Since time immemorial, humans have turned to nature, its behaviour, the scriptures, and of course celestial events to predict what the future holds. From an impending drought to an earthquake that might shake up the land, nature has always given humans some form of clue before turning into 'Pralay' or disaster. And even today, certain events have been happening around the globe that hint towards a disastrous end. These incidents while thought of as small and dismissible by some people, have shaken the god-fearing ones to the core, and made them believe that the punishment for sins is coming soon.
Here we mention 5 incidents that have occured in the past few years that hint towards a disastrous end of the world.
The slip and fall of Lord Balabhadra
Every year a Rath Yatra is done in Jagannath, Puri, and it features the idols of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra. It is the journey of Lord Jagannath, along with his siblings from their home in Puri to their aunt’s temple in Gundicha. And the Rath Yatra attracts millions of devotees from all over the world as even a simple touch of the Rath is believed to cleanse people from any sins and mistakes.
But in the Rath Yatra of 2024, a deeply unsettling incident occurred! Lord Balabhadra's idol slipped and fell from its chariot, and it took over 5 people to bring the idol back to the Rath. And for devout and God-fearing Hindus all over the world, this was more than just an accident, it was a sign of impending doom, of a disruption in the spiritual environment.
The crying Kumari
In Nepal, a young girl is given the status of a Goddess, and she is the Kumari of Nepal, worshipped and taken care of for years. A Kumari is chosen to be the Goddess at a young age, and then she is worshipped until she reaches puberty, and then her divine status is transferred to another child. She is the epitome of purity, divinity, and holiness.
But in recent years, there have been incidents of the Kumari slipping and falling from her chariot, and the Ganesha crying bitterly during the Indra Jatras.
And while some people just dismiss this as an emotional reaction from a child, many thought of it as an ominous sign as a crying deity indicates to a calamity or disaster approaching.
Astrological predictions
Off late, many astrologers and Jyotishis have been garnering views on Instagram for their predictions of a World War! For the year 2025, astrologers are pointing to the presence of Saturn in a fiery zodiac sign, combined with Mars' aggressive influence, and this combination could bring forth political unrest for the whole world. as a harbinger of unrest and potential war.
One of the most famous videos is of Swami Yogeshwaranand Giri as he spoke on ‘The Ranveer Show’ and clippings from the video could be heard as a possible World War 3 prediction.
Alarming crowds and angry priests in Kedarnath
Kedarnath has been reduced by people to a trekking spot. It is not the same pure and holy religious site it used to be, but is rather becoming a means of minting money, enjoying with friends, and having a ‘nice time’ drinking away in the hills.
And as the ‘craze’ to visit Kedarnath temple increased, this year witnessed one of the highest footfalls in the temple. What was surprising to see was that people took their instruments, from dhols to flutes, and danced on the beats near the temple. In fact, in a video that did rounds on the internet, a priest from the temple could be heard reprimanding the people about not engaging in the pomp and show near the temple, and especially not so high up in the Himalayas, as the vibrations of the dhol could disturb the climate.
In fact, the noise, pollution, and behaviour of some visitors have prompted authorities to publicly express their disappointment, and warning others that such activities will anger the deity.
The disappearance of OM from OM Parvat
OM Parvat, or the OM mountain is called the home of Lord Shiva. It is the place that very few men have ever reached, and Lord Shiva is believed to live there in some form. The mountain got its name for its unique shape and sculpt that makes it seem like there is an OM symbol on top, covered with snow.
But this year, something different happened on the OM parvat. For the first time in ages, snow completely disappeared from the mountain, rendering it empty and with no OM symbol in sight.
And while there are tons of relevant and accurate scientific explanations for the same, global warming and climate change being the biggest ones, for religious and spiritual people, this is nothing less than signs of impending doom.
Is the end near?
Well, nobody can really predict if the world will cease to exist tomorrow or after another thousand years, but signs of distress like these really make people wonder if things are going downhill much faster than it seems. More and more people are now engaging in religious tourism, they are performing pujas and yagnas, are visiting their Kuldevis and devtas, and so much more, all in the fear of the world’s end.