Guntur: Wednesday was Amavasya as well as the 13th. Considered inauspicious, the day saw few children attending schools in the state. The same situation was witnessed on Tuesday, which is also considered a bad day, when the schools reopened for the new academic year.
According to reports, every year schools record 70 per cent attendance in the first few days of reopening, but this year only 25 to 30 per cent students turned up in the first two days.
There are 61,528 schools in the 13 districts of Andhra Pradesh in which nearly 8 lakh students study.
According to reports, 4.78 lakh students are studying in government schools in Prakasam district in which only 50 per cent attended classes for the past two days. Guntur has 6.7 lakh students, Krishna 6 lakh, East Godavari district 7.33 lakh and 5.33 lakh students in West Godavari in government schools.
Vedic scholar P.N. Sankar said that according to the Garuda Purana, no new work should be started on Amavasya, except Karthika Amavasya which falls on Diwali. He stated that there will be rise in evil powers and black magic due to absence of moon on Amavasya. “The evil power would not allow any auspicious work started on this day to succeed.”
He said reopening of schools after summer holidays constituted new work, as students sit in new classes. He opined said parents may not have sent children on Amavasya.
A teacher, Mr P. Srinivas, said most people suffered from 'triskaidekaphobia', the fear of number 13, and considered the date inauspicious. This together with Amavasya had dissuaded parents from sending their children to school.
Bharata Hethuvada Sangham joint secretary N.V. Subbaiah said the government itself was promoting muhurats and vaastu, which was leaving the people vulnerable to blind beliefs. He said that the government should campaign against superstitions and promote scientific thinking.
