RED CARPET BY THE LORDS.

What a Day !!

In the beginning it was supposed to be a road trip between we friends. But then there was inclination to see the Lords for one glance before they go inside the temple.

Out of the 365 days, the lords are out of the temple for the chariot festival for only 12 days. Rest of the times who visit the lord Jaganath temple, he plays hide and seek. You have a glimpse only if you are lucky.

But sometimes you are just blessed. You bike to the chariots, there is only one spot for parking i.e just for you. You get to see the lords, make wishes, ask for blessings. Do the prayers. No one's sweets go up on the chariots to be touched by the idols but someone does it for you like a miracle. 

How happy you are in the end.

Today it really felt that the lords had put a red carpet for us to visit them.

Raja Festival

  Raja Parba or Mithuna Sankranti (Odia: ରଜ ପର୍ବ) is a three-day-long festival and the second day signifies beginning of the solar month of Mithuna from, which the season of rains starts. It inaugurates and welcomes the agricultural year all over Odisha, which marks, through biological symbolism, the moistening of the sun dried soil with the first showers of the monsoon in mid June thus making it ready for productivity. 

This is very symbolic for the Women as it marks for their power to reproduce. 

It is believed that the mother goddess Earth or the divine wife of Lord Vishnu undergoes menstruation during the first three days.The fourth day is called as Vasumati gadhua or ceremonial bath of Bhudevi.The term Raja has come from Rajaswala (meaning a menstruating woman) and during medieval period the festival became more popular as an agricultural holiday remarking the worship of Bhudevi, who is the wife of lord Jagannath.

During the three days women take a break from household work and time to play indoor games. Girls decorate themselves with new fashion or traditional Saree and Alatha(Red colour liquid) in feet. All people abstain from walking barefoot on earth. Generally various Pithas(Sweet dishes) are made of which Podopitha,and Chakuli Pitha are main. People play a lot of indoor and outdoor games. Girls play swings tied on tree branches whereas aged ladies play Cards and Ludo.Many villages organise Kabbadi matches among young men. 

A SPECIAL FULL MOON DAY

Agijala Poornima is a full moon day as per lunar calender. The full moon decides the end of the month and on this auspicious day in Orissa the entire neighbourhood gathers to make a fire.

Every family heaps hay around an AGI( A tall bamboo) fixed in the soil. Everyone throws potatoes, sweet potatoes, eggplants, mustard seeds, coconuts, rice and all kinds of pulses into it as an offering. Then the priest would offer a prayer to set JALA(Fire) to the heap.

The importance of this festival are believed to be many : 

1. The direction of the fire decides how will be the crop in the next season e.g if the fire is in upward direction then the yield from the harvest will be in abundance.

2. The ashes from this fire is very auspicious and kept in the granary in between the storage of food grains. It is for a healthy year of the family.

3. A pinch of the ash is kept at the house to keep the evil spirits and bad energies away.

4. It's a blessing to spot a burnt vegetable and eat a piece of it.

But for me it was very simple :The last Bonfire with my cousins and friends in this winter.

THURSDAYS OF NOVEMBER - DECEMBER

Thursdays of every Magha Masa(Nov - Dec month as per the full moon days) are very auspicious. This is the time we welcome the Goddess Laxmi to our house.

The mothers, the sisters and wives are the living reflection of the goddess in our houses. They take the pain to perform the difficult rituals. Usually every wednesdays we have non-veg food in the house. So they clean the floors late night and draw patterns with a paste made out of rice powder soaked overnight and water. In wee hours even before the sunlight they take shower and perform the rituals, worship the goddess and offer fruits and delicacies.

It is not the first time I am writing about these rituals. But today it seemed very special and appealing again.

I find this ritual very amazing and its little bit like Christmas for the men. As we wake up we see the house floors with beautiful patterns. I become very curious and check around all the house doors and different rooms. This act of the women is really appreciable. How much pain they take to perform this ritual. Really they are the true reflection of the goddess in our families.

The pictures are of my sister and the patterns she drew in the house.

COLOURS!!

So here is my travel plan for Holi.
I would be out on a bike tour with my friend. Its not a big one. We do a road trip of 65 kms to the beach city Puri. The new 4 - lane highway is almost ready and we start around 3 PM to make some stops for picture, for some chai, for fueling the bike tank etc.

There is a pre-Holi party. We drop the bags at my best friend Joe's house and go to the Party. Tomorrow would be real fun. The colours would be out, so would be the smiling faces. There would be sweets, drinks, snacks etc.

Guess where is the real colour party? Its the beach. But for that I need colours.
So friends, which colour shall I pick for you ?

Its been 4 years, I played Holi and I can not wait for tomorrow.

But for now, I can not wait to hit the road :)

HO L I II II II II IIII IIIII .........17th March

It is around. One of the grand festivals of India. The colours would be around every where. Tomorrow it is already starting. There would be joy, fun, smiles, drinks, delicious food etc etc.

 It has been ages now since I played Holi. Last year I was in a very secluded town called Puerto Natales in Chile and was super jealous seeing my friend's pictures etc. Last to last year, I was also traveling in South-east Asia and could not play holi. The year before I had to work on the occasion :(

In short, its been 4 long years I am deprived of the colour blast. So while I was in that secluded town in Chile, which is also very beautiful, I had made a promise to be part of this colourful festival this year. The planning is on and so would be the colours. The excitement has gone beyond the limits.

How are you going to play Holi ?
Wish you all a very colourful and safe Holi!!

Magic of no 3

On Mahashiva Ratri:

Numeric 3 is very auspicious in Hindu Mythology. Most importantly 3 represents the 3 lords; the creator Bramha, the maintainer Vishnu and the destroyer Shiva. 

As per the tradition, on the ocassion of Mahashiva Ratri, the Priest would take the grand oil lamp to go around the Shiva Linga 3 times and then climb the temple top to encircle 3 times the TRISULA( 3 head weapon held by lord Shiva).

On comencement of this tradition, the devotees fasting all day would break their fast. So now its time I eat after the all day strict fasting of no food no water Hihaaaha

FROM MY WINDOW SEAT # 2

This beautiful picture is beautiful for the experience and not for the colour, effect or angel of the photo.

It happened from the bus Trivandrum - Thiruvalla. The ride was great and there was a church every 500 mts. I heard some drums and trumpets. A march of people dressed in ethnic attire and I peeped out of the window to see a huge traditional processions. There were two elrphants with the golden headgears, ornsmented with jewellery and colours and red umbrellas on top. It was a great moment for 10 seconds and there was a huge adrenaline rush in our blood. We both did not have our cameras handy. Our hands were stamering and we made pictures with our Iphone. My heart was pumping blood twice than normal and it was beating Dhoom Dhoom Dhoom along with the drums.

Here is the picture to tell the story of a grand experience from my Window seat.

MY TRI COLOUR CITY

It was Republic day and I decided for a photo tour in the city to capture the Tri colour theme. 

For this ocassion, the three colours of Indian flag i.e Saffron, white and Green were prominient site everywhere. 

The AG Square was hosting the state parade for this day which could have been a delight for a photo tour. The colourful people, the busy streets, parade, shows, flags flying everywhere would have been beautiful. But I was not ready for all that. Blame it on my mood or the moment. I was looking for the calm after the storm. So 10 am was perfect time for me to arrive there. I made some good ones and also have little conversation with people. 

Here are some pictures from the theme "My tri colour city."

                          I LOVE MY INDIA were his words.

26th JANUARY, REPUBLIC DAY

The date 26th January is a prime day for Indian Calender. This day in 1950 India became a republic. Well this is a fact known to all and enough available online about it.

Its a bigger interest to write about how we actually feel or see it.

The country is gearing up for the celebration, so is my city. Saffron, white and green is a common sight. The theme of Patriotism is at heights. 

One of the things I was amazed to see is all the malls turning Saffron, White and Green like our tri colour flag. Seems like other colours have gone to shelves. 

The malls have various offers for this ocassion. For example Reliance Trends is running buy 1950 and get 1950. Super!!

Even the crowd is huge. Amazing deals. Time to go Saffron, white and green. Clothes of the tri colour are loaded on the shelves. They are for every one, Ladies wear, Gents garments and kids wear too. The spirit of Patriotism is at its height.

THURSDAYS OF DECEMBRE

The 4 thurdays of every December is very auspicious. Thursdays are usually referred to Maa Laxmi , the goddess of wealth. Those on December has prime offering.

It was really special yesterday when my Mother asked me to visit our house in the village. I got to meet Aunties doing the religious prayers and cousins who still lead very basic life in the village.

One thing which really caught my attention and I brought some pictures to share here is "Chita".
Chita is a form of art among the women in eastern India to express their sentiments on the floors of their houses. Made out of powdered rice and water is also known as "Alpana" in West Bengal.

They make the feet of Goddess Laxmi to welcome her to the house.

Here is a diminishing tradition which is worth admiring.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

I wish you all a Merry Christmas!!!

Here are some pictures for the celebration from Siam to streets of Kolkata.

O 33 CRORE LORDS

Today , I over heard my Mother's TV soap opera and a lady's voice chanting - O 33 Koti Deva/Devis, meaning O 33 Crores Gods/Goddess .....

33 crores or 330 millions of Gods. The figure is unimaginable, something like this 3300000000.
O GOD. I started to wonder is it true.

Well Google says yes.

Why not !! I believe that god is everywhere, everything, any where and any religion as he prevails in our faith.

But out of the 330 million gods/goddess I know names of only few. My Mother know more and my grand mothers told me even more.

So I decided to share few pictures of the gods /goddess which are rare to be seen.