Oh God - Did u preach these ??

I read an inspiring post from Shuba . When I question my Grandma about why she follows certain customs and ask "Isn't God there in everyone? Then why should we worship him separately? Does God reside only in temples?". She just tells " இந்த காலத்து பசங்க .. ஹூம்" . But then, noone can answer certain questions :-) All mantras and prayers, according to my meagre knowledge are supposed to give inner peace. My grandma and so many others have hatred all over their heart but never fail to recite the mantras through their lips everyday. Is reciting the mantras just a routine? For me, reciting a slogam everyday lifelong without following it, isn't fascinating..I just try to understand the meaning and follow it. That gives me more peace !! I came across this statement once. - "Purity, self-restraint,non-violence, patience, love for ones fellow-beings - these are the internal marks of a Brahmin". According to me, castes and societal divisions are definitely man-made. To me God is the mother of the whole universe, the same way a mother cannot differenciate between her children..God also doesn't have any discriminations. HE loves a Brahmin to the same degree as he loves a sudran. On this concept - I always question my Grandma about "Vrathams".. will a mother want her child to suffer. Then how can God want us to undertake fasting? I accept that fasting is good for health but it was man-made and I can't accept that God told us to fast so that he'll grant our wishes. At this age, being a diabetic patient when she undertakes fasting for whatever newmoon, fullmoon etc I just feel pity on her. A lot of my friends/relatives have gone through dowry problems. So 50-100 years back, dowry was a gift given by the father to his daughter as she did not have any share in the ancestoral wealth. But now it has become a "custom". A "gift" is demanded isn't it cheaper than begging? A woman enters a man's house, and takes care of him, his parents, children, house-hold work..what not? Does dowry stop with marriage, it continues life long in the name of "customs". Who made these customs? Does God, say Shiva, whom we worship, who has given half of him to Parvati , ask us to get dowry? Or does he tell us to do all morai's like gold, clothes etc during and after marriage? The groom's parents behave as if they have acheived something in having got a son and the bride's parents are below them (There are still some people like this). How will their sins be purified even if they chant mantrams 3 times a day when they don't have the basic humanity? It is the girl's parents who are losing their daughter..how is it compensated? By harassing them more in every given chance !! They just have to accept it because its the nature of the society !! That explains the reason of female infanticides in our motherland where a woman is suppossed to be seen as a goddess. Most women, be it urban or rural, don't want a girl child!! I'm just wondering what's the use in an arranged marriage? Is it really a union of two families as opposed to only 2 souls in a love marriage? I came across this explanation at here " The groom then recites a mantra to convey the following meaning: After crossing seven steps with me thus, you should become my friend. I too have become your friend now. I will never discord this friendship and you should not also do that.Let us be together always. Let us resolve to do things in life in the same manner and tread the same path..... With these qualities, you be my follower. You the sweet tongued, come to me to get good male children and wealth." Does the vedas really say these? A very simple thing of "purity". Something which bothers me.. People eat non-veg for the whole year but in the month of "புரட்டாசி" they don't eat non-veg because its an auspicious month.. and do all kinds of poojas. The same on Fridays, Saturdays...come on..God wants us to love all and not to harm animals. If we really try to follow his principles, we should try not to kill animals. Still worse is the animal sacrifices they make in the name of God.. How is a person who tries to follow God's principles the whole year but doesn't do those poojas inferior to these people? Next is "Sabari mala"... the same case here. A person who is a drunkard, womaniser who fasts for 48 days seems to be purified of his sins..I know people who have been doing this for 10 years.. the idea is once they follow those principles during those 48 days, they should follow it life long..but that doesn't happen. They never become better persons !! Old habits die hard. I'm not against any customs..but just trying to reason out why?? Bottomline 75% of the customs were made generations ago and may not be applicable today. Even the remaining 25% are being mis-interpreted in different forms by different people. I'm just wondering "Oh God - Did u preach these ??" ....