Dashhara rituals and time to cross the ocean for the Goddess and me

2013’10’13



After ten days of nonstop festivities, today was the day for letting go of the

Goddess Durga and send her back to the ocean. A big fanfare with dance and

music took her to the ocean and let her go in it. All sorts of humanity was at

the beach and all sorts of Goddess idols too. It is a way to remind ourselves that

life is ever changing and it is time to look forward to other things like Diwali for

instance :)


For me too, this is the day to stop getting spoiled and head home. The ten days

of nonstop partying, talking and eating is ending and I am getting ready to across

the ocean too. I had a wonderful trip but I am also looking forward to going back

home and seeing the family. This has been a very long trip.


And, today is Dashhara too. According to the Hindu epic RAMAYANA, today , the

good king Rama killed the evil king Ravana and got his wife Sita back ( Ravana had

kidnapped her). Ravana was strong, wise and had ten heads, but he was the evil

king. So, today is the day to celebrate the victory of the good over the evil.

Effigies of Ravana are made all over India and they are burned with huge fanfare

of fireworks and celebrations. As a kid, we looked forward to this all year around (

this was before TV and Video games).


My niece sent an email to explain the meaning of the festival. Ten headed Ravana

symbolizes ten evils that we all have and we need to burn them out of us. The

evils include: anger, greed, jealousy, lust, ego, selfishness ..etc. I am sure all

ancient civilizations have symbolisms like this to spread the humane values.

Anyways, it is a good day to take leave from the “ Matrbhumi” ( motherland)

and start the journey back. Wish me good luck in that all my connections do

work well. This is the last blog for this trip. I hope you enjoyed the journey of

two totally different and yet very similar cultures. Please feel free to send your

comments and suggestions. Namaste

Worshipping little girls and Marigolds in the air

2013/10/12

The theme of nonstop worshipping and partying continued today too. Today was the day dedicated to respecting and worshipping little girls. According to ancient Hindu traditions, the girls are representatives of Goddess Laxmi ( Goddess of prosperity and happiness). The parents are privileged to have girls in the family and it is their duty to love and respect them till they are married and gone to someone else’s family.  

As a symbol of this wonderful tradition, every family honors seven girls by touching their feet, respecting them and offering them their favorite meal. Anaya took full advantage of the occasion, ate as much chocolate as she could and was very happy getting her feet washed by the grandma J

Anaya getting worshipped

Baby shower prep

Making Cards

Designer Niece

Lunch Break

Shoppers

Anaya's feet getting washed

Tomorrow is the big festival of Dashara so everyone was decorating with Marigold flowers. There were Marigolds everywhere and so were the traffic jams.  Everyone was celebrating and everyone was going somewhere. The proximity sensors in the cars must have been designed keeping Indian traffic in mind.

We are trying to wrap up shopping and start packing for the trip back. Little Anaya was very helpful in assembling the wedding cards while he mother was busy designing the saris and getting ready for her own baby shower.  Things were buzzing with activity around the Gupta home in Mumbai and yet it was very relaxing and peaceful  I am trying not to think about the 28 hour flight ( assuming no delayed flights) and very heavy suitcases. But, I will deal with that tomorrow. I should sleep now because finally the blaring bollywood music ( in the name of worshipping Goddess) has stopped. Good night

Company Holiday Party Indian Style

2013/10/11

We stayed in Vapi last night. The hotel was western style and was nice. My niece and I shared a room and we ended up talking till 1 AM or later. We do share lots of stuff and it was nice to catch up.

My brother’s pharmaceutical factory employs about 1000 workers and this was the yearly party. The
workers were are dressed up for the party and traditional dance that followed. The day started with
the Pooja. There is a small Temple with Ganesh and other Gods. Whole place including the temple
was decorated and everyone participated in the Pooja and Aarti. It seemed like everyone was looking
forward to the Pooja and then the lunch and dancing. Buffet lunch was well organized nad there was
plenty of nice food for everyone.

Packaging

Production Line

Gods

Favorite Niece

His is a private company and it is interesting to be the boss ( or boss’s sister) in India. May be because it is private company or because it is Indian culture, there was lot more respect and class separation between the Bosses, Managers and the workers. I am sure the children and grandchildren notice this growing up and it has to affect their subconscious ( Sanskar).

I got another tour of the operations of the factory. This time along with my niece. The factory is
impressive in that it is run like any other western company ( with clean rooms, automated machines, QA and manufacturing managers etc etc) .

Lunch

Lunch

Managers

Owners

Prayers

Prayers

Sunset

3 Monkeys

Workers Dancing

Drive back was uneventful (I slept through most of it). Most of us were tired from the day, my brother and his family exhausted ( it is lot of stress organizing such big event). So, my niece and I just went for a sunset walk and at the spur of the moment went to see “gravity” in nearby theatre. The movie ( released today) is very good ( ANupam recommended it from the other side of the world J The Theatre was mostly filled with young, yuppie type guys and few girls from upper middle class ( or may be upper class ). Like any American movie theaters, there were popcorns but in addition there were Samosas and other Indian snacks. The movie started with Indian Anthem and had an interval ( where you go out and get some more snacks) half way through the movie.

It was a full day and time to sleep now. There is full volume loudspeaker blaring music but I think I will be able to sleep through it. The noises of India are amazing, especially when you just saw a movie about space and silence in space….Good night

India : Beautiful outside the big cities and inside people’s hearts

2013/10/10

Today was the day to drive out of the city and visit my brother’s factory in Vapi.
Vapi is about 90 km north of Mumbai and is an industrial town with quite a few
manufacturing places. My brother has pharmaceutical manufacturing facility
here.

The drive outside the city was through lush green hill side and on good roads.
Once you are outside the city area, the slums gradually give way to road side
farms, villages and small truck stops.

We stopped at the Mahalaxmi ( Goddess) temple that my brother and family
have been going to for a long time. The beggars lined up outside the temples
were a typical sight in India along with the devotees who offer millions of rupees
to the Gods of various kinds.

Another Maid

Green India

Ready for the Trip

Westin in the slums of Mumbai

I got a personal tour of my brother’s factory . It was educational to see the various
processes of manufacturing the pharmaceutical products. The whole family is
here for the yearly Pooja and company picnic tomorrow. The kids had a blast,
jumping on the bed and are sleeping now . In India ( for private companies) the
business is a family affair and this is not an exception.

Beggars

Devotees

Pharma

Rangoli

In Vapi, we are staying in a nice hotel and I am really enjoying sharing the room
with my favorite niece. We talked about all sorts of personal and not so personal
things. It is late and I will try to email this blog tonight , otherwise we will have to
wait till tomorrow. Good night..

BRTS, Dummy schools and Good bye Indore and Goddess Durga3

2013/10/08

I am in Mumbai again, circle India tour to visit everyone I know is finished and I am on my way back. There is still some more shopping to do and things to share but the circle is on the return cycle. In Indore, it rained most of the time but I managed to see everyone I wanted to see and had a wonderful time.

I finally got to see Goddess Durga in its full glory.  Nine days festivities are everywhere and people are celebrating the power of Goddess in all her forms, Durga, Laxmi and Saraswati ( Goddess of Power, Wisdom and Prosperity). In India Women are all powerful in all aspects of life as long as they are Goddesses. I find it ironic that in the country where the Goddess are worshipped with such devotion, parents advice their daughters to never go alone anywhere, and they  are afraid  to leave the little girls with the nanny or even get them driven to school and back ( even in the bus).

Dinner Break

Family at Durga Pooja

Ganesh and Laxmi

Goddess Durga

Happy Cat

Indore Airport

Solar Lamps Decorations

Tribal Dance

But, then again, India reminds me of the elephant and the five blind men story.  Each of the blind man touches a different part of the elephant and describes the elephant based on his experience. My comments are based on what I see and what my friends/relatives face ( who are living in India). From what I can tell, the middle class educated girls have lot more opportunities and freedom than a generation ago but they still have very long ways to go to be assumed as being treated equal, as someone here said, “ certain things are just not done here” . Socially, there is lot of violence ( physical and mental) against women in poor families ( may be that is why they remain poor) and at the same time much more equality in more affluent families. But, from what I see Indian society is very much a patriarchal society. I feel that more often than not, society in general gives permission to criminally mined men to be violent against women  by blaming the victim. ( at the same time worshipping the Goddess for their power, wisdom and wealth) . To be balanced and fair I have to say that some families of my generation feel that because the girls have protection by law against the family violence , they misuse it to gain power in the complex family situations.

I will stop my soap box now. It is not raining in Mumbai and weather is little cooler. I hung out with my sister in law , trying to understand the complexity of Indian society and justification of ( my perception)  hypocrisy. It is fun to hear and understand the views of people in India who have made it and have the luxuries that no money can buy in western society ( ok, maybe people like Gates can) . We went out to see some decorations and celebration with my nephew/niece and grand niece. The money and time spent on these festivals far exceeds anything even USA spends on Xmas and these festivals will go nonstop for another six weeks.

I should sleep now. I wanted to talk about the Dummy school but that has to wait. India is changing so fast and inventing so many social phenomenon that one can write volumes about the issues and ingenious solutions. Good night…

Goddesses vs Nature: Friends and Family

2013/10/08

I had to skip the morning walk because a very dear friend and the dean of
engineering college wanted to come for a short visit. Just after his visit it started
to rain heavily. This is not supposed to be the Monsoon season. In fact all the
festivities and Goddess worshiping is designed to celebrate the end of the
Monsoons. But, today the nature won hands down over the Goddesses, many
decorations are ruined and festivities canceled. It rained most of the day.

Cow and Garbage

Gods

Monsoon

Monsoon

 I have not seen Monsoon rains for so many years, so it was a treat for me. I
enjoyed even the puddles and the mud. It reminded me of the days when we
used to wear “gumboots” and intentionally stomp through the puddles to get to
our school and come home all soaked. It did not matter because the rains here
are warm ;)

But, the bad traffic was worse everywhere and my childhood friend braved the
weather to come to see me (at a very short notice). We are friends since we
were 4 years old and lost touch for almost thirty years. It was nice to reconnect
but it was also nicer to learn all ins and outs of learning to make opium and
narcotics from her. She was in charge of the Opium/Narcotic lab in India and
is retired for last three years. She feels unchallenged and bored. I asked her if
she can consult or do something else and she said, my friend there are only two
options: 1) The lab I retired from 2) Smugglers and illegal labs J

Another friend organized a small get together of the college friends. I feel truly
blessed to find all these friends ( at such short notice) to come to spend some
time with me ( or they are all retired and looking for something to do in the
eveningJ ). In any case it was fun to see everyone.

Back at home, talked and bonded with my brother, sister in law and the
nephew. We solved the issues ranging from raising girls in India to fake
Prosperity and misplaced priorities J Tomorrow I start the journey back. Good
night

Socializing Marathon day 1

The morning started with a cup of ginger tea courtesy of my sister in
law, followed by a walk in the exclusive club. The club has closed the
membership for many years now and suppose I should feel privileged
to be walking there. It is clean, quiet and lush green after a down pour
for 2.5 inches the day of my arrival. We did yog(a) class after the walk
and I know that there is no such thing as American Yoga, I do like the
way Leslie teaches us. But, the class was good and a good mind/body
exercise.

Cousins

Grand Nephew

Sitafal

Smart and Silly

Exclusive Walk

Yoga

This is a festival season for India. After monsoons, the rural India cleans
up, plants the new corps and enjoys the blessings of good monsoon,
which is the life line for the agricultural economy. All Gods and
Goddesses are awake. The season starts with Lord Ganesh birthday,
then it is Goddess Durga’s pooja for nine days. This is the second day
of the Durga Pooja and there is feasting and fasting all over the town.
Everyone is dancing in the town squares and most of the city is lighted
and decorated. My family says , all the places are too crowded, noisy
and chaotic for me to go there..) so instead I had lunch with Jagdish’s
side of the family at a local five star restaurant. It was a buffet but still
we were served like VIPs and food was delicious. The bill was $8.00 per
person including the tips. Food here is cheap if you earn in dollars.
After some more tea and visit, I went for dinner at another set of nieces
and nephew’s place. ( I told you this is non stop socializing). The grand
niece is in 10th grade and has to figure out what she wants to with her
life in next couple of months. She has to decide if she should take math
or biology or social science. The decision is irreversible ( or goes only
in one direction) and determines what she will be in future for rest
 grade and has to figure out what she wants to with her
of her life. She is totally confused, likes everything ( including boys,
parties and facebook) and unlike USA she has to decide now. They
were telling horror stories of the competition in the Engineering and
Medical entrance exams. ( today there was front page news about how
some group had an elaborate and clever scheme to defeat the system
and were cheat in the tests with the examiners and lots of big money
involved). The hardship and reality of life here makes people think in
a very narrow field ( doctor, engineer or lawyer) and do what ever it
takes to get there. I suggested to have them send her to USA where
there is lot less competition and more options. ( it used to be other way
around) .

Sorry if the blog is not more interesting, I am tired from talking, need to
rest my brain a little. Namaste