Nine days of Prayers! Navarathiri- Day seven!

So its Navarathiri again, which basically means nine days of prayers.

Three days for courage and bravery - Prayers to Durga ( goddess of courage)
Three days for wealth and money $$$, - Prayers to Lakshmi (the goddess of wealth)
Three days for education and excelling in music, arts and crafts- prayers to saraswathy ( goddess of education and music)

The fun and tedious bit of it is all your family invites all the women ranging from two to ninety year olds to come visit their shrine room. Some of the ladies go all out and do this beautiful set up with dolls and decoration. The others like me and my cousins who are caught up in the work world just do prayers in the evening.

Fun bit of it is you get gifts at every house you visit. So i have a whole collection of glass bangles and knick knacks. Each gift is given with betel leaves coconut and fruits. Also you get to eat all this yummy food. Which means in return I have to do the same.

I got some cute tiny kitchen weighing scales to give as return gifts, except i got distracted and bought some other unnecessary stuff. Never mind!

Eclipse and Us!

From yesterday..
The topic of the day has been the eclipse. Everyone has been watching and reporting about it. I got special instructions from my dad. Do not eat during the eclipse and you must have a bath before consuming meals after. Then special instructions to tell the kids not to look at the sky. I did not bother passing on the message to the kids cause the minute i say dont look up. thats exactly what they will do the little one will spend hours gazing up and we dont want that now.

Olden day belief was your food turned poisonous if u eat during the eclipse cause a huge snake was gobbling up the sun (yes please laugh since i believed this when i was a kid and would starve and shut myself inside a room during an eclipse)

Hindu temples are strictly closed in the eclipse time, the floors are washed after it and then they do pooja. Some of us actually dont cook or eat or drink water at this eclipse time. the kitchen is cleaned and then cooking starts.

Was worried about the astrological thing since the eclipse plays havoc with the stars so its bad again. Wow always its bad and worse only why is that? oh that's how the astrologers mint money.

Friends called up to ask did u see it, its so great. I well just looked at the guys on the road looking up with special glasses and was not brave to look into the sky.

The BIG Saturnal Change!

There is a big astrological change on this saturday that is tomorrow! So all those who beleive in astrology and stuff (i.e DD ) this might be the big CHANGE we are looking for. ok i better stop i am beginning to sound slighly demented.

But yes the stars and signs that we are born in play a major role in how our life takes its course. I used to question it, believe it, then go half half. But this one on saturday is what i am having all my bets on for cause its suppose to be really good.

yes many times i have seen changes happening in stars and nothing profound in my life but somehow trying to be positive about this.

My dads been anticipating this saturnal change so much and is so very excited about it (yes it runs in the family!).

B will get hitched at last after this it seems (but then again last year they said the same thing but never mind he can celebrate his 25th Birthday in peace this year)

Me hemmm i hope to be going places well if not anywhere far at least to odel to just be happy about it..... (havent been there in ages, i think i am turning over a new leaf)

Superstition playing through...

Once in two months my cousin calls me up and tells special poojas to be performed at the temples for the betterment of life. the easy ones i do the hard ones i leave it. last saturday she told me a fairly simple thing involving lighting of three lamps at three different temples. Woke up bright and early got ready started the car it did not start.

I got freaked out (yes i am a bit mad that i decided it was a bad omen) Got DH to start the car started. Then set off to temple. Went there decided shall pray before doing the lamp thing and left it and went inside. while praying mind was in a confused state and as such when i finished prayers was in a confused state of mind.

Came out to get my lamps someone had broken not only one lamp but the whole bottle of oil. i totally broke down. get home and was bawling non stop since i decided this is very bad news. I know it sounds mad but i was so depressed all day. I just could not get over it.

wake up in the morning open the front door and find a lizard dead with his tail seperate. scream shout and go and cry somemore that bad omen for dead lizard. So lie down on the sofa and am depressed. TV is on and i cant help but listen to some preacher say that getting obsessed about superstion is one of the stupidest habits of human beings. wierd but a coincidence...

why is it that i cant let go of all this superstitious mumbo jumbo.... I look at good omens all day...

God and I

So god appeared in full glory in front of me and said
”What would be your three wishes whatever granted”
Me being the Good person I am said “ World Peace, Food for the poor , Happier Sri lanka”
Well that was an attempt at a dry joke.

I have just stopped praying for the fourth day in a row. I don’t think Hinduism does say you have to pray everyday. But I was praying everyday and visiting temples like no tomorrow. Due to misery in my personal life in general I had to blame it on someone. First thought was my parents who brought me into this world but then again poor souls how were they suppose to predict that my life was going to be one big carnival (Not). Then I realized I had to blame it on someone else so its god. I tried having an annoyed conversation with God but stopped since I might look like a mental talking to oneself. I don’t know how long I am going to continue this, but then again could things get worse that it is already if I don’t pray. Hemmm that’s a thought to think about for now.

Sacred Dot on the forehead!

Had to attend a meeting with one of our clients about some of our down south ventures at work. Meeting was proceeding quite well or so I thought since I was half tuned off and nodding my head. When the all important person (our client half white man) says “ Santhoshi need to tell you something please don’t feel insulted”

Me : (thinking oh damn he knows I am not listening to anything he is talking, but quickly give a smile) “No sir what is it?” ( My voice must have given away that I was utterly worried how he was going to insult me)

Client : You should not take it personally

My office manager was utterly thrilled and was sniggering happily. I was bit embarrassed cause I really did not would not like being shouted at. Especially in front of my colleagues.

Me : Its ok please go ahead

Client : I am not insulting you or your beliefs but it’s a request please don’t wear the dot in your forehead. This is important when you are handling my part of the region. Hope you understand.

Me : (dumbstruck for once just nodded my head) Mhem

Well I was not really insulted or worried cause in a day to day basis I wear the dot / pottu when I feel like it. Of course I would not go in front of my parents or in laws without it. I do have a habit of not wearing it when I go out. My mom scolds me all the time if she catches me without it. I know it’s not right but I have a habit of taking it off when I approach a security point.

Well the true fact is all married Hindu women are supposed to wear it in red color. But these days to keep up with fashion everyone wears different bling bling stuff. I never wore it to school, now my daughter hardly wears it either unless it’s some festival. But I know all the older women in my family would have felt insulted if someone told them not to wear a pottu.

Have a friend who had the nerve to tell me why u don’t wear a pottu, you should do so shows that you are a Tamil. Ya right my foot! He would never dare to tell his wife to wear one even to the temple.

A widow once told me you don’t know how lucky you are you should wear a pottu all the time. She knows the importance of it since she can’t wear it.

Maybe I am taking things for granted wearing it when I wish. Taking it off for convenience! So next time I head off to the south, will I be wearing the sacred dot on my forehead? Probably Not!!

Another Festival of lights!

Plans of stopping at Paradise came to a stand still this weekend. Since I had conveniently forgotten that we had a festival of lights business this poya weekend. Woke up late on Saturday morning and my mother calls from Chennai (she has been there for two weeks now). She was like hope u got everything ready for light festival thing (Karthikai Deepam). Oh damn I had forgotten. Pretended I had everything under control (not).

This light festival falls right after Deepavali and is on Poya in the month of November. Still not sure the real reason why it’s done. But most Hindus light all these lamps all round the house garden and its really colorful. Called up sister in law she said she had gotten early dawn to start preparations this was at two pm

So I slowly started the preparation at 4 and was done by six. My mum in laws all spend the whole day dragging and doing all this customs. We are supposed to make these rice dumplings and pray. Well did that too and for once the dumplings came out quite nicely and was perfect. When I was in Chennai last had got these really beautiful Lamps and had fun setting them out on Rangoli** (this is beautiful patterns drawn in front of the house). The house was really like Wesak Come early and the neighbors wanted to know what it was about (the neighbors ask this every year and I just bluff my way through as special poya). Kids asked questions bluffed my way through them too. Have to hunt the Hindu rituals book or ask my mom what it’s all about.

** rangoli these are intricate beautiful patterns which can be drawn and fun. In India it’s a huge thing where all girls learn the art of it. This is mainly to draw in front of the house. If u aint an artist like me, this is the easy way to try your hand at being one. Very simple with dots put out and logical way of connecting them to make beautiful patterns.