Medicine to superstition? Ahmedabad Civil Hospital superintendent caught in superstitious act

A civil hospital superintendent has come under scrutiny after being caught engaging in a superstitious act, where he was seen consulting a priest at the Khodiyar mata temple on the civil hospital campus about whether the temple should be demolished.

At Ahmedabad’s Civil Hospital campus in Asarwa, a new building is under construction, requiring the demolition of old structures. As part of this redevelopment, the temple on the campus was either to be removed or relocated. 

Following which, Dr Rakesh Joshi, the hospital superintendent, was seen visiting the temple priest to seek ‘permission’ from the goddess of the temple before proceeding, an act captured in a video that later went viral on social media.

In the video, the priest can be seen performing rituals, one involving the use of grains to reach a conclusion. It was reported that the priest later told the doctor that the goddess was against the decision. 

Responding to the controversy, Dr Joshi stated that new facilities, including 1,800 beds, 300 OPD rooms, and ICUs, are being planned at the Civil Hospital, and the temple area falls within the proposed construction site. He explained that since many people worship the goddess at the temple, he visited the priest to discuss the matter and understand the sentiments of devotees.

Dr Joshi mentioned that he spoke with the priest, who asked him to visit again on Sunday to discuss the matter further.

The priest later clarified, “The superintendent visited me regarding the potential removal of the temple. We performed the traditional practice of observing grains to seek the goddess’s guidance, which is considered the verdict of the deity, not superstition. The goddess indicated that we should leave the temple as it is and allow construction around it.”

He further added that observing grains is not an act of superstition but a way to seek answers from the goddess.