Yesterday was Krishna (the god)'s birthday. He was born maybe 5000 years ago at around midnight. Hindu people fast all day from when they wake up until midnight. They bring fruit and dessert offerings to the temples, and at midnight the offerings are passed out to everyone and there is a huge celebration.
My friend Leah and I walked to Mussoorie after Hindi class, which is about a 45 minute walk. We heard music and commotion from far away, and saw decorations as we got nearer. There were gold plastic streamers and colored lights along this long pathway leading to a large temple. People were walking up and down the walkway. We wanted to check it out but weren't sure if we should (after all, it was a religious ceremony and we didn't want to be inappropriate). So I went up to an elderly couple and asked if we could go in. "oh yes, too bad you weren't here before or we would have taken you. We've just come out," they said. Then they said: "We'll take you!" So they walked us down the glittering pathway and showed us where to leave our shoes (in the big pile of shoes outside the temple). Then we went in the temple and stood with other people who were praying towards an alter as other people rang large bells and a male voice chanted over a loud speaker. After about 20 minutes everyone threw orange flower petals into the alter, and a man at the alter threw water at the crowd. Then the couple took us back out, and we thanked them and said goodbye.
After eating in town, we began to walk back up to our hotel. We passed through Landour, and went into another temple. Everyone was sitting on blankets on the floor. Men were on the left and women on the right, though it was not strictly segregated. The women there wore amazing sparkly beautiful sari's and salwaar kumeez's, evidently dressed up for the holiday. There were women in yellow and orange robes on the right of the stage and men in white robes on the left; all were seated. The men played drums while the women sang and pne also played a keyboard. The temple again was beautifully decorated, and people everywhere made offerings to various alters around the room. The music and the energy was quite amazing.
On the way out several men talked to us about Hinduism and asked us a little about our religion. They gave us their card and said to visit more of their centers.
Back at the hotel, a group of us went to a local Puja (celebration) near our language school. We went in and got dots painted between our eyes and string bracelets on our wrists. We sat, women in from, men in back. I was given a metal instrument, kind of like a large long cymbal to play by the older women in front of me (she seemed happy to be rid of it). After a few minutes, the boys beckoned to us and we left; someone had told them we needed to leave because, as this was in a government building, no foreigners were allowed.
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- I wrote this blog while working at a women's resource center in Hyderabad, India through a social justice fellowship through American Jewish World Service.
3 comments:
This seems a truly beautiful experience, people celebrating their love of God with music and bright colors and community. I'm so glad you had the opportunity to share in this unusual form of worship.
love,
mom
Wow... I'm sooo jealous... sounds like the beautiful sweet India I remember. I look forward to visiting you!
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