Chhat Puja- Worship of Sun God

On 4th of November the day of chhat festival all roads in Mumbai lead to the Arabian Sea for the migrant people of Bihar. Chhat puja is the most auspicious and revered festival for the Biharis. Wherever they are, on any part of the world, on this day the Biharis throng the nearest sea shore, and river to pray to the Sun God. The women folk are draped in colourful sarees with red vermillion smeared on their forehead and carry plate full of fruits meant as offering to the Sun God.
This year in Mumbai chhat festival was celebrated with equal fervor and pomp by tens of thousands of Biharis who converged on the soft sand of Juhu Chowpatty. The Biharis, come to the city in search of green pastures. They are mostly self employed working as milk vendors, carpenters, newspaper sellers, taxi drivers and bhel puriwalas.
I was told that the crowd this year was less compared to last years as some of them preferred to stay back due to the atmosphere of fear prevalent in the city. Lately there is backlash against the north Indians and the Biharis were at the receiving ends at the hands of the local rightist parties propagating Sons of the soil theory. They are protesting against the influx of migrants coming from North India to Mumbai city in search of jobs thus threatening the livelihood of locals. When I spoke to some of the Biharis, they were brave enough to remain unfazed with the recent controversy and hoped that better sense would prevail and they would get accepted in the city. According to the Indian constitution people of India is free to travel and stay in any part of India.
On the Chhat festival I was told that it is celebrated six days after Diwali, another prominent festival of lights celebrated by the Hindu population of India. The Biharis consider the Sun God as most powerful and believe that seeking his blessing acts as fulfillment of their wishes. One of the legendendary story is that Lord Rama on completion of fourteen year of penance in the forest returns with his wife Janaki to Ayodhya to be crowned as a king. Lord Rama prays to the Sun God to bless the couple with a prodigious son. As a result they were blessed with twins named Luv and kush. The Biharis fast on this day and spend the evening on the Sea shore conduct pujas and make offering to Sun God. After the Sun sets the devotees spend the whole night on sea shore braving the chill wind, wait for next day’s sun rise to once again worship the Sun God.

For images on Chhat Puja, click here-

http://rajennair.com/gallery40.asp

Death of Father Bernard Digel

Indian Priest Bernard Digal’s was interviewed by me sometime back and his story titled ‘Religious Violence in Orissa’ was published recently in Guardian Weekly. It was reported in Indian press today that Father Bernard Digal succumbed to his injuries in a hospital in Chennai, South India. He was attacked by the Hindu fanatics in the recent riots in Orissa. During the course of the interview I found him to be an affable and loving person. I told him that majority of the Hindus are secular and believe in peaceful co-existence with other faiths. Christianity came to India much before it reached the European shore. One of the twelve Apostle of Jesus, St Thomas first landed in Kerala in about AD 52. When I asked him whether he would be scared to return back to his native Orissa, he replied no and remarked that his life is in the hands of the God. One can now say that Father Bernard Digal is out of reach from the marauding mob of Orissa, resting safely in the hands of God. At end of the interview Father Bernard invited me to visit him at Archbishop of Bhubaneswar but sadly he wouldn’t be around. May his soul rest in peace

Link to full Text of the Interview-

http://www.guardianweekly.co.uk/?page=editorial&id=727&catID=2

Bull Temple of Bangalore

My recent visit to Bangalore to attend wedding of my nephew was a memorable one. Though I stayed for less than a week but I managed to visit few tourist spot.
Lal baug garden located in the heart of the city is spread over 240 acres of greenery and considered the lungs of the city serving fresh air against the city pollution. Covering the entire garden by foot is an exhaustive exercise but it is worth it.
Chickpet market is famous for silk & kancheepuram sarees. I was told that 40 miles away from Bangalore there many farms breeding silkworms out of which the finest silk is spun out. Garment shops in chickpet offer all kind of exotics colours and exquisite hand embroidered sarees. For bulk buyers the purchase turns out pretty cheap.
There is number of temples in Bangalore but none to beat the bull temple in term of spiritual fulfillment. The gigantic stone carved sculpture of Bull located inside the temple is awesome sight that instills within us a feeling of piousness and bliss.
When you talk of Bangalore one cannot miss mentioning about its balmy cool climate, no sooner I landed in Bangalore the skies opened out welcoming us with drizzle. Throughout my stay the sky remained overcast with intermittent rains and nip of chill hung in the air.
The area around majestic (old Bangalore) has cluster of old buildings milling with crowds. The roads are narrow with lot of interjection thrown in, creating traffic bottlenecks. The city terribly lacks in infrastructure with hardly any flyovers built. I am told that Metro is coming up, hopefully that will ease the traffic congestion.
Whereas the outskirt of the city offers an impressive sight with top corporate IT honchos located there. Bangalore is the hub of IT industry and it is the common sight to see computer geeks carrying laptops round the clock and sleek cars dropping call centre employees at offices. Swanky Pubs and restaurants and shopping malls are sure sign of the city coming on its own.

For more images on Bull temple check out my image website-

http://rajennair.com/gallery39.asp

Durga Pooja in Mumbai

Last week Durga pooja was celebrated in Mumbai. Goddess Durga represents a form of Sakti worshipped by the Hindu population of India. She is considered Mother of Universe with immense power. She represents symbol of a female dynamism. Durga pooja is popularly celebrated by the Bengalee community in the State of Bengal in India.

I visited Shivaji park and lokhandwala area in Mumbai where Durga pooja was being celebrated. I bring you some of the images taken through my lens of Goddess Durga

For images and text on Navaratri, the nine days festival of India, here is the link-

http://english.ohmynews.com/articleview/article_view.asp?menu=c10400&no=380763&rel_no=1

Rape of a Catholic Nun- A shocking incident in Orissa

The shocking incident of rape of a 29 year old Catholic nun allegedly by a Hindu fanatical group in the sectarian violence in Orissa has made every patriotic Indian hang their head in utter shame. Ironically this dreadful news comes just a day after the nation celebrated Gandhi Jayanthi, the preacher of non-violence and tolerance to all faiths. Whenever there is sectarian or communal outbreak in the country unfortunately, it is the women folk who have to bear the maximum brunt of mindless violence, often becoming victims of rape and killing. It has happened before like in the Gujarat communal riots and it would continue to occur, sadly in future.
The reaction that follows after such an incident is that there would be huge hue and cry in the media, the NGOs resort to filing petitions, the politicians besides offering lip service, at times politicize the whole incident and the common person would remain mute spectators. After a lapse of time, everything gets forgotten till the country is jolted with one more such incident of rape and communal violence. Seldom does the incident of rape come to light in our country, though in this case it came out 38 days later, because the police in connivance with the politicians do their best to suppress such incidents.
The Hindu fanatical groups like Bajrang Dal, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Sangh Parivar have let loose a reign of terror in BJP-ruled States, destroying churches, killing innocent people and raping women. What would happen in the event of the BJP coming to power in the country? People like Pravin Tagodia would have a free run spreading hatred and inciting sectarian and communal riots. The recent communal attacks on the Christian community by the outfits like Bajrang Dal clearly exposes the hidden ( one can no more say hidden as it is out in the open) agenda of Hindutva, that is to make India a Hindu nation in which only the voice of the brute majority of the Hindus would prevail in the society.
The Muslims and Christian minorities, if they don’t adhere or indigenize their faith to Hindutva Brand of doctrine, they would be bullied and punished. In short the minorities would be treated like second class citizens. The Sangh Parivar would not fall short of realizing its goal of Hindutva even if the country is under siege by spate of bomb blasts allegedly triggered by the Indian Mujahideen. The Hindutva brigade, Bajrang Dal and VHP, who were instrumental in Babri Masjid fall, has once again raised its ugly head to destroy the secular fabric of our multi-ethnic and multi-religious society. The BJP by remaining silent to the Christian atrocities is only playing the Hindu card for electorate gains. That is what they are doing right now in Orissa and Karnataka of polarizing the society on communal lines.
The Bajrang Dal and VHP are no different from the SIMI and Indian Mujahideen terrorist organizations - both aim to terrorize the society. The former goes about its business by destroying churches and killing Christians and the latter plant bombs that kills innocent victims. It is time that the Centre intervenes to stop this carnage against the Christians.
The nation is reeling under home grown terrorist acts, in part, thanks to demolition of Babri Masjid, Mumbai and Gujarat riots, the last thing the country wants is for some misguided boys from the Christian community taking up arms. So it calls for stringent action by the central government of arresting the Bajrang dal and VHP goons under non-bailable warrant and then convicting them by having fast track courts. Yet if that does not deter arsonist from indulging in further violence then the government may ban Bajrang Dal.
For comments on this post published in Desicritics.org- click here
http://desicritics.org/2008/10/04/082326.php

Interview with Father Bernard Digel on Religous violence in Orissa published in Guardian Weekly-
Click here
http://www.guardianweekly.co.uk/?page=editorial&id=727&catID=2

Pithrupaksh - Paying Obeisance to Ancestors Soul

Pithrupaksh is an important event for the Hindus in which a person offers Sraadha (religious rites) to their Ancestors ( Pitru) soul as mark of paying obeisance. It falls on the month of August-September and is spread over fifteen days. The Hindus conduct religious rites near the bank of the holy rivers in honour of their departed souls. Pindadanam is offering of food to the departed person. It is believed that even after death the deceased person is in desire of food, hence food is offered to satisfy this desire. In Mumbai the people throng the Banganga pond located in Walkeshwar, South Mumbai to perform these religious rites. The banganga provides most pious settings to hundreds of clean shaven people squatting on the steps of this splendid pond, deeply immersed in praying and paying respect to their beloved departed ones. Offering of food and water and chanting of prayers under the expert guidance of the priest were most common sight. For me a visit to Banganga turned out to be a rich spiritual experience

For Images click here-

http://rajennair.com/gallery38.asp

Nanavati Commission Report

The Nanavati commission report is nothing but a farce. As expected it gave a clean chit to Narendra Modi and its findings that the Godra incident was a pre-planned conspiracy. I think Narendra Modi and the BJP couldn’t have asked for anything more and no doubt, this report is timed to serve the much needed ammunition for his party to the run up of the 2009 poll. The Nanavati report went on to negate the findings of the justice Bannerjee commission report which clearly says that the fire incident in which 58 Kar Seveks died was an accidental one.
In first place it would be farfetched to expect the Nanavati report to indict Narendra Modi because the commission was appointed by his state Government and done in a manner to preempt any enquiry commission being appointed by the centre and the Supreme Court. How can the perpetrators of the Godra carnage turn righteous to appoint a commission to investigate their own crime? This would be question agitating every single Indian’s mind. The Gujarat government releasing only the first part of the report is under the law termed as illegal. The motive behind the part release of the commission findings raises doubt on the authenticity and integrity of the commission. It is once again dirty politics being played here by the Narendra Modi government and making a mockery of Indian democracy.
The report would drive the wedge between the Muslim minority and Hindu in Gujarat and vitiate the communal harmony prevalent in the aftermath of spate of bomb blast occurring in several Indian cities.
With the election around the corner the BJP’s communal policy of Hindutva would come to the fore. There will be attempt to polarize the vote banks on communal lines. The country is already witnessing it. The uncalled attack on Christian churches by the Bajrang Dal and VHP on BJP ruled states is a conspiracy to divide the people on communal lines.
The Nanavati report might have given a clean chit to Modi on the Godra train fire incident but it cannot wash off his sin on the carnage that followed in which many innocent people were killed.
For comments on above published articles click here-
http://desicritics.org/2008/09/26/111547.php