• Madhya Pradesh
  • Tribal India
  • Indian Art
  • Caste & Social position
  • Religion & Spiritualty
  • Indian History
  • Poetry
  • Indian Festivals
  • About Me

Reflections of India

~ by facing my shadows

Reflections of India

Tag Archives: Festivals

The 26th of January and me

26 Sunday Jan 2014

Posted by opus125 in India, Madhya Pradesh

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Festivals, India, Madhya Pradesh, RepublicDay; AustraliaDay;

Republic Day 2014 at D K Devsthali Bhopal

Republic Day 2014 at D K Devsthali Bhopal

After a small flag raising ceremony in my colony, I cycle to DB mall (Bhopal)  past the future test cricketers playing beside the slum, the tricolour, and flags of Congress and the BJP gust in fierce competition. Then the green, white  and gold balloons in the entrance.

There is nothing significant in this, other than my weekly coffee, a break from copious supplies of chai elaichi. There is nothing better thyan chai straight from street chai walla, or an out of the way dhaba.

IMG_0880

Slum Cricket

 

So I stop at the window of the Sharp store, the store keeper sees me.

“Main Australian huun” and pointing to the TV screen “Australian Open” and  the 5 all score line first set of the women’s final.

“Come in,  watch” but I decline the invitation and on my way to Crossword (a bookshop) I pass theCookie Man, emblazoned with an Australian chef hat.

They hope for a sale but I point instead to the hat.

“I see more Cookie Man stores in India than I do in Australia,” I say.

“There in Sydney “ I’m told. “Happy Republic Day.”

“Happy Australia Day to you.”

He looks confused.

“”The 26th of January is also the day Australia was colonised by Britain”

“Aaahhh” he smiles back.

IMG_0861

Yes, today is Republic Day  (and Australia Day). The Day 2 years and 5 months after India’s Independence that India’s 1950 Constitution was ratified. It is also the Day Arthur Philip sailed into Botany Bay with a fleet of colonists.

Both countries have achieved much. Both countries have their problems.

India at least legally gave equality regardless of religion, colour, sex or caste, when Australia still did not call Aboriginals citizens and our Negro brothers were still segregated in the USA.

Of course, discrimination remains – in all countries – even when law forbids it politicians have mastered flaming discrimination in the minds of people world over.

IMG_0876

So, as I make my way to the top floor and Barnes Coffee and Tea Company, across from McDonalds, Mr Corn and the amoeba  games parlour with its Amoeba Dark House. . I insist on a strong coffee. They are usually good here. Some (but not all) of A lot Can Happen Over Coffee stores make it to weak for my expresso trained taste.  A week of Chai elaichi I need a strong caffeine fix.

As I wait, a big screen with SRK singing “My Home” from Veerzara was the message “Happy Independence Day”.

But why Independence Day? That’s August 15,  when Nehru uttered his famous Destiny Speech “Long years ago, we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom.”

“Veer zara?” I ask to ensure if this is the film I saw years before in Brisbane.

“O yes” says the gent handing me my latte, as a new movie clip takes the screen. “You like Bollywood?”

There are two girls sitting across the floor, who had spoken to an older gentleman now left. They come over and introduce themselves. They were told I was from Australia.

A short haired Catholic girl named Fatimah and Akisha. Named after the shrine for Our Lady of Fatimah she admits her name helps when she goes to a Muslim hairdresser. If the hairstylist is Hindu its handy to explain her Catholic roots.

Akisha, whose name means sweet, is more traditionally styled,  explains The National Bamboo Festival is beginning at the Bhopal Haat, next door.

I explain my interest in Tribal art and she recommends Tribes India in Newmarket, apparently it is hidden and I may need directions.

Open the three days to Tuesday, I decide to check out some f the craft displays thinking a guest from Switzerland, a volunteer at an organic farm,  will enjoy it.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Displays of Indian and Chinese Bamboo, posters in praise of its eco  friendliness,  and stands from the MP State Bamboo Mission and the MP SRLM State Rural Livelihood Mission.

I decide to return on payday.  There are some wonderful trays for only 150 rupee and even working bamboo clocks.

As I leave I meet Akisha and Fatimah again who explain their role: Akisha translates  for Fatimah with the Bamboo Mission. Or was it SRLM?

Perhaps we can find some way of promoting Indian goods for the good of rural communities.

I will get back to them.

23.259933 77.412615

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • LinkedIn
  • Print
  • Tumblr
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • Pocket

Like this:

Like Loading...

Ghee, Oil and the Sacred Diya

09 Thursday Jan 2014

Posted by opus125 in India

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

diya, Festivals, ghee, Hinduism, India



Pooja

Mr Prasad solemnly paid obeisance to the spiritual master in faith of his humble temple.

A kalaish, a plate and bowl of copper, a lamp and a spoon.

I had seen many bright – even garish electric bulbs at temples, and wondered why the ghee lamp had never been modernized. In other homes I had seen wicks ghee ball bases, here the wicks were straight.

IMG_0161 - Copy

“Electric too much tamas he explained. “Blinding … turns mind outside. Ghee lamp is flame of the soul – look inward.”

“Ghee only?”

“Agni Puran say only oil or Ghee for puja fire. Ghee better, more sattvik.”

“Of course a poor person can use sesame oil” he added quickly.

My eyes betrayed the question why?

“Lamp leads to light and peace. We pray: “O Deity of lamp, you are of the form of Bramhan (the absolute truth). You are full of radiance. You never wither. Please bestow me health and good progeny and please fulfill my wishes.”

I had assumed that since India loves all things bovine, motivated by adoration of Krisna the divine cowherd, dairy would be preferred.

“Ghee diya enhance Raja particles four hours – oil only ½ an hour” he continued. “Ghee make subtle armour around person’s body superior quality.”

“Oil lamp imparts power to raja particles in the Pranamaya kosha  makes you restless. Ghee burns quicker but strengthens the sattva particles in both Pranamaya kosha and Manomaya Kosha. Persons jiva is happy, peaceful.”

IMG_0184

He pointed to the centre of the flame. “The blue colour besides a ghee flame is bhav.

“Bhav?”

“Spiritual emotion. Ble sprit energy from ghee wick project chaianya as Tej tattva form.”

“ and Manomay, Pranmaya …..?”

“Manomaya Kosha is mental sheath, Pranmaya air, Vidnyanmaya Kosha is intellect sheath. You see your body – Annamaya Kosha food sheath. Energy comes in five vital airs in paranayama kosha. Anandamaya Kosha is bliss, place where soul exist.”

Mr Prasad seemed to grasp my sense of overwhelm explaining.

‘You know kundalini yog? The seven chakras, yes? …Oil lamp purify Uladhar and Swadhishthan Chakra only. Ghee purifies Manipur and Anahat chakras very much.”

“You know meditation calm mind, yes? Ghee makes soul energy but oil activates manashakti or mind energy.

Oil lamp is earth and water element. Ghee gives spiritual experience of Tej tattva or fire element and Vayu tattva  or air. Cow Ghee maximum satvik frequencies, gives luminous figures from fire element to clean atmosphere.

I explained I heard many Indians talk about the  spiritual experience of subtle energy.

“What do they mean? Festivals are very beautiful and colourful. Do you mean feelings?”

“Aahhh good question. We see world through senses. You know senses .. .see, touch …” I nodded. “when we experience something without seses that is spiritual experience – anubhuti.”

We feel touch but nothing touches us from air element. There is no flower but we experience gandha, a subtle enrgy from Prthvi tattva. Or maybe we experience sweet taste dwell in our mouth from Aap tattva.”

“Spiritual experience is without sense objects.”

I was immediately reminded of Tibetan Buddhist psychologies careful distinction of sense and non sense experiences. Of cognizers and sense cognizers.

Preparing for a Puja

“I have seen ball wicks in most homes , these are flat. Why?”

According to Mr Prasad, priests, while accommodating his hosts wishes, prefer a straight wick. The relatively new puffed base of the fulwat  spreads a reddish yellow flame of earth frequencies. Like oil, they generated an armour of Pruthvi, the absolute earth element and Aap tattva, or absolute water element, which he assured me caused heaviness to the physical body.

I remembered that kappha, the dosha of round fattish body type, is said to be of earth and water.

A straight wick, he assured me, the yellow flame attracted sattvik energies of slower frequencies giving the believer the more powerful armour of Tej tatva or fire.

Straight wicks, he said, bring detachment and cheerfulness to the mind.

He advised me to wash my hands if I accidently touch the lamp. Our raja reduces the lamps purity. Other worshippers I had formerly seen had shown no similar strictness.

I decided to politely observe from a distance.

0.000000 0.000000

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • LinkedIn
  • Print
  • Tumblr
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • Pocket

Like this:

Like Loading...

The Idol-makers and Garnesh

05 Thursday Sep 2013

Posted by opus125 in India, Madhya Pradesh

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Festivals, Garnapati, Garnesh, India, Madhya Pradesh

Mumbai CST preparing for Ganipati 10 September 2012

Mumbai CST preparing for Ganipati 10 September 2012

When I first visited a Garnesh temple,  my accent nearly led me to trouble. Someone, unused to my Australian drawl, was convinced I had called the divinity a garnish. Fortunately, an Indian friend came quick to my rescue, smothered ruffled feathers and suggested I not attempt any divine pronunciations.

A few years later, in Mumbai, the preparation for Ganipati, the 11 day festival for Ganesh was madly underway. Back in Bhopal, there seemed to be more idol makers visible than in Pune. The festivities seemed to be more open but less pontificated. In Pimpri, trucks publicly paraded the divinity. While I am sure it is found in Bhopal, the emphasis in my area of Sector 8 is communal, with even the slums communally sharing together much like a westerner may share Christmas.

Sector 8 Bhopal opposite Ashimar Mall

Sector 8 Bhopal opposite Ashimar Mall

In walking distance from home here, I was reminded of a Christian story of Paul upsetting the silversmiths  Ephesus worried that their business may be threatened by what they considered a strange idea of a one God philosophy. I imagined my Christian relatives cringing as   as the street manufacturers off flower pots turning their trade into god makers.

However, I needed to understand the story, and since Hindu teacher Sri Sri Ravishankar had spoken at my daughters Pimpri school, I serched his archives to find if I could make sense of the festival. 

According to Sri Sri, Ganesha is called is the formless Divinity who for the benefit of the devotee is encapsulated in symbolic form.

“Though Ganesha is worshiped as the elephant-headed God, the form (swaroop) is just to bring out the formless (parabrahmaroopa). He is, ‘AjamNirvikalpamNiraakaaramekam.’ This means Ganesha is Ajam (unborn), he is Nirvikalpa (attributeless), he is Niraakaar (formless) and he symbolizes the consciousness which is omnipresent.

Ganesha is the same energy which is the reason for this universe. It is the energy from which everything manifests and into which everything will dissolve.”

For 11 Days the streets are glowing

bhoplagaipati2012 027res

 The story runs like this:

Parvati became dirty when she was celebrating with Shiva. When she realized this, she removed the dirt from her body and created a boy out of it. She then asked him to keep guard while she bathed.
When Shiva returned, the boy did not recognize him and obstructed his passage. So Shiva chopped off the boy’s head and entered.
Parvatiwas shocked when she saw this. She explained to Shiva that the boy was their son and pleaded with Shiva to save him at all costs.
Shiva then instructed his helpers to go and get the head of someone who was sleeping with their head pointing to the north. The helpers then got the head of an elephant, which Shiva affixed to the boy’s body.

bhoplagaipati2012 039res

Hindu’s have described this to me as a fiction of symbolic importance. Why would “all knowing” Shiva not recognise his son? Would Shiva, “the epitome of peace”, so short-tempered that he cut off the head of his own son?

According to Sri SriRavishankar  “Parvatiis symbolic of festive energy. Her becoming dirty signifies that celebration can easily become Rajasik, or feverish and can take you away from your center. Dirt is symbolic of ignorance, and Shiva is symbolic of the Supreme Innocence, Peace and Knowledge. So when Ganeshaobstructs the path of Shiva, this means that ignorance, which is an attribute of the head, does not recognize knowledge. Then knowledge has to overcome ignorance. This is the symbolism behind Shiva chopping off the boy’s head.

Elephants are symbols of wisdom and effortlessness.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Ganesh is depicted with a generous belly, one hand raised protectively, the other lowered in endless giving.  Ganesha also has a single tusk which signifies one-pointedness. The items he holds are also symbolic: the ‘Ankusa’ (signifying awakening) and the ‘Paasa’ (signifying control).  “With awakening, a lot of energy is released, which without proper control, can go haywire” claims Sri Sri.

Ganesha is shown riding a mouse.

“The mouse snips and nibbles away at ropes that bind. The mouse is like the mantra which can cut through sheaths and sheaths of ignorance, leading to the ultimate knowledge represented by Ganesha.”

Community Spirit

Most endearing is the communal meal binding shared by all. There is also some commercialisation. One animal farm for kids reminded me more of a Mickey Mouse rather than the symbol so eloquently described by Sri Sri. The same gripe is made of other traditions world over.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Again, I hear the voices of Jewish and Christian friends. For sacrificed to idols are a Halachic no -no. Christianity seems split: Acts 15 says “abstain” from  them yet later Paul writes of Christians eating meat at a temple, since idols are really nothing from his perspective, but he wont if it stumbles someone.

At least kindness is being offered to the community.

The finale is a mass immersion of the idols which are increasingly biodegradable . A festivity I missed.  However, Navratri is coming, business is booming and for my community at D. K. Devsthali the joy of sharing will again fill the air.,

idolmakersbhopal (5)res

|

0.000000 0.000000

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • LinkedIn
  • Print
  • Tumblr
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • Pocket

Like this:

Like Loading...
reflectionsofindia.com
77/100

Categories

  • Caste & Social position
  • India
  • Indian Art
  • Indian Cinema
  • Indian Clothing
  • Indian Festivals
  • Indian Food
  • Indian History
  • Madhya Pradesh
  • Poetry
  • Religion & Spiritualty
  • Tribal India

“The journey not the arrival matters.”
~ T. S. Eliot


IndiBlogger - The Largest Indian Blogger Community

Visit BlogAdda.com to discover Indian blogsOnline MarketingBlogorama - The Blog Directory



Follow Reflections of India on WordPress.com
A Proud Member! IndiChange - Harnessing the collective power of blogging to fight evil.
WriteUp Cafe - Together we Write
  • Hotels

  • Flights

  • City

  • Check-in

  • Check-out

  • Guests

    2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

    Rooms

    1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
  • Search & Compare 700 Travel Sites!


  • From

  • To

  • One Way

  • 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

    0 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

    Cabin Class

    Economy Economy Business First

Search & Compare 700 Travel Sites!


Recent Posts

  • Dividing Line
  • THE HYPNOSIS
  • Maya’s Mirror
  • My Shiva and Parvati I am Khiron
  • Ram Mohan Roy: Renaissance Man of Destiny

Categories

  • Caste & Social position
  • India
  • Indian Art
  • Indian Cinema
  • Indian Clothing
  • Indian Festivals
  • Indian Food
  • Indian History
  • Madhya Pradesh
  • Poetry
  • Religion & Spiritualty
  • Tribal India

Blog at WordPress.com.

Cancel
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
%d bloggers like this: