Cigarettes get a holly touch at this Surat temple

This temple surely offers another avenue for marketing pundits at cigarette firms which are always on the look out for new promotional vistas.

Owners of cigarette shops lined up outside this temple "" Shri Mamadev temple at Katargram in Surat "" are a happy lot as devotees here offer cigarettes to their God.

Shops here sell on an average 100 cigarette packets per day which include imported brands. On Saturdays and other major Hindu festival days this figure could cross 250 packets.

A shopkeeper said, "Rich devotees prefer to offer cigarettes like Marlboro, Dunhill, Rothmans, while I have also kept the cheapest available ones like Bristol or Capstan."

It is said that Shri Mamadev situated in this industrial area accepts anything that is offered to him.

"There are only two Mamadev temples in the country - one in Gondal in Rajkot, and the second in Surat. The practice of offering cigarettes at the Mamadev temple in Rajkot is prevalent for many years. As word about the practice spread around, devotees started offering cigarettes at the Surat temple as well," the temple priest, Shri Shri Ek Sau Aath Shri Gangadas Maharaj, said.

"Cigarettes are being offered at the temple for the last 12-13 years. I myself have witnessed instances wherein problems related to health, marriage and children have been solved after offering cigarettes," Maharaj said.

Rush at the temple is the highest on Amavas. During these days over 1,000 devotees visit the temple.

"Sweets, scents, incense sticks and flowers are also offered at the Mamadev temple, but most devotees prefer cigarettes. The offerings are according to the capacity of the devotee, but on an average around 500 cigarette packets are offered on Amavas," the priest said.

An executive at ITC in Ahmedabad, said, "Only a few days back we came to know about this temple at Katargram. We are planning to visit this place. We have collected data which revealed that cigarettes like Wills Navy Cut and Gold Flake including Gold Flake Kingsize sell higher than other brands. Devotees also want to offer the cigarette brand which they consume."

"Mamadev is a pretatma, which subsequently became a devatma. It's job is to make the impossible happen. It is a pure soul, whose powers double on Amavas, which is the reason behind the higher rush of devotees on Amavas," said T Shambhulingam Maharaj, an official at Mamadev Temple.

"It is only a matter of faith. The devotees offer cigarettes at the temple, and Lord Mamadev blesses them. The wishes of many people have been granted," Maharaj added.