Thursday, November 6, 2008

Of Chath, American President and King Of Bhutan

6th of November, Was indeed an auspicious day.

Millions Of Bihari's stand in chest deep cold waters of Ganga, awaiting for the sun god to appear. They would break their 3 day fast with the rising sun, offer him token from their new crop, deep Ghee fried wheat cakes, milk etc. All elements of life, Water, air, fire, earth and sun are present here, and the soul the sixth is cleansed.

One of the purest of religious obidience, is visible here. The festival is restricted to Bihar and parts of eastern UP. Like all of Hindu festivals, this also revolves around the agricultural lifestyles.

All the utilities for the rituals are mailny crops that are just about ready for an early harvest. Ginger, Large cirtus lime, raddish, coconut, banana, turmeric, sugarcane and Thakua, a kind of Baked/fried wheat biscuits.
The sale of new crops just for the sake of this festiva, brings in money to the farmers, so that they can get along with the sowing season. Thekua in hordes, provides them with lunch in the fields in one place and uses all the old stock of wheat.
Another uniqueness is that no priest is required for this pooja.

Chath used to be such a pure ritual that only a few could endure it and abide by all its cleanliness rituals. But now if you see the popularity, it is sure to become a big festival in the coming days.
Bihar, virtually closes down right after diwlai to seven days from it.
Now we have political bouts and it is a matter of time that, Archies starts printing Cards for it.

American president.
The world has a black American President.
It prooves US is racist, after all.
My friend Sauvik puts it really well in his blog "sauvik-antidote.blogspot.com"
Democracy the least of the evils, has chosen to call it a day in American history, why is mentioning the color so important? it is like all of south asia has had democracy and a women head of state, US is still not there, on those parameters.

Does this make us a better democracy?


Bhutan Has a new king.

Well the coronation of the new king was a fanfare, definatley more known than when it turned into a democracy.
Gross National Happiness and 98% seats to one party.

The world is living a farce.