Celebrating Festivals- Day 12 of #100happy days

Festivals are always a hit or miss thing in our household. When I am in a mood, I go all out; if not, I look the other way. When I woke up on Sankranti Day, I hadn’t decided whether to celebrate the festival or not. After first deciding to ignore it, I changed my mind, and spent the next two hours in the kitchen cooking the traditional dishes you make on that day.

The kids aren’t sure if they like it, and I might end up having to eat it all. But who cares- I’m happy and everything smells divine!

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Bringing down the Tree- Day 8 of #100happydays

The was the first Christmas at our new place. The kids and I had taken hours to select the tree. We’d decorated it with baubles gifted by friends from across the world. For weeks, the tree dominated our live and our living room.

I thought I would be sad when it was time to bring the tree down; instead I found myself humming while winding up the fairy lights and wrapping the decorations in tissue. Because though this Festive season is over, there will be many more.

This is just the start of many wonderful years in our Lovely Home.

 

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There is still Hope

Her father works as a security guard- a job he has clung onto for over a decade. Her mother is barely literate- a woman who’s personal horizons end at the walls of her home. She is a Certified Public Accountant, working for one of the “Big Four” Public Auditing Firms. Her younger sister is doing a Masters in Science in the United States- she went there on a full-scholarship.

Her’s is the kind of story that gives us hope. The kind of story that reminds us that with hard work and a supportive family, you can open almost all doors.

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A Drabble is a story told in exactly 100 words.

Tomorrow marks the 63rd Anniversary of the day on which India proclaimed herself a Republic. Though there is a lot that is wrong in the country, stories like this give me Hope.

Isn't that how festivals should be?

“Please, Mamma, may be do Ganapathi at home?”, my kids asked me.

“No way. I am not killing myself any more”, I replied. “You want to celebrate, you celebrate. Leave me out of it.”

Last year, I had sworn not to celebrate any festivals at home. All the hard work wore me out, nobody appreciated the effort, and I ended up snapping at everyone in frustration. Life became much easier after I started ignoring festivals.

And then the kids wanted to celebrate. I let them take charge; helped when they asked. We have fun.

Isn’t that how festivals should be?

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We haven't yet got to a stage where we celebrate obscure festivals like this one where images of the Mother Goddess seem to be worshipped at home, but we have celebrated at least three major and many minor festivals, and had fun. Taken at the local market, in December, this forms a part of my Pictorial Flashback of 2012.

The purpose of festivals

Sharad Poornima.

The full moon night when the moon is closest to the Earth. People believe that if they offer a milk based dessert to the moon before consuming it, they will be blessed with good health in the coming year. In the days before high-rises and pollution, many families would have, what amounts to, a moonlight picnic dinner on Sharad Poornima. Whether the moon actually blessed the food or not, we do not know, but everyone sure had fun.

And shouldn’t that be the whole purpose of festivals?

I did my bit, and make something sweet for the kids.

“The easy confidence with which I know another man's religion is folly teaches me to suspect that my own is also.”
― Mark Twain

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This is the fourth year that I am going to be a part of NaBloWriM. The Plan is to elaborate on a quote that touched my heart- let's see how far this takes me. If I can tie it in with the writing prompt, so much the better!

Our Elephant-headed One

Created by his Mother! Given the head of an Elephant by his Father!

In a contest with his brother, he could not be bothered to race around the world three times- he strode leisurely around his parents- they make up the world for him.

The Remover of Obstacles! The Scribe of the Mahabharata!

While other Gods compete with each other on their majestic mounts, he is happy pottering around on his trusty mouse. He is content, but when required, his physical bravery and intellectual powers surpass those of the other Gods.

Ganesha!

How can anyone not love our Elephant-headed God? 

What price Celebrations?

The last thing you expect at midnight is for someone to set-off a fire-cracker with an ear-shattering bang right under your window. And yet, that is exactly what happened last night. And if that wasn’t bad enough, a second cracker with an equally loud bang was set off just as we were about to drop back to sleep.

It wasn’t that the people doing it didn’t know it was illegal- they just couldn’t care. After all, which of their neighbours would do something as un-neighbourly as summon the police?

What is the purpose of celebrations, if they inconvenience others so?

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A drabble is a story told in exactly 100 words.

Traditions that drive you mad

Is it only in my house that festivals end up becoming so stressful? Whether it is strictly necessary or not, you create your own traditions, and drive yourself crazy trying to maintain them even when you have barely enough time to breathe. You expect people to co-operate, but nobody seems to want to do anything except on their terms. And just when decide you will do everything yourself, instead of staying out of the way, people end up creating new problems. “Never again”, you swear. And at that point of time you mean it.

But come next year, you capitulate.
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A drabble is a story told in exactly 100 words.

The Congregation is Dwindling



Christmas Decorations, 2009

 Four years back, when we moved to our current home, Christmas at the parish church was a huge affair. The Nativity Scene was beautiful, and each of the paper stars was a work of art. The following year, the celebrations were toned down, but I blamed it on the fact that the city was still recovering from the recent Terror Attacks. Last year, the decorations were slightly better, but this year, they are virtually non-existent.

One can't escape reality- the congregation is dwindling. People are either moving away, or just don't care anymore. Isn't it sad when that starts happening?


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A drabble is a story told in exactly 100 words.

I know who Santa Claus is

"I have figured out who Santa Claus is", said the seven year old.

"I always knew Santa Claus", boasted the (almost) five year old.
"Who? Tell me!", challenged the older one
"He's the guy who has a long beard and gives presents."
"Yes, but do you know who he is?"
"I just told you. He is the guy who gives presents at Christmas."
"See, you don't know", gloated the older one.
"Okay, then you tell me."
"Santa Claus is the father of Virgin Mary. Which makes his Jesus' Grandfather!"

Given the way Christmas is going, he might just be right.
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A drabble is a story told in exactly 100 words.

Perhaps there was a Father Christmas after all!

I will be honest, thought she kept reminding me, I had forgotten all about Danette's Christmas Story Blogfest. At the time I signed up, I was intending to re-post a rather morbid short story set over the Christmas holiday that I had written several years back. But when it came to actually doing so, I decided to go with a brand new drabble instead.

This is a work of fiction, which I hope reminds you of the true meaning of Christmas.
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She looked hungrily at the brightly lit stores. Savoured the aroma of the Christmas decorations. The foot-tapping music was making her ravenous. She wanted to feast on the Christmas spirit.

At seven, she already knew that festivals were only for those who could afford to celebrate. But maybe she could persuade her mother to braid her hair in that special way?

A car stopped and asked for directions. The driver thrust something into her hands before driving away.

A whole bar of chocolate!!! Perhaps there was a Father Christmas after all!

She ran off to share it with her friend.

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A drabble is a story told in exactly 100 words.

Christmas traditions

[I never signed up for the Be Jolly By Golly blogfest co-hosted by Jen and Melissa, but when the tree came crashing down just as I was getting out to leave the kids at school, the post wrote itself. Here then are Christmas traditions unedited in my mad houshold.]


'Why on earth do I subject myself to this torture?", I asked myself this morning when the tree came crashing down yet again. 'Never again", I informed the kids, "by the time you get home, the tree will be gone, and I will never get you another one."


I meant every word. Strictly speaking, Christmas is not even 'my' holiday, and none except the Christian households even have a tree.

By the time I put the tree together again, my anger had dissipated. After all, it is traditions that sustain us, and knocking down the tree is a tradition too. 
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A drabble is a story told in exactly 100 words.

The Tree in all its glory, after being dressed by the kids!

With the lights on- kid wandered into the pic!

The Angle of Choice!
My favourite ornament- a gift from
an Austrian friend.

To Ensure Financial Success

'Shree Om' is always the entry made on the first page before starting new books of account. It is also the notation made at the top of every new page.

Shree. Or Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity.
Om. Or Ganesh, the Lord of Auspicious Beginnings.

Invoking them before starting an enterprise is the best way to ensure its financial success. Requesting them to bless your books of account is something only a fool would neglect to do.

In Northern India, 'Lakshmi-Ganesh' are worshiped on Diwali. It is any wonder that the Hindu Financial Year starts the day after?

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A drabble is a story told in exactly 100 words.

Memories are made of these

My first Diwali away from home. Most of my classmates had gone back home, the few of us left behind tried desperately to capture the atmosphere of the festival on campus. A massive rangoli made with coloured powder at the centre of the open-air plaza. A thousand earthen lamps lining three stories of balconies enclosing the plaza- each a flickering point of light dispelling the gloom. It seemed like Louis Kahn had designed the campus with us in mind.

It was Diwali as I have never known it. And the start of my love affair with rangolis and earthen lamps.

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A drabble is a story told in exactly 100 words.


Happy Diwali, Everyone!!!

They do it for their husbands

Beauty treatments, new clothes, matching bangles, dressy shoes. Intricate henna patterns, exotic bindis, professionally applied make-up.
On Karva Chaut, every woman tries to looks as beautiful as a bride-  she needs something to take her mind off the growing hunger and thirst. She eats before dawn, and breaks her fast only after sighting the moon at night- the same moon which invariably plays hide and seek. It is difficult but not as difficult as not being able to drink anything till sunset.

They do it for their husbands. Do the husbands appreciate it? Most just take it as their due.

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A drabble is a story told in exactly 100 words. Another drabble on Karva Chaut here.

The Grass is Greener, even for Goddesses

Lion or Tiger? Looks more like a Horse to me.

Same Goddess. Same Demon. Same Festival. Different Mounts.

In Bengal, Durga rides a Lion. A ferocious creature who thinks nothing of sticking his sharp claws into the demon.
In Gujarat, she is astride a Tiger. An gentle animal who has learnt to pose gracefully for photographers.

The strangest thing is that the only lions found outside a zoo are in Gujarat, and Bengal is the home of the Royal Bengal Tiger.

Wouldn't it have made more sense if Durga rode a lion in Gujarat and a tiger in Bengal?

I guess even Goddesses want what is more difficult to get.

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A drabble is a story told in exactly 100 words.


Head across to Burrowers, Books & Balderdash if you want to hear me get Delusional about Pirates and men in Pink.

Vijaya Dashami- Victory of Good over Evil

Vijaya Dashami is commemorates the victory of Good over Evil; of the saintly Rama over the evil Ravana. But I was never comfortable with that interpretation of the epic battle.

Rama sprouted the moral code when it came to others, but he was not above breaking them; Ravana often conducted himself with more honour than Lord Rama. As I saw it, in that particular battle, good and evil were labels reserved for the victor and the vanquished.

But on Vijaya Dashami, I do hope for the victory of Good over Evil. Of common-sense and basic humanity over inefficiency and corruption.

I know a lot of people may want to haul me over the coals for questioning the definition of Good and Evil. I am open to a debate, but before you yell at me, please read an earlier post of mine - What is good and what is evil?
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A drabble is a story told in exactly 100 words.

Saraswati Pujai

Saraswati Pujai was the festival I always looked forward to as a child. The Goddess of Wisdom, Learning and the Arts, she was worshiped as a pile of books bedecked in bright cloth and jewels. On that one day, I always got a break from studying- Saraswati couldn't be expected to preside over my homework on her birthday, could she?

When I was a little older, I realised that giving her a break meant I couldn't read either, which left me with not too much I could do. Now I have the Internet.

Except... does she preside over blogdom too?


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A drabble is a story told in exactly 100 words.

Durga Puja

Shiva may be the most powerful God in the Pantheon, but he is also the most foolish. Easily moved by intense penance, he grants boons to his devotees without thinking of the consequences. Hindu mythology is full of stories of demons who charmed Shiva into granting them immortality and went onto terrorize the Universe.
When Mahishasura, who can be defeated by "no man, God or animal", unleashes his Terror, there is only one being who can save the Universe. Shiva's Consort, Parvati, may be the Mother Goddess, but as Durga, she is also the Supreme Warrior.

We worship her today.

Shiva on a Shop Sign, presiding over offerings to be made to Durga

For a longer version of the story, do read an older post of mine - Durga's Annual Homecoming- most mothers and wives would empathise with Durga.

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A drabble is a story told in exactly 100 words.

Garba-deep - the Representation of a Mother

An earthen pot with a flame inside. The flame that is lit on the first day of Navratri, and kept burning for Nine Days and Nine Nights. The Garba-deep which is worshiped as the symbolic representation of the Mother Goddess; which is the Mother Goddess.

The name says it all. Garba, the womb. Deep, a flame. The flame burning brightly in a womb. The Mother nourishing her child.

It is not a Goddess who is worshiped. It is the Mother who is worshiped as a Goddess.

When religion demands worship, why then are Women treated as badly as they are?


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A drabble is a story told in exactly 100 words.