In Hindu temples rituals are performed regularly to re-charge the divinity of the enshrined idol. The incense is burnt, bells are rung, devotees sing the Aarti loudly with the blowing of the conch shell. People take the Aarti, bow and pray. Why are these elaborate drama and rituals conducted?

This drama is necessary to connect emotionally and make the faith of the people stronger.
Same is the logic for all the festivals and ceremonies like marriages, birth and death. All of the above mentioned activities are accompanied with a lot of rituals and drama.

In the current world of emails, PowerPoint and teleconferences , the same emotional connect is not established. The current communication devices might be efficient and convey the message logically in a analytical manner but fail to conquer the hearts. We need rituals, elaborate dramas to have involvement from people.

One good example of this is a company holding a conference where everyone had to be dressed in formals. Everyone was expected to register. Everyone received a conference kit and a name tag. There was a powerful audio visual presentation explaining how the new strategy would be implemented. The background music was grand. Trumpets were blown, when the sales performance was announced and drums were beaten to a crescendo when the target for the following year was presented.

Break away groups were formed to study and discuss the new strategy and the change in tactics. Opinions of every salesperson were documented carefully. The final document of strategy and tactic was presented, wherein everyone took a pledge to follow the document and a minute long silence was held for the pledge to sink in .

One other good example of leveraging this drama and rituals to is our Defence services where the folklores of heroes are created, the battalions colours , the elaborate traditions and customs are followed. That is why every soldier is ready to sacrifice his/her life for the country and his/her colleagues selflessly without any fear and hesitation. The drama and tradition instills the feeling of the honour of the country as supreme above their own life.

This is also visible in Jewish religion that despite centuries of persecution and exile the religion still thrives, as evident in the legend of the Bene Israelis of Maharashtra what do u mean by this. A few centuries ago, a Jewish Rabbi stumbled upon a group of people on the Konkan coast of India who were known as Shani-vaar-Telis, oil-pressers who did not work on Saturday. While these people looked like no different from others in their village, and behaved no differently, this ˜no work on Saturday' policy singled them out.

He asked the women to make him a meal of fish and noticed that the women selected only fish with scales and fin, and ignored the rest which as per Jewish dietary laws is non-Kosher hence forbidden. Why did these people who looked like Maharashtrians and spoke Marathi respect the Jewish Sabbath and follow Jewish dietary laws? There was only one explanation: they were one of the lost tribes of Israel, the Bene Israel, or sons of Israel, perhaps descendents of oil-pressers who were shipwrecked off the coast of India as they were being driven of Judea by Assyrian kings over two thousand years ago. Separated from their Jewish homeland by space and time, these people still clung to the practices that reinforced their identity.

The Jewish elders had always been obsessed with the ritual practices of Sabbath and Kosher. Their rigid enforcement of this practice had annoyed many young Jews who did not like rituals; but it was this very insistence that had endured the test of time and ensured that the Jewish Diaspora, despite centuries of persecution and exile, did not lose their identity. Such is the power of the tradition, custom and drama.

So whether you want to transform people or change or have team bonding. Create , develop the elaborate drama, rituals, traditions. Appeal to their hearts, soul and you will see the change.

Same thing is applicable in personal life also . The celebrating of the anniversaries, birthdays, or any other celebrations should be accompanied with the elaborate drama and the rituals to make them different, memorable for life.

If we want our children to change, follow or adopt something. The scolding, threatening, and coaxing will not work. Establish the drama and rituals around it and see the transformation in them. The children are the biggest admirer of this drama and tradition and will respond the best.

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