Pray hard to score swell

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It’s exam time and it’s also the time when most students like to bond more with God than their books. So, if your neighbourhood temple seems a little crowded in the mornings, you don’t have to think twice. Superstition and exams go hand-in-hand, so, whether it’s the daily visits to temple that cannot be missed, or keeping photos of

gods in books, and perhaps promising prasad is the most viable option for many students. Students in the capital share their “rituals” leading up to the dreadful D-day.
For Shubham Gupta, a Class 11 student, rubbing his laughing Buddha’s stomach first thing in the morning is a must. “I go to temple everyday and pray for good marks especially in accounts. I don’t leave home without having curd and sugar and always touch my parents’ feet. When I pray, I feel nothing can go wrong, and I know everything will be fine.” Shubham adds that his friends have specific pens they write exams with.
Pressure to do well stresses many students, who look for a mentor who can calm their senses. Shilpa Kanugo, life transformation and spiritual coach shares, “Some people call me their good luck charm, so they usually call me before their exams. However, no one has thankfully gone this far to ask me to bless their pens.”
Shilpa believes that since students are already stressed they need someone to calm them at that point. “Most often I take up that role being one of them and adding humour before they enter the exam hall. I sense that they want to hear someone say, ‘You can do it’. Though my focus prior to that is to ensure that they have studied well. I motivate them by highlighting their strengths and making them believe that nothing is impossible.”
It’s not mere superstition, many students do believe that they are much more confident and energetic after praying. Student Rohan Gupta says, “It’s not an overnight fetish. Praying helps me concentrate and boosts my morale. There have been instances when I don’t know the answer of a particular question and taking Lord Krishna’s name worked for me.”
Visiting a tarot card reader for guidance is nothing new for parents, who often ask about how their child will perform. Acharye Nandita Pandey, tarot card reader, says getting stressed because of exams is a natural process. All a child needs is a psychological morale boost. “I do not entertain questions about exams, I instead tell students to work hard. I do point out areas where a child needs to work upon. Another thing I recommend students is to bath with salt water followed by normal water bath. It’s called cleansing the aura. After bath, a student should sit in silence and bless his/her classmates. It helps bring their chakras into balance and also increases their concentration and confidence levels.”