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When the Akshay Kumar starring film ‘Oh My God!’ was released, it was an eye-opener for many people who were unaware of the kind of money and resources that are “wasted” on religious practices. Copious amounts of milk, honey, ghee, dried fruits, etc are offered to idols which ultimately end up in dumpsters, and an unbelievable amount of money is spent on various arrangements. This makes us wonder, wouldn’t it be nice if that money and resources were spent on something more meaningful?

Taking a step towards the right direction, a village in Aurangabad, Maharashtra, has decided to cut down expenses for religious purposes and dedicate that money to develop schools in the area, reports The New Indian Express.

The villagers planned to upgrade an already existing school to “international standards”. A 2-acre land has been bought to expand the school premises.

The villagers decided to curtail the amount of money spent on various religious events, tents, sweets, and food, especially during ‘Bhagwat Saptaah’ which is a week-long event. Henceforth, during a religious feast, daal will be prepared and everyone has to bring their own portion of rotis.

The village officials have already started working towards upgrading the school premises. Previously, a women and child care centre, also known as an anganwadi, was upgraded and digitalised, and so was the school’s computer laboratory.

There are 450 houses in the village. Each house, if under 5-acre, will contribute Rs 1,000 and those above 5 acres will contribute Rs 5,000. The panchayat has till now contributed Rs 50,000. Besides that, the villagers are seeking help from the government and CSR schemes of private corporations.

“We have 240 students studying here so far. Students from nearby villages are also seeking admission for the next academic year,” said a resident of the village.

We hope many more places adopt the same scheme. More than religious events, the focus should be dedicated to the education of children.