Just a note to let you all know that I am taking off for a bit because am extremely swamped on all fronts... Will return bright-eyed and bushy tailed whenever... Hopefully soon.
Till then keep smiling!
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Friday, October 17, 2008
A Visit to an Hindu Temple in US
After my last couple of articles on a journey of faith, thought for Carrie's Friday Foto Fiesta, I would share some pictures of Hindu temples in US that have been constructed to fulfill the religious and social needs of the Indian-Americans.
When I arrived here in the late 80s, I had no idea that there were so many Hindu temples in the US, but should not have been surprised considering the US residents of Indian descent now number more than 2 million out of the total US population of more than 300 million. Hindu temples in US are more than places of worship, they are also the socio-cultural mainstay of the Hindus in the US. The temples are also centers of learning to help the Indian-Americans preserve the Indian languages, cultural traditions and generally their heritage through Sunday school, cultural events and other activities.
Interestingly, almost each Hindu home has a shrine or place of worship so it is not really expected for a hindu to go to a temple and many only go for religious festivals or socio-religious functions or special occasions like the birth of child to the temples. Here I am at one of DC's earliest temples the Hare Rama Hare Krishna Temple. The first place one will visit outside the home is the temple which is what I am doing here with my son when he was only a month old.
During my early years here, I was amazed to find this beautiful Hindu temple in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania which is a great replica of a typical temple in North India with its rich architecture and ornate workmanship.Here I am with my son years ago when we made a weekend trip to Pittsburg to visit the temple.
Above is the interior of the Rajdhani Temple in DC metropolitan area showing the deities-this is typical of the inner chambers of Indian temples. The images are powerful tools to help the human mind contemplate on the spiritual form of the Supreme Being who is considered to be formless. Relegating Hinduism to idol worship is inaccurate and an oversimplification, rather a misrepresentation of too complex a concept to explain here. As someone said it simply- we worship the God in the idol not idol as God. Actually, Vedas the most sacred Hindu scriptures written in sanskrit, do not even mention idols...
Note a prayer ceremony being conducted by a temple priest with all the rituals and offerings. Unlike the Church, the devotees enter the temple barefoot and sit on the floor to meditate, pray or listen to the priest expounding the Hindu teachings which are normally discussions from the Bhagwad Gita or the song of the Lord, a sanskrit poem of 700 verses divided into 18 chapters and which is considered the essence of Hinduism. It was composed between 200 BC and 200 AD. A key lesson expounded by the Bhagavad Gita is its emphasis on doing our duty without attachment for or caring about the results.
Below are pictures of Lord Ganesha being worshipped. Ganesha, the elephant-headed son of Shiva and Parvati, is widely worshipped as the supreme god of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune. There are many legends and mythologies connected with Hindu Gods.
Temples set up special shrines to celebrate major religious holidays and events. Above are pictures of a shrine set up to celebrate the birthday of Lord Ganesha.
Ganesha,the god of wisdom and prosperity, is invoked before the beginning of any auspicious work by the Hindus. It is believed that for the fulfillment of one's desires, his blessing is absolutely necessary.
The two pictures above show the shelved section outside the main hall of worship. Footwear of any kind and especially leather is absolutely not allowed and every temple has a place to shelve your footwear and wash your hands thoroughly before entering the sacred precincts of the temple. Wearing shoes into a temple is sacriligious because it is believed that one passes through many unsanitary places and it is disrespectful to go in with unclean wear into the temple. Ideally, one should purify as much as possible before entering the temple.
Note the bell at the entrance of the temple. Devotees ring the bell before coming and leaving. It is like announcing to God, ones arrival and departure. It is also invoking the divinity so that virtuous and noble forces enter one's being. Bells are also a significant aspect of worship while conducting prayers to drown out distractions and help the worshipper focus and meditate. Here my two friends are leaving the temple.
One final note, those of us who have settled here for years try to make it a point to bring/drag our kids (born and brought up here in US)as much as possible to the temples or religious events. Our kids,the second generation Americans are often caught between two worlds and face many complex issues, so religious forums can often play a crucial role helping them with their identity by helping them stay close to their roots and thus providing them a strong anchor...
Hope you enjoyed a glimpse into the socio-religious life of Indian-Americans in the US.
When I arrived here in the late 80s, I had no idea that there were so many Hindu temples in the US, but should not have been surprised considering the US residents of Indian descent now number more than 2 million out of the total US population of more than 300 million. Hindu temples in US are more than places of worship, they are also the socio-cultural mainstay of the Hindus in the US. The temples are also centers of learning to help the Indian-Americans preserve the Indian languages, cultural traditions and generally their heritage through Sunday school, cultural events and other activities.
Interestingly, almost each Hindu home has a shrine or place of worship so it is not really expected for a hindu to go to a temple and many only go for religious festivals or socio-religious functions or special occasions like the birth of child to the temples. Here I am at one of DC's earliest temples the Hare Rama Hare Krishna Temple. The first place one will visit outside the home is the temple which is what I am doing here with my son when he was only a month old.
During my early years here, I was amazed to find this beautiful Hindu temple in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania which is a great replica of a typical temple in North India with its rich architecture and ornate workmanship.Here I am with my son years ago when we made a weekend trip to Pittsburg to visit the temple.
Above is the interior of the Rajdhani Temple in DC metropolitan area showing the deities-this is typical of the inner chambers of Indian temples. The images are powerful tools to help the human mind contemplate on the spiritual form of the Supreme Being who is considered to be formless. Relegating Hinduism to idol worship is inaccurate and an oversimplification, rather a misrepresentation of too complex a concept to explain here. As someone said it simply- we worship the God in the idol not idol as God. Actually, Vedas the most sacred Hindu scriptures written in sanskrit, do not even mention idols...
Note a prayer ceremony being conducted by a temple priest with all the rituals and offerings. Unlike the Church, the devotees enter the temple barefoot and sit on the floor to meditate, pray or listen to the priest expounding the Hindu teachings which are normally discussions from the Bhagwad Gita or the song of the Lord, a sanskrit poem of 700 verses divided into 18 chapters and which is considered the essence of Hinduism. It was composed between 200 BC and 200 AD. A key lesson expounded by the Bhagavad Gita is its emphasis on doing our duty without attachment for or caring about the results.
Below are pictures of Lord Ganesha being worshipped. Ganesha, the elephant-headed son of Shiva and Parvati, is widely worshipped as the supreme god of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune. There are many legends and mythologies connected with Hindu Gods.
Temples set up special shrines to celebrate major religious holidays and events. Above are pictures of a shrine set up to celebrate the birthday of Lord Ganesha.
Ganesha,the god of wisdom and prosperity, is invoked before the beginning of any auspicious work by the Hindus. It is believed that for the fulfillment of one's desires, his blessing is absolutely necessary.
The two pictures above show the shelved section outside the main hall of worship. Footwear of any kind and especially leather is absolutely not allowed and every temple has a place to shelve your footwear and wash your hands thoroughly before entering the sacred precincts of the temple. Wearing shoes into a temple is sacriligious because it is believed that one passes through many unsanitary places and it is disrespectful to go in with unclean wear into the temple. Ideally, one should purify as much as possible before entering the temple.
Note the bell at the entrance of the temple. Devotees ring the bell before coming and leaving. It is like announcing to God, ones arrival and departure. It is also invoking the divinity so that virtuous and noble forces enter one's being. Bells are also a significant aspect of worship while conducting prayers to drown out distractions and help the worshipper focus and meditate. Here my two friends are leaving the temple.
One final note, those of us who have settled here for years try to make it a point to bring/drag our kids (born and brought up here in US)as much as possible to the temples or religious events. Our kids,the second generation Americans are often caught between two worlds and face many complex issues, so religious forums can often play a crucial role helping them with their identity by helping them stay close to their roots and thus providing them a strong anchor...
Hope you enjoyed a glimpse into the socio-religious life of Indian-Americans in the US.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
An Indian Pilgrimage - A Remarkable Experience Part II
Continued from Part I which provides the background for this incredible journey, which is basically a testimony of personal faith, in which the six of us -three adults and three kids under six-decided to continue with a pilgrimage against all odds.
Read on...
So here we were dazed in a packed train sitting essentially in a third class (the lowest) compartment without reservation huddled like cattle with hordes of veteran train commuters, along with three little boys excited about the adventure, oblivious to the potential complications and hazards involved, while we, the adults, plotted and planned among themselves about how to proceed next. Meanwhile my brother was home telling our mother that his dear sister had as usual hit a home-run and mother was sitting resigned and characteristically quietly frantic, not having the courage to tell her quick-tempered husband that his US-returned only daughter had boarded an Indian train with her young son without tickets or money. Dad would have hit the roof and there would have been serious drama with the police being involved and all that good stuff. Remember these were the pre-cell-phone days so all six of us on our trip were truly incommunicado!
That we somehow managed not to get thrown off the train at one of the little small-town desolate stations that the train was stopping intermittently during the night is no small miracle. Ashok, my friend Malini's husband, our man of the hour in his quiet and dignified manner had explained our predicament to the ticket collector who I guess could see from our anxiety-ridden faces and our pathetic yet respectable persona with three young kids who could look deceptively angelic when the need arose, that we were not the usual miscreants telling tall tales, rather we looked like clueless misfits who should not have been in that compartment in the first place. So wonder of wonders - he let us remain on the train, convinced that we really were on journey of faith.
I am not going to go into details about the actual train trip, but thanks to the little food packets and snacks we had packed, we managed to calm the kids, but using the unsanitary train bathroom was just too horrific an experience, however the kindness of the fellow passengers, simple small town and village Indians, towards us was also amazing especially when they came to know our story. Shirdi is really sacred and camaraderie based on spiritualism is very real in India!
Anyway we reached, Manmad the station nearest to Shirdi towards evening or so- I cannot recall specifically. By now our bravado was tempered by a large dose of sanity, so Ashok used most of his money to buy new tickets for going back home to Delhi by the next available train which was coming through in a few hours. Obviously, we had no money for an overnight hotel stay as was the original plan.
However, so determined were we to still make it to Shirdi to offer worship that we came up with a game plan. We had three hours before the train to Delhi was to arrive and we had just enough money to hire a cab to go and come back from Shirdi. I don't remember all the details because it has been years, but I do remember that we targeted one hour for going to Shirdi, an hour for coming back and an hour to face the worshipping throngs, get in lines, offer prayers to Sai Baba and then grab the kids, do a quick turnaround and take the same taxi back to the small station where our train was expected to arrive. And incredibly we achieved it all!
The above is a six minute long video which includes prayers in Hindi being offered to the saint at the the temple. We were not able to take pictures ourselves so this should give a very good idea of the Shirdi shrine.
What is incredible is the amazing inexplicable cooperation we got at every level. We really believe it was Sai Baba helping us in His inscrutable manner. With every major challenge, things kept on working our way. After a hair-raising cab-ride on poorly lit and uneven rural highway roads,we reached Shirdi in time for the main evening prayer. There were huge crowds, but somehow, we were able to perform worship, have all the kids blessed by the priest even though we could not really make our way to the front due to the human wall of the devotees ahead of us. Somehow, all of us were able to get a viewing or Darshan (hindi term for viewing of God) of the saint's deity and receive Prasad which is normally something edible offered to the deity, thus made sacred, and then distributed to the worshippers.
Both Prasad and Darshan are the two critical components of a pilgrimage, an intrinsic part of the Hindu culture. And no pilgrimage is really complete without viewing of the deity. Additionally, I had brought with me my favorite food that I had given up all these years during difficult times vowing that I would not eat it till I had it consecrated at Shirdi. Well that was done too. Actually within extreme time constraints, remarkably we completed all that we had planned to do and hurried back outside the temple to catch our cab-driver whom we had entrusted with our luggage- a safe and empathetic individual. So by the same cab, we rushed back to the station and caught the train reaching Delhi next day at dawn, exhausted, starving, cold and yet safe, supremely content and in complete awe of Baba's blessings which were clearly evident in each event that had occurred.
Along with the video showing Shirdi temple, I would like post some pictures of Sai Baba temple in Delhi during prayers. The priest near the deity takes the offerings from the devotees has them consecrated to be distributed back to the followers. Shirdi devotees are not only in India but all over the world including US...
This second Shirdi trip was an incredible life experience and reaffirmed even more our lifelong faith in the Saint who we believe embodies the Higher Force. I have personally had incredible events happen in my own life that are hard to explain but have repeatedly proved to me, a very analytical person by instinct and training, that having faith in a Higher Force, however embodied is critical to a meaningful life. So strong was our faith in Sai Baba that we accepted all the challenges that came our way as tests and continued with the unswerving belief that they would all be resolved by Him and they were at every step. This accepting challenges in ones stride on such a journey is not unique to us, but almost every Hindu as the pilgrimage tradition is very deeply embedded in the Hindu psyche and there are many pilgrim sites all over the sub-continent.
My closest friend over the years, Malini, who went me on both my trips to Shirdi. Here she is with her older son on the right and mine on her left, after our trip. She is currently visiting the US from Delhi as a Fulbright teacher on a High School teacher exchange program and our catching up has prompted all this reminscing...
A Hindu sacred site is called Tirth and the journey is termed as Tirth-yatra. Millions of Hindus of all ages including many aged family members regularly endure tremendous hardships of terrain and climate considering it worth it all to finally get a darshan of not only their deities but also the sites themselves considered sacred due to their association as the dwelling places of the gods or other such associations. Also, it is important to note that India being a secular nation, along with Hindu shrines, has religious sites of all religions including Sikhism, Christianity, Islam and Buddhism.
At this point, I would be remiss if I did not point out that despite the diversity of gods and goddesses in Hinduism, Hindus believe in the One God who they believe is also the God of all other religions or God Supreme who is formless. It is important to reinforce that essentially Hinduism is a monotheistic religion and different deities are manifestations of the Supreme Existence known as Brahman. The Hindu scriptures make it abundantly clear that there is only One Supreme God. The deities essentially represent different aspects of that Supreme energy which is believed to be beyond human comprehension which is where the role of deities comes in... This is too complex a concept to discuss here but I do plan to address it in context as I continue to write about different socio-religious aspects of my faith, Hinduism...
Om Sai!
Read on...
So here we were dazed in a packed train sitting essentially in a third class (the lowest) compartment without reservation huddled like cattle with hordes of veteran train commuters, along with three little boys excited about the adventure, oblivious to the potential complications and hazards involved, while we, the adults, plotted and planned among themselves about how to proceed next. Meanwhile my brother was home telling our mother that his dear sister had as usual hit a home-run and mother was sitting resigned and characteristically quietly frantic, not having the courage to tell her quick-tempered husband that his US-returned only daughter had boarded an Indian train with her young son without tickets or money. Dad would have hit the roof and there would have been serious drama with the police being involved and all that good stuff. Remember these were the pre-cell-phone days so all six of us on our trip were truly incommunicado!
That we somehow managed not to get thrown off the train at one of the little small-town desolate stations that the train was stopping intermittently during the night is no small miracle. Ashok, my friend Malini's husband, our man of the hour in his quiet and dignified manner had explained our predicament to the ticket collector who I guess could see from our anxiety-ridden faces and our pathetic yet respectable persona with three young kids who could look deceptively angelic when the need arose, that we were not the usual miscreants telling tall tales, rather we looked like clueless misfits who should not have been in that compartment in the first place. So wonder of wonders - he let us remain on the train, convinced that we really were on journey of faith.
I am not going to go into details about the actual train trip, but thanks to the little food packets and snacks we had packed, we managed to calm the kids, but using the unsanitary train bathroom was just too horrific an experience, however the kindness of the fellow passengers, simple small town and village Indians, towards us was also amazing especially when they came to know our story. Shirdi is really sacred and camaraderie based on spiritualism is very real in India!
Anyway we reached, Manmad the station nearest to Shirdi towards evening or so- I cannot recall specifically. By now our bravado was tempered by a large dose of sanity, so Ashok used most of his money to buy new tickets for going back home to Delhi by the next available train which was coming through in a few hours. Obviously, we had no money for an overnight hotel stay as was the original plan.
However, so determined were we to still make it to Shirdi to offer worship that we came up with a game plan. We had three hours before the train to Delhi was to arrive and we had just enough money to hire a cab to go and come back from Shirdi. I don't remember all the details because it has been years, but I do remember that we targeted one hour for going to Shirdi, an hour for coming back and an hour to face the worshipping throngs, get in lines, offer prayers to Sai Baba and then grab the kids, do a quick turnaround and take the same taxi back to the small station where our train was expected to arrive. And incredibly we achieved it all!
The above is a six minute long video which includes prayers in Hindi being offered to the saint at the the temple. We were not able to take pictures ourselves so this should give a very good idea of the Shirdi shrine.
What is incredible is the amazing inexplicable cooperation we got at every level. We really believe it was Sai Baba helping us in His inscrutable manner. With every major challenge, things kept on working our way. After a hair-raising cab-ride on poorly lit and uneven rural highway roads,we reached Shirdi in time for the main evening prayer. There were huge crowds, but somehow, we were able to perform worship, have all the kids blessed by the priest even though we could not really make our way to the front due to the human wall of the devotees ahead of us. Somehow, all of us were able to get a viewing or Darshan (hindi term for viewing of God) of the saint's deity and receive Prasad which is normally something edible offered to the deity, thus made sacred, and then distributed to the worshippers.
Both Prasad and Darshan are the two critical components of a pilgrimage, an intrinsic part of the Hindu culture. And no pilgrimage is really complete without viewing of the deity. Additionally, I had brought with me my favorite food that I had given up all these years during difficult times vowing that I would not eat it till I had it consecrated at Shirdi. Well that was done too. Actually within extreme time constraints, remarkably we completed all that we had planned to do and hurried back outside the temple to catch our cab-driver whom we had entrusted with our luggage- a safe and empathetic individual. So by the same cab, we rushed back to the station and caught the train reaching Delhi next day at dawn, exhausted, starving, cold and yet safe, supremely content and in complete awe of Baba's blessings which were clearly evident in each event that had occurred.
Along with the video showing Shirdi temple, I would like post some pictures of Sai Baba temple in Delhi during prayers. The priest near the deity takes the offerings from the devotees has them consecrated to be distributed back to the followers. Shirdi devotees are not only in India but all over the world including US...
This second Shirdi trip was an incredible life experience and reaffirmed even more our lifelong faith in the Saint who we believe embodies the Higher Force. I have personally had incredible events happen in my own life that are hard to explain but have repeatedly proved to me, a very analytical person by instinct and training, that having faith in a Higher Force, however embodied is critical to a meaningful life. So strong was our faith in Sai Baba that we accepted all the challenges that came our way as tests and continued with the unswerving belief that they would all be resolved by Him and they were at every step. This accepting challenges in ones stride on such a journey is not unique to us, but almost every Hindu as the pilgrimage tradition is very deeply embedded in the Hindu psyche and there are many pilgrim sites all over the sub-continent.
My closest friend over the years, Malini, who went me on both my trips to Shirdi. Here she is with her older son on the right and mine on her left, after our trip. She is currently visiting the US from Delhi as a Fulbright teacher on a High School teacher exchange program and our catching up has prompted all this reminscing...A Hindu sacred site is called Tirth and the journey is termed as Tirth-yatra. Millions of Hindus of all ages including many aged family members regularly endure tremendous hardships of terrain and climate considering it worth it all to finally get a darshan of not only their deities but also the sites themselves considered sacred due to their association as the dwelling places of the gods or other such associations. Also, it is important to note that India being a secular nation, along with Hindu shrines, has religious sites of all religions including Sikhism, Christianity, Islam and Buddhism.
At this point, I would be remiss if I did not point out that despite the diversity of gods and goddesses in Hinduism, Hindus believe in the One God who they believe is also the God of all other religions or God Supreme who is formless. It is important to reinforce that essentially Hinduism is a monotheistic religion and different deities are manifestations of the Supreme Existence known as Brahman. The Hindu scriptures make it abundantly clear that there is only One Supreme God. The deities essentially represent different aspects of that Supreme energy which is believed to be beyond human comprehension which is where the role of deities comes in... This is too complex a concept to discuss here but I do plan to address it in context as I continue to write about different socio-religious aspects of my faith, Hinduism...
Om Sai!
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Indian Pilgrimage: A Remarkable Experience - Part I
Today my girlfriend (currently visiting the US from Delhi) and I were reminiscing about a couple of pilgrimages we had made together in India and the events that has occurred which basically reinforced our strong faith in the Supreme Force. This is how it all began...
Despite all the modernization and education, spiritualism is so integrated in the Indian psyche that visiting holy places spread all over the country is a norm for most Indians and I am no different. While I am a Hindu, I have strong belief in a saint, Sai Baba of Shirdi, who is worshipped not only all over India, but all over the world as one of the greatest saints of the twentieth century. Worshipped by both Hindus and Muslims, he preached universal brotherhood and performed many miracles in his life and those continued even after his death. Sai Baba spent his life in a village called Shirdi in Western India which is currently a great pilgrimage center frequented by thousands of devotees who literally come from all over India and outside to worship. I have made two visits so far.
The first trip was in mid-eighties a few months after my marriage. Before leaving for the US to join my husband, I had wanted to make a visit to Shirdi which is located approximately 296 Kilometers from Mumbai (Bombay) city in Western India. I had gone on that trip with my mother and my friend Malini, who was at this time a skeptic and just humoring yours truly, her best friend, only because I was immigrating to a different part of the world shortly.
I don't know what it is between me and the trains as you will also see from the next episode, but on our way to Shirdi, the train stalled in the middle of nowhere due to some problems and we had to wait till another rescue train came. Mother was not too pleased because she was petite and very ladylike and not used to clambering in an undignified manner from one train to another from very low-lying ground since we were literally in the farm fields. Anyway, we did make the trip to Shirdi and my friend, a non-believer, became one of the staunchest believers in Sai Baba after her return home to Delhi, when she had many of her problems resolved miraculously. Thereafter she returned to Shirdi regularly over the years.
On our first trip to Shirdi with mom and friend standing in line to offer flower garland and other items for worship at the Sai Baba temple. Marigold garlands are considered integral for Indian prayer ceremonies and each Hindu temple vicinity has small shops selling these garlands along with incense and related materials with the garland makers sitting and threading the fresh flowers and creating beautiful garlands almost instantaneously.
In the interim, I had settled in the US and was now planning to return to India in early nineties for the first time since my departure after a gap of about seven years. Having had a difficult pregnancy, I wanted to take my healthy son to Shirdi for Sai Baba's blessings and to thank Him. Landing in Delhi, I again asked my girlfriend, who by now had two little boys of her own, to accompany Baku and me. Her husband also decided to join us and thus began an incredible pilgrimage to Shirdi.
I took on the task of getting the railway tickets for all of us. Indian railways are an institution and one of the largest networks in the world introduced by the British in 1853. Largest in Asia they cover a length of 62,000 Kms and include 11,000 trains. Travel by railway is a must if you want to get a flavor of real India. Baku and I escorted by my brother reached the incredibly crowded Delhi Railway station late evening for the overnight trip where my dear friend could not be seen. Indian railway platforms are one of the places where you get the full impact of the exploding Indian population with hundreds of people squatting with their luggage, sleeping and hustling their way to the different platforms. Worried I went to a public phone to call and see what was going on and learned that she was on her way.
Check out this three minute video clip prepared by Time Magazine on Indian Railways with excellent English commentary which truly captures the mood and reality of India's lifeline and the most popular means of transportation for the common man.
When my friend and her family finally joined Baku and I and the boarding time came, I decided to check our tickets. To my utter disbelief and shock, my wallet was gone along with all my money and tickets! Frantically, I dug in, but to no avail.
What I didn't realize in my naivete was that non-resident Indians (or NRIs as Indians settled abroad are termed in India) are conspicuous to the professional pickpockets from miles due the NRI persona which apparently reeks to them of the dollar affluence. How I wish perception in this case was a reality! Obviously, someone pickpocketed my entire wallet with the tickets from the big fancy hand-bag that I had the stupidity to carry and which clearly attracted unnecessary attention. The theft had to have happened while I was making my call.
My friend and her husband looked at me in horror. There was no time to figure out an elaborate alternative-an executive decision had to be made and we made it. We said we had planned to go to Shirdi and we would do it regardless and figure out on the train what to do next. So literally in a quick leap of faith, we three adults picked up the kids and put them on the train, threw ourselves and the luggage aboard, right as the train was on the verge of moving and embarked on an incredible journey...
So here was the situation. My friend's husband Ashok thankfully had some money - I had nothing now, of course, and my friend perhaps had just a bit and we had three young kids-three boys between the ages of 4-6 years between us.
To be Continued in Part II- stay tuned...
Despite all the modernization and education, spiritualism is so integrated in the Indian psyche that visiting holy places spread all over the country is a norm for most Indians and I am no different. While I am a Hindu, I have strong belief in a saint, Sai Baba of Shirdi, who is worshipped not only all over India, but all over the world as one of the greatest saints of the twentieth century. Worshipped by both Hindus and Muslims, he preached universal brotherhood and performed many miracles in his life and those continued even after his death. Sai Baba spent his life in a village called Shirdi in Western India which is currently a great pilgrimage center frequented by thousands of devotees who literally come from all over India and outside to worship. I have made two visits so far.
The first trip was in mid-eighties a few months after my marriage. Before leaving for the US to join my husband, I had wanted to make a visit to Shirdi which is located approximately 296 Kilometers from Mumbai (Bombay) city in Western India. I had gone on that trip with my mother and my friend Malini, who was at this time a skeptic and just humoring yours truly, her best friend, only because I was immigrating to a different part of the world shortly.
I don't know what it is between me and the trains as you will also see from the next episode, but on our way to Shirdi, the train stalled in the middle of nowhere due to some problems and we had to wait till another rescue train came. Mother was not too pleased because she was petite and very ladylike and not used to clambering in an undignified manner from one train to another from very low-lying ground since we were literally in the farm fields. Anyway, we did make the trip to Shirdi and my friend, a non-believer, became one of the staunchest believers in Sai Baba after her return home to Delhi, when she had many of her problems resolved miraculously. Thereafter she returned to Shirdi regularly over the years.
On our first trip to Shirdi with mom and friend standing in line to offer flower garland and other items for worship at the Sai Baba temple. Marigold garlands are considered integral for Indian prayer ceremonies and each Hindu temple vicinity has small shops selling these garlands along with incense and related materials with the garland makers sitting and threading the fresh flowers and creating beautiful garlands almost instantaneously.
In the interim, I had settled in the US and was now planning to return to India in early nineties for the first time since my departure after a gap of about seven years. Having had a difficult pregnancy, I wanted to take my healthy son to Shirdi for Sai Baba's blessings and to thank Him. Landing in Delhi, I again asked my girlfriend, who by now had two little boys of her own, to accompany Baku and me. Her husband also decided to join us and thus began an incredible pilgrimage to Shirdi.
I took on the task of getting the railway tickets for all of us. Indian railways are an institution and one of the largest networks in the world introduced by the British in 1853. Largest in Asia they cover a length of 62,000 Kms and include 11,000 trains. Travel by railway is a must if you want to get a flavor of real India. Baku and I escorted by my brother reached the incredibly crowded Delhi Railway station late evening for the overnight trip where my dear friend could not be seen. Indian railway platforms are one of the places where you get the full impact of the exploding Indian population with hundreds of people squatting with their luggage, sleeping and hustling their way to the different platforms. Worried I went to a public phone to call and see what was going on and learned that she was on her way.
Check out this three minute video clip prepared by Time Magazine on Indian Railways with excellent English commentary which truly captures the mood and reality of India's lifeline and the most popular means of transportation for the common man.
When my friend and her family finally joined Baku and I and the boarding time came, I decided to check our tickets. To my utter disbelief and shock, my wallet was gone along with all my money and tickets! Frantically, I dug in, but to no avail.
What I didn't realize in my naivete was that non-resident Indians (or NRIs as Indians settled abroad are termed in India) are conspicuous to the professional pickpockets from miles due the NRI persona which apparently reeks to them of the dollar affluence. How I wish perception in this case was a reality! Obviously, someone pickpocketed my entire wallet with the tickets from the big fancy hand-bag that I had the stupidity to carry and which clearly attracted unnecessary attention. The theft had to have happened while I was making my call.
My friend and her husband looked at me in horror. There was no time to figure out an elaborate alternative-an executive decision had to be made and we made it. We said we had planned to go to Shirdi and we would do it regardless and figure out on the train what to do next. So literally in a quick leap of faith, we three adults picked up the kids and put them on the train, threw ourselves and the luggage aboard, right as the train was on the verge of moving and embarked on an incredible journey...
So here was the situation. My friend's husband Ashok thankfully had some money - I had nothing now, of course, and my friend perhaps had just a bit and we had three young kids-three boys between the ages of 4-6 years between us.
To be Continued in Part II- stay tuned...
Friday, October 3, 2008
It is Henna Time!!! - A Small Peek at an Indian Wedding...
Recently a couple of American girlfriends kept asking me about tattoos that they had seen on some of my Indian sisters. Perplexed I could not for the life of me fathom what they were talking about till it struck me what they had thought to be "tattoos" were actually the henna patterns which they must have seen on the hands and feet of a newly-wed Indian girl or her girlfriends who had attended the henna ceremony, an intrinsic part of the Indian weddings which are elaborate affairs that go on for days symbolizing social status and wealth.
The henna or Mehndi, as it is called in the native Hindi language, ceremony is held at the bride's place, generally on the eve of the wedding. Dominated by female friends and relatives who perform folk dances and songs, it is an evening of fun and frolic along with scrumptious food. The Mehndi ceremony like all rituals has a lot of stories and traditions behind it.
Simply speaking, the henna artist applies a dark green henna paste drawing intricate patterns on the bride's hands and feet. Not being facetious, but the tool used is sort of funnel like the one used in cake icing. The paste is allowed to dry and then washed off leaving a beautiful reddish-brown bodiwork which gradually fades off with every wash in about ten days.
Above is a picture of the my niece's hands and feet, a few days after her wedding. Note the red and ivory bangles she is wearing. They also have deep symbolism and were put on her wrists by her maternal uncle and aunt. This ceremony is performed on the morning of the wedding during a prayer ceremony when the maternal uncle gives his niece gifts and blessings. These bangles called "Churas" are generally red and 21 in number and have to be worn for 40 days when the bride is not supposed to perform any household chores-yes she gets an official break! So if you see any Indian woman with these bangles, they signify her newly-wed status.
Here is my niece during her Mehndi ceremony, note the rich scarf on her head, covering the head during religious ceremonies is a sign of respect and expected.
Here yours truly along with relatives is listening to the folk songs at her niece's henna ceremony in Delhi.
Rather than explain the traditions often amusing behind these rituals, the four minute video clip above is a must watch to get a flavor about how the artist applies henna on the bride creating ornate patterns against the backdrop of a lot of song and dance full of naughty marital innuendos and good-natured jabs at the much-maligned Indian mothers-in-law. I am not sure, but my impression is that this clip is showing Indian American youth in US celebrating their culture. Interestingly, as the kids grow older they tend to go back and enjoy their roots a lot more, but that is a post for another time...
Enjoy this and the Friday Fiesta!
The henna or Mehndi, as it is called in the native Hindi language, ceremony is held at the bride's place, generally on the eve of the wedding. Dominated by female friends and relatives who perform folk dances and songs, it is an evening of fun and frolic along with scrumptious food. The Mehndi ceremony like all rituals has a lot of stories and traditions behind it.
Simply speaking, the henna artist applies a dark green henna paste drawing intricate patterns on the bride's hands and feet. Not being facetious, but the tool used is sort of funnel like the one used in cake icing. The paste is allowed to dry and then washed off leaving a beautiful reddish-brown bodiwork which gradually fades off with every wash in about ten days.
Above is a picture of the my niece's hands and feet, a few days after her wedding. Note the red and ivory bangles she is wearing. They also have deep symbolism and were put on her wrists by her maternal uncle and aunt. This ceremony is performed on the morning of the wedding during a prayer ceremony when the maternal uncle gives his niece gifts and blessings. These bangles called "Churas" are generally red and 21 in number and have to be worn for 40 days when the bride is not supposed to perform any household chores-yes she gets an official break! So if you see any Indian woman with these bangles, they signify her newly-wed status.
Here is my niece during her Mehndi ceremony, note the rich scarf on her head, covering the head during religious ceremonies is a sign of respect and expected.
Here yours truly along with relatives is listening to the folk songs at her niece's henna ceremony in Delhi.
Rather than explain the traditions often amusing behind these rituals, the four minute video clip above is a must watch to get a flavor about how the artist applies henna on the bride creating ornate patterns against the backdrop of a lot of song and dance full of naughty marital innuendos and good-natured jabs at the much-maligned Indian mothers-in-law. I am not sure, but my impression is that this clip is showing Indian American youth in US celebrating their culture. Interestingly, as the kids grow older they tend to go back and enjoy their roots a lot more, but that is a post for another time...
Enjoy this and the Friday Fiesta!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
