit: Social media/ANI

A priest from the Indian state of Orissa has an uncommon method of ‘blessing’ his devotees – with his ft.

The quite controversial video of the priest providing blessings to devotees with his foot has gathered a faire quantity of criticism and flak on social media platforms albeit some are justifying the custom explicit to Odisha’s Khordha district. The priest has been recognized as Ramchandra Samantaray.

In the video, the priest is seen putting his foot on the pinnacle and again of the devotees as an act of blessing them.

According to Odisha Sun Times, the incident occurred within the Banpur space of the state throughout Durga Pooja. No sooner had it occurred, a video of the incident went viral, and criticism has been pouring in from a number of sections of society.

Meanwhile nearer residence in Dubai, an area Hindu priest Upendra Shastri has condemned the act, saying solely ‘Mahayogis’ or those that have achieved a excessive degree of priesthood have the appropriate to do it. Even then he mentioned no priest must be giving blessings this manner.

He mentioned : “If you see in India we have a tradition of touching the feet of elders as a mark of respect to them. It is a sign of respect and adopted since Vedic period and also known as Charan Sparsh. Children from a very small age were taught to touch the feet of elders, whether grandfather, grandmother, father or mother, etc. I remember still at my home there is a tradition of touching the feet of our parents, grandparents early in the morning when we woke up and before going to the bed at night. We have read in an epic Mahabharata, Yudhistra stated that touching the feet of the elders gives strength and feeling of greatness. Even Rishis have observed four beneficial factors of touching the feet, i.e. it gives strength, intellect, knowledge and fame.”

“So when something like this is done – how can you use a foot to bless someone. It is ridiculous and unacceptable,” mentioned Shastri.