"Mera Bharat Mahaan !" This was something I just heard every Independence day and in the occasional patriotic movie on TV. But now, I am giving it some serious thought. The practices of my Indian culture seem to be stalking me!
I guess being away from home does that to you. Back home, I would not chant any Sanskrit prayers. My reason, I dont know Sanskrit and I would like to understand what I am saying to God !! I think that is reasonable. What I did wrong was I never tried to understand. I prefered my usual dialogue with God every morning which goes something like this: "Good morning God! I hope you slept well...wait a minute..I hope you did not sleep and were watching over mankind all night. In any case thank you for everything till yesterday and I hope you will give me reasons to thank you again tomorrow morning !". Sounds like a threat? Well anyways this has been my prayer for a long time now.
But now that I am away from home, I crave to listen to the Sanskrit prayers though I still dont understand it. I crave to listen to the devotional songs though I would never sing them for want of a non croaky voice. And hence my latest resolution : I will celebrate, sing and pray during every Indian festival there is. I will make the cloyingly sweet sweets and distribute them and watch my friends' discomfort and convince myself that they actually have a divine expression. I will not let my culture's practices fade with my generation. And of course I will continue to threaten God every morning!
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5 comments:
That's an interesting take on cultural and religious aspects. But I am thinking what makes you want to celebrate all the festivals now. I don't really ink its the craving. Its more like missing home. So even your 'annoying friend' back home will suddenly look more interesting to you if you were to meet him/her in US. But when you go back home, you would not want to see that person again. So, whats the guarantee that your resolution wont fade away when you go back to India?
Well I make a lot of resolutions. When I make them I hope that I am able to follow up effectively :) right now I am in that hoping stage, and I do not want to burst my own bubble by thinking of what it might come to be :P
leave alone sanskrit prayers, what about taking bath on every Indian festival day???
That is avery difficult question... I guess I cannot promise that
Familiarity breeds contempt!!
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