Diwali

This is a piece I wrote two weeks before Diwali and saved it. Posting it today as I feel it is still relevant and correct. 

A forward by someone on not bursting crackers and lighting lamps made me revisit an issue I had debated within myself for years before I came to a conclusion.  I am putting down the debate that raged inside me for years.

My childhood was one were festivals were central, be it Diwali, Pooja, Pongal, Vishu, Onam, Christmas or Ramzan.  My parents celebrated all, in the true spirit of being Indian.  Born a Malayali, but more of a Tamilian due to the state where I have grown up and lived, festivals were celebrated irrespective of the concern of borders.

While Vishu and Onam are festivals celebrated in Kerala, Diwali and Pongal have more of the Tamil culture.  Diwali and Pongal were more grand.  We celebrated Diwali bursting crackers for two days.  Pongal was celebrated for three days, with Maatu Pongal being the best, since we had more cows than children and dogs put together at home.  As a kid, I joined my dad in bathing and decking up the cows on all the days.  It was also my favourite festival.  Only once did I abstain from the celebration, because my favourite cow had passed away.

So, back to the topic.  When this issue of crackers polluting the environment was first brought up, me a convent going girl also nodded my head.  Science spoke to me, telling me that saving the environment is essential.  When I presented this viewpoint once to my dad, he replied thus :  "Yes, environment is important.  However, there is an entire district in Tamil Nadu where families are involved in this trade, from old people to children.  This is the only occupation they know.  As a child, they enter, thereby loosing education and the benefit of changing trade.  What should they do ?

That set me thinking.  If I knew only one way of earning my living and have done that only, what will I do if they shut down factories ?  Also, given that no other industry that provides jobs in large scale exists in the district, should a family leave their home and land and become labourers else where ?

July 4th, is celebrated with fireworks across America.  Sydney has its own day with grand fireworks.  While fireworks cannot be lit by individuals in both these countries, people congregate for an hour or so for fireworks display.  Don't they pollute ?  Especially with these countries having such stringent environment control mechanisms. I also learnt that some of the fireworks goes from Sivakasi - I do not know if it does, today.

Then, this sudden conscience of people using environment as a reason.  People litter on the roads, use plastic incriminatingly, the government directs sewage lines onto canals and rivers that carry life giving water.  Vehicles pollute, politicians show their might as a convoy of 100s.  There is coal being used to provide electricity which actually is harmful in two ways, degradation of environment and pollution due to burning of coal.  We build nuclear reactors to fuel our ever increasing need for electricity, unmindful of the harm to the environment on a daily basis.

So, why this flip during Diwali alone ?  Why this act during Diwali ?  Why this farce ?

Not courting controversy, not being radical.  Why does no one speaks of saving electricity by not lighting up trees and roads for days during Christmas.  It will save electricity thereby ensuring uninterrupted supply to interior areas of the country.  Or why isn't the mass killing of animals for Ramzan and Bakrid not decried as inhumane especially on the day of a festival ?  I remember tring to lift myself into air sitting in a bus, because the bus was driving down the red road on Mehdipattnam, Hyderabad the day after the festival.  My friend  and I wondered why there was red water flowing till we realized it was blood - of the goats killed.  We came back by train from Nampally.

Every festival, irrespective of religion has customs, traditions and ways of celebration.  Moderation may be requested always.  However, advertising something like doing away with crackers that is the only industry in an entire district upon which survival for millions of people depend is wrong according to me without presenting the other side.  Further, what has the government done to provide an alternative ?  What action has been taken when there is a fire in a cracker production unit ?  How many public servants who have issued licenses without checking requirements have been fired ?  What safety mechanisms have you enforced ?  What research have you directed to make it possible that people may enjoy crackers at the same time reducing pollution ?  And why haven't you banned sale of firecrackers of Chinese origin ?

I read in the papers that the Supreme Court has banned use of fireworks in the capital in the name of pollution ?  This order comes in a few days before Diwali.  Why not earlier ?  How many support this ?  Does it's order not infringe on the right of an individual to celebrate a festival, the way it has been celebrated for ages.  I do understand pollution and health concerns.  However, to reduce pollution, what else has been enforced forcefully ?  If fire crackers are not to be burst, why were licenses for sale given to business people after charging them ?  Who is going to bear their loss and who is responsible ?  Further, personally what have the judiciary/political class given up when compared to the travails of the common man in Delhi ?  Will the honourable judges of the supreme court be willing to avoid gas guzzling vehicles, car pool, travel by the metro or atleast give up the two/three vehicle protection they happily carry around ?  No politician is ready to, anyways.  They keep using vehicles that look like battle tanks on our old galis and roads intimidating everyone around.  Or is just a case of enforcing a law unmindful of its ramifications in the name of doing good for society ? Or is it because the elite of elite in India live in Delhi and their lives are more precious than others ? Or is this westernization of India that the elite are happy to take up being enforced on the whole population silently ?

Before clamping down on bursting of crackers, I humbly request the Supreme Court to clamp down on all public transport vehicles that do not pass pollution tests, ask public servants to travel by public transport, not use convoys, ban diversion of sewage into lakes, ponds, tanks, rivers and the sea, ban the use of plastic across the country, stipulate how hazardous things(batteries, chemicals, other waste) have to be disposed and strictly enforce the same with the same enthusiasm that they are enforcing this.  Otherwise, it is a farce because you know the common man will not raise their voice together as there is no union to bind them, but factories, especially big ones dirty the Yamuna few miles away from you and you haven't been able to put a full stop after all these years, because they fight using the law of the land to get away.

I remember as a teenager sitting in a train, watching a couple work on red mud near the railway line.  Their children were also playing in the red mud.  For a long time I watched the parents and their kids, little realizing my dad was watching all this too.  I asked my Dad, 'Will these kids be going to school ? '.  My dad replied, " They are 'Mannunde Makkal', children of the soil.  Their parents are too, like all of their forefathers.  Their parents livelihood is dependent on the only occupation they know - the soil and they travel wherever it carries them.  So, with parents as nomads, how will the children get an education because their parents will never stay in a place long enough ?  The children will start this occupation the day they leave their childhood and then it will be the only occupation they know.  So, it will be for their children unless something comes along good enough to break this cycle and ensures their right to a childhood, right to education and right to livelihood.  Till then, they will remain 'Mannunde Makkal'.

So is the case of the workers of the firecrackers unit of Sivakasi.

Placement War Vs Kurukshetra War

It is the time of year when companies come to campus to recruit students.  Every day, there is a company in campus categorized as Indian, MNC, Dream, Product driven, Service driven, BPO, Marketing, etc. 

There is a whole lot of students ready to face the process of tests, Group discussions, Interviews – both technical and HR.   The preparation for this day started when they step into the portals of the institution.  They see and hear about placement from multiple sources.

So, when they step into the final year, they know time has come.  It is here that they know battle is imminent.  They have been preparing, honing their skills – technical and communication, all to face this battle.  Just like how in the days of the Mahabharata, warriors prepared themselves.

Each warrior, whether a foot soldier, on horseback, chariot or the mighty elephant hones their skills and picks their weapons.  They also know their strength and weak spots, just like the mighty kings and warriors.

In every batch of such students there is an Arjuna, a Karna, a Bhima, a Yudhishtra, a Nakul, a Sahadev, a Duryodhana, an Ashwathama as well as any other warriors famed in the Mahabharata.  These are the students the rest of them look upto.  They know that these warriors are the best fit to win the battle.  Each of them builds their battle plan.

On the opposing side is the company that comes to recruit.  They need to win this battle too.  Given the talent pool, they need to win the cream and they know that their offer has to be better than any other.  They also have to evaluate and check each student and pick the right fit for the job.  If they don’t, they might win the battle of numbers in the placement season, but loose in profits in the near future.

So, with two sides, trying to match each other and create a WIN WIN, each comes up with a battle plan and a battle formation.  Here is where the formations in the Kurukshetra War come into the picture.  The formations mentioned in the Kurukshetra war are:  Krauncha Vyuha (Heron formation), Garuda Vyuha (Eagle formation), Mandala Vyuha (Galaxy formation ), Vajra Vyuha ( Diamond or Thunderbolt Formation), Makara Vyuha (Crocodile formation), Ardha Chandra Vyuha (Half crescent formation ), Shakata Vyuha (Box or Cart formation),  Sarvatomukhi Dand Vyuha, Suchimukha Vyuha (Needle formation), Chakra Vyuha (Wheel or Discuss Formation), Padma Vyuha (Blooming Lotus Formation), Sarvatobhadra Vyuha (Safe from all sides), Nakshatramandal Vyuha (constellation formation), Kurma Vyuha (Turtle formation), Trishula Vyuha (Trident formation), Oormi Vyuha (Ocean formation) and Sringataka Vyuha (Horned formation).  For each of these formations, one has to use a counter formation.

On the company side, the battle formation is in the mode of tests – type of questions, complexity, differentiator, the GDs and interviews.  The formation varies either by college, by course of by batch.  On the student side, they try to find the formation the company is planning to come up with and build a counter formation to win over.  The students check their strengths and weakness, trying to maximize strength, minimize weakness and outmaneuver compatriots to get to the list.

Every day, a new company walks in with their own formation.  Every day the students prepare and change their attack plan accordingly.  A Vajrastra from one side must be tackled with an equivalent or more powerful astra.  Choice of a weaker one can leave one wounded, humiliated or totally defeated.

Some days it clicks, some days it is just misses, some others total disaster.  Like the initial days is a string of misses, till a point when the student thinks that this is it, they are finished, defeated and then as if on last breath, they plunge the knife that much stronger thinking there is no tomorrow.  That day it clicks and from depths of defeat they fly up and up, on the wings of glory and there is a horde of friends to carry them and give them a victory lap.

Once in a way, you come across warriors who handle the attack so well, pull down every wall and obstacle as though made of cardboard, companies left astounded that a warrior such as this one exists.  It makes all around such a warrior take pride in being part of the group, happy that there is a warrior whose name they know will keep the flag flying high, the flag called ‘Pursuit of Excellence’.

Placement time is thus like the Kurukshetra War.  Just that it is not exactly eighteen days, sometimes shorter, sometimes longer. No winners, no loosers either.  Each side trying to maximize their gain.

Check this link for formations used in the Mahabharata: http://mahabharata-research.com/military%20academy/vyuhas%20-%20the%20strategic%20formations.html

Mahima Dharma - Joranda, Dhenkanal

The trip to Odisha was eventful again this time. We took time to have darshan at the Mahima Alekha temple at Dhenkanal on the advise of my mentor.  It was an experience so unique that it is difficult to explain.

We were asked to be there for the evening Aarthi.  On asking the local people what time it would be, we were told that there is no fixed time and the  Aarthi is done depending on the setting of the sun and can be as early as 4ish to 6ish.  As we reached, the bells of the temple started to beat.

We rushed in not to miss the Aarthi.  The temple by itself is simple in architecture.  As we stood at the gate, we saw inside the temple, fire.  After a few minutes, the temple was closed.  The sadhus were prostrating themselves and some of them were finishing the ritual.  

A bit of history as heard from Prof. Hrushikesha Mohanty and from one of the priests in the temple.  The monopoly of Brahmans at temples during the 19th century was the reason for the rise of the dharma.  Brahmins ruled and people from the lower strata of castes among the Hindus started this movement.  

The founder of Mahima Dharma was Mahima Swami.  He meditated for many years in the Himalayas and moved across the Gangetic plain before reaching Puri, Odisha.  From Puri he went to Bhubaneswar and lived for twelve years on water alone.  Then he moved to Kapilash, Dhenkanal where he did penance.  There he lived on fruits for twelve years.  The next twelve years the Swami lived on cow's milk provided by the ruler of Dhenkanal.  He lived in Kapilash hill spreading the Mahima Dharma and attained Samadhi at Joranda in Dhenkanal.

The teachings are interesting.  They teach that there is a single God (parambrahma) who is formless and call him Alekha.  Hence, no idol worship.  Life is full of suffering and the only way to break out of this suffering is to break out of the cycle of life and death and reach the Paramathma.  

Hence, the followers of the dharma do not worship any idol.  They abstain from eating meat, alcohol and any form of violence.  Food and water is consumed before sunset.  The day starts early in the morning and finishes at sunset.

The priests live within the temple premises in the monastery.  They wear a single cloth around their waist and do not trim their hair or beard.  We saw an elderly priest wear only a bark around his waist.  He also had a piece of bark on his chest.  They lead a simple life and do not stay in a place for more than one day.  

So, the temple where Mahima Swami attained samadhi had fire burning in the sanctum sanctorum and the temple is off limits to everyone.  One enters the main gate and then there are four gates in every direction leading to the sanctum sanctorum.  No one except the priest is allowed entry into this area.  Inside the sanctum sanctorum, there was no idol, just a blazing fire.  The temple closed for the evening.  The priests repeatedly prostrated and withdrew.

The complex has other temples.  One temple had a place where all contributions from followers is stored.  The priest said that all contributions is kept as is and is displayed on Poornima day when there is a festival.  The next temple we had dharshan had an ornate gate.  The inside was the same though the tower of this one had a serpent at the top.  The priests were singing when we reached here.  They blessed the devotees and answered queries.  It was here that a priest asked us queries.  It turned night and we left.  The serpent in Hindu mythology is usually considered a reference to Balarama, the brother of Krishna.  What did it mean here in the context of Mahima Dharma.  Through our journey back, we were discussing and debating what we had seen and the beliefs the simple ascetics followed.  The driver must have wondered about us, husband and wife debating for over an hour.    

The visit has left a deep impact on us - that is for sure.  Both of us have been going back and forth for the past four days questioning, reasoning and trying to answer our own questions in the quest to understand.  The picture of the temple and the blazing fire inside as well as the writings on the wall of the temple and the tower with the serpent are deeply embedded in our mind.  

My takeaways from the dharshan :  

1.  God is formless and if I can accept and follow, completely and truthfully, then the differences I find in this world will vanish.  Man sees differences first through the form.

2.  The time in the early morning(3:00 a.m. - 5:00 a.m.) is called Brahma Muhurtham.  Auspicious events like pooja are conducted during the Brahma Muhurtham and no regard is made to check if it is an auspicious time.  Being awake in this time connects you to the world.  From darkness and quiet, the world comes to life.  Birds chirp and the sun starts rising leaving a glow on earth.  The energy at this time must have something that reenergizes the earth.  It is also a time to connect with the Maker. 

3.  Is this life one of suffering ?  Yes.  No man can say (s)he has not suffered or seen suffering.  If the soul is to be reborn again and again, then the soul knows suffering in many many forms.  If the soul wishes to break out of this suffering, then it has to merge with the creator, for that is the only way.  So, there must be a path leading to the creator.  The priest in the temple said, 'just like the life of a sanyasi is not for everyone, the life of a grihastha is not for everyone.  Both exist in this world, and one help the other reach the supreme being'.  So, a soul lives an ordinary life and gathers wisdom.  During this time, the life led is that of an ordinary human being and this may be multiple times where the soul is reborn.  The life of a sanyasi is the final leg and here again the soul maybe reborn before it attains the feet of the Paramathma.  So, we are all on a path of learning and every step we take forward is a step closer to the Paramathma.

4.  The sadhus have a world that is modern, high on material things and a fast way of life.  Somehow, through all this, they are able to live the simple life.  Doesn't the outside world lure them ?  How do they stay away and keep to their beliefs ?  The lesson for me was that, no matter what the world tells about me, if I believe that what I am doing is right and is not harmful for any being on earth, then I can stick to it.  It can come in different forms : wearing the same clothes repeatedly, driving the same vehicle for years or better still the public transport, wearing very little or no jewellery, moving away from pompous living, sharing things with all beings on earth, not listening to gossip, calling a spade a spade when someone hurts another being.

5.  Ask questions.  One of the sadhus in the evening asked us a few questions. 'Who is God ? ', 'Where is God ?' and 'What is God's work ?'  The third one stumped us.  Work for us is waking up in the morning, cooking, cleaning and hitting office and doing this till evening.  Otherwise, if at home, it starts with cleaning, cooking, washing and keeping things in order.  So, what work does God do ?  If He controls the universe, the galaxy, the earth, its happenings and the life of every being, then that is a lot.  Again, to what level does He do it ?  Would he be really controlling ?  Thought process kept going .... to no end.

6.  Walking around the temple, there was peace.  Also, the pulse was different.  Life slowed down.  I realized that I was walking fast and automatically, fell into the rhythm.  How was it possible that two worlds co-exist : one, which is on a wild chase for something or the other and another, which is slower, makes you feel relaxed, makes you feel at peace, ponder about life and energizes you.  It is the energy of the place of course.  From where does this energy come - from the earth, or the founder Mahima Swami, the priests or is it from the followers.  Hinduism believes that every living and non-living thing has energy.  During consecration of an idol, mantras give what was till then stone having energy, powers.  This power is reinforced, added, multiplied by the believers and devotees.  

In a temple with no idol, what is this energy that brings devotees ? How is this belief system founded on the abstract thriving in today's world ? 

7.  Am reminded of the young boy finishing his 12th standard and becoming a monk. Varshil Shah decided to change his path and took diksha. 'What made him do it ? What was that question that made him change course ? ' is a question I have been asking since I read that news.  Unless there is a power from within, how did this boy who till then lived a normal life wish to renounce and become a Jain monk, one of the most toughest.  In the language of today's fast world, 'What makes a monk tick , not be swayed, remain simple and stay on the chosen path ?'  For me, keeping focussed on one activity is most of the time difficult.    

The visit was worth it for I know it has enriched me, my soul and got me to question the life I live.  To that, thanks to the Paramathma for showing the path. 

Ananta Shayanam - Maha Vishnu in all beauty and splendour

The Ananthashayanam form of Maha Vishnu is one form I have been fascinated with.  Having grown up in a city of temples, Trichy, Srirangam was a temple my parents took us to every sunday. Lord Renganathar resides here.  In the temple's grounds, we have spent numerous days playing after praying to Him. In his Home we grew up.  In his lap we spent all our sundays.  Maybe that is why the strong connection.  Maybe that is why I turn to him in joy and sorrow.  Even today when I go to the temple, I walk there with so much confidence for I know it is Home.  That I belong there.  That He is mine.

Maha Vishnu is one person who defies definition.  Maha Vishnu in different forms, each unique in some way, big or small, but significant, can be found across India.  Each avatar of Lord Maha Vishnu is fascinating for He teaches us something.

The second Ananthashayanam I prayed to was at the Padmanabhaswamy Temple at Tiruvananthapuram.  It was a meeting I can never forget.  Following the habit of going to a temple empty stomach, it was 11 by the time we finished darshan.  In the throes of hunger, we checked the prasadam counter for payasam, a favourite of the Lord.  As we have not pre-booked, we could not get payasam.  So, hunger burning the belly and patience, we decided to have food in the temple and stood in the queue.  All I could think of standing at the queue was having the Lord's payasam.  We had the simple annadaanam comprising of rice, sambar and avial.  I did go back for the avial much to my own surprise and the surprise of the people serving food.  At the end of the lunch, the kind lady sitting next to us, poured out two glasses of payasam from the container she had, and offered us.  I was dumb founded and tears stung my eyes.  I looked at Arun and he was equally dumbfounded for standing in the line, I had kept repeating that all I wished was for a glass of the Lords payasam.  I had asked the Lord only one thing that day - a little payasam and he gave me that.  Many may call it random, others coincidence.   Believe me, in all my years, have I never wished for something so strongly more so in a temple, nor has anyone offered me anything.  The family of mother and daughter are friends today who I keep in touch.  They will always remain close to heart.





The third Ananthashayanam I had the blessing of experiencing was at Orissa in January.  Equally large, a work of art which had weathered the elements so well.  The best part of this Ananta Shayanam was that it had a calmness unlike the other two.  He made me think of living in this world, untouched by the nastiness around, living to my own beat and finding joy and contentment in my little world.

I pray for more experiences.  For more insights.  For more knowledge.  A chance to connect with Him.