Leaving on a Jet Plane

Source: Pinterest.com

Possessing a great love for travelling, I have always wondered what seasoned or frequent travellers do on long-haul flights. Though I have been flying since I was a month-old (so my mother tells me), this is a puzzle I am yet to solve. I have tried almost everything one can think of and nothing holds my interest for long while flying. I am an avid reader but I get easily distracted while reading on a flight. I love music but seem unable to keep my air-pods on while sailing in the clouds. At one time, I solved crosswords but it made my ‘better-half' cross! Watching films was fun too but I would simply fall asleep halfway through. While, on the other hand, if I planned to catch up on my sleep one day, then I could be sure of not even catching 40 winks! 

Conversing with fellow passengers is another option I attempted but with my luck, I mostly found the most boring/boorish or outright rude people seated next to me. Once, I even tried to eat my way through the flight but ended up feeling nauseous and so gave that up soon enough. For a while, I tried my hand at in-flight photography but friends and relatives got sick of seeing endless pictures of clouds of various shapes and sizes on my social media account. Sometimes, I try to get some work done but handling a laptop in cramped economy-class seating is a feat in itself. 

Source: Shutterstock

When my kids were still ‘kids’, even though they drove me crazy, at least their antics helped to pass time. Initially, one kept them occupied with games like chess or Uno. However, when they reached their teens, they found their own means of entertainment (Read: cell-phones and tablets), and so wanted to be left to their own ‘devices’ (pun intended); parents were expected to mind their own business and hopefully even be seated separately, lest we embarrassed them! Gone were the days of Antakshari and Atlas and I was back to being bored!

Recently, I asked some friends at a party for ideas on this issue and they came up with quite a few; some of which I had already tried and some which I probably never would. One suggested I file and paint my nails; another suggested that I try giving myself a mid-air facial and then put on a face pack for about 30 minutes. She added that it would not only improve my skin’s glow but also help pass time. A third one even told me to flirt with fellow passengers; she said it was great for the mid-life blues!  

Sick and tired of all these ‘trials and errors’, I have now decided to henceforth simply sit back, look at the clouds as they float by, and philosophize about life in general. At this rate, a few more flights and, rest assured, I will be Guruma Rohini! A scary prospect to say the least! So readers, why don’t you share your thoughts on how you spend your time on flights? Is there anything quirky or fun or maybe, even useful that you do while flying? Do leave your comments; maybe someone would solve this problem for me once and for all!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rohini Razdan is a qualified journalist, copy writer and editor, who writes articles in her leisure time.  She has had a passion for the English language and the written word from early on. Her other interests include reading, travelling, films, music, poetry and exploring the human psyche.  She considers herself a moderate, liberal humanist.

NOTE:

This article is a reader contribution and all views and opinions in the article are those of the writer alone.  Other readers who may be interested in contributing to this blog may mail their articles with a short biography and a profile pic to left.right.tcenter@gmail.com.  The right to publication rests with the blog owners.

Mahavira: The Great Conqueror

In the 5^th-6^th century BC, there arose in India a powerful school of thought/philosophy, which, according to many historians, owed its origin to the opposition of the common people to the way the Hindu religion was being practised at the time.   It had become a stronghold of the priestly class or the Brahmins who reigned supreme in all matters of religion.  Religion had been reduced to a mere practice of meaningless and expensive rituals, mantras uttered in upper-class Sanskrit which the common man could neither understand nor afford.  It failed to offer any mental peace, moral succour or solace to the soul and was just a rigid set of do’s and don’ts which the Brahmins had made themselves authorities of, and which they used at will to make themselves wealthy and powerful.  Values such as kindness, truthfulness, honesty, doing good to your fellow beings had no place in the religion they preached.

Against this backdrop, arose a thinker and philosopher who spoke the language of the common man, did not hesitate to mingle with him, and gave understandable answers to moral dilemmas faced in daily life.  This was Mahavira (the great hero) who seemed to have conquered everything within.  Ordinary people, common men and women, flocked to listen to his sermons wherever he went.  He appealed to the goodness inherent in all men as he preached kindness to all living things.  He called it ahimsa or non-violence.  Practice ahimsa mindfully, in thought, word and deed, even to the invisible microbes in the air around.  One must respect the sanctity and dignity of others, he said, just as one expects one’s own sanctity and dignity to be respected.  Practice Satya (truth).  Always be truthful towards yourself, towards others. Practice Asteya, don’t take anything which has not been given to you.  Practice Brahmacharya, faithfulness to your partner if you are married, and abstinence from sex if you are a monk or a holy man.  And lastly, practice Aparigraha, ie work at developing an attitude of non-attachment to worldly things, money, property.  If you practiced these five things to the extent of vows, this was religion.   More than anything else, he preached self-discipline, a constant cleansing of the soul, which leads to spiritual development and release from the cycle of birth and death.  The aim/goal of practising these five vows was to set oneself free from this cycle, attain Nirvana.   In short, enlightenment, to Mahavira, came from self-realisation, self-cultivation and self-restraint.   What he preached was simplicity personified….but as we all know, it’s the simple things that are the hardest to practice.  

Who was he?  He was born 540 years before Christ (which means to say, sixty years before human history was even recorded in the West), on the thirteenth day of the rising moon in Chaitra which is March-April of the Gregorian calendar.  This day is celebrated as his birthday, Mahavir Jayanti, by his followers or Jains, so-named after their lord who is called Jina, the great conqueror.  He was born a prince, the son of King Siddharth and Queen Trishala in the kingdom of Videha, which roughly corresponds to Bihar in modern-day India.  Interestingly, the king and queen were descendants of the Ikshvaku dynasty.  This is the same dynasty to which Lord Vishnu was born as Rama and to which Buddha was also born.    He renounced his princely life and left home in his late twenties in search of the truth.  He lived the life of an ascetic for the next 12 years practicing severe penances until he attained Keval Jnan (omniscient truth).  He preached Jainism for 30 years and, according to some historians, was a contemporary of the Buddha.  He had followers among Kings and common people alike; the rulers of the ancient kingdoms of Magadha, Anga and Videha all gave up Hinduism to follow his precepts.  He is said to have died at the age of 72, in a place called Pawapuri, also in Bihar, which is a place of pilgrimage for Jains from the world over.  His life is considered a spiritual light and the night of his nirvana is commemorated by Jains as Diwali, the same time that Hindus celebrate their festival of lights.

Mahavira is best remembered in the Indian traditions for his teaching that ahimsa is the greatest moral virtue of all.  He taught that ahimsa covers all living things and injuring any being in any form whatsoever, affects one's rebirth, future wellbeing, and the extent of one’s suffering.  Centuries later, Mahatma Gandhi, and following in Gandhi’s footsteps, Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela adopted ahimsa as their guiding principle, following which they led entire nations and peoples to liberation from oppression, without recourse to armed struggle.  He taught us that before we can hope to conquer what lies outside, we must first look deep inside and conquer what’s within.  

Mahavira proclaimed in India that religion is a reality and not a mere social convention.   It is really true that salvation cannot be had by merely observing external ceremonies.  Religion cannot make any difference between man and man. (Rabindranath Tagore)

It never ceases to amaze me that all this was propounded in our country before history, before  time itself, was chronicled in the West.  Truly, we need to stop and take stock of who we are, how far we have come and which way we are headed.   

Image credits:  wikipedia.org

The Nostalgia of the Bengali New Year

Poila Boishakh, the hailing of the Bengali New Year, stands out very clearly in my mind for a number of reasons. The first one of these is my beloved grandmother who is no more. Dida was close to 80 then and very averse to social outings. This one day in the year, however, marked an exception. She would put on her best sari, those retro style cat-eye spectacles, and with the age-old red British purse dangling on her forearm, head out to join the festivities with me in tow in a crisp new frock.  This is my fondest memory of the day, one that I miss to date.

Historically, the unique Bengali calendar is a mix of the Hindu solar and Hijri lunar calendars. It was instituted by Emperor Akbar in 1584 to ease the process of paying taxes that fell out of the harvest season earlier.

For us Bengalis, Poila Boishakh means many things - art, culture, religion, food, and family. One can even consider it as an abridged version of Bengal’s signature festival, the Durga Puja, celebrated in autumn.

Preparations for Poila Boishakh start at least a month ahead. On the eve of New Year, also known as Chaitra Sankranti, Bengalis flock the Kalighat temple thanking the Goddess for the previous year and seeking blessings for the new one. And then spring cleaning happens in peak summer! New dresses are bought, jewelry showrooms are overcrowded. The harmoniums come out of their cases and rehearsals start in full swing. The menu for the day is discussed and re-discussed. On the streets, shopkeepers and business owners get busy with their new bright red ‘haal khata’ (accounting books), clearing debts and loans of the previous year and launching new ventures. Boxes of sweets and snacks along with new Bengali calendars are stacked and rolled in shop corners to be distributed free for faithful patrons and new customers who visit on the auspicious occasion.

Nowadays, when we discuss Poila Boishakh, my mother often tells me that “things have changed” in Kolkata. Thankfully, I haven’t seen those changes and can only reminisce the way we celebrated this new beginning every year. I remember starting the day very early. Probhat pheri and Rabindra Sangeet would ring in the dawn. While the elders would be gone to take a holy dip in the Ganges, we would rush to the balcony with sleepy eyes to watch the long processions of professional and amateur singers and dancers draped in traditional attires (those white garad saris with red borders or handloom cottons with broad colourful checks and men in dhuti-panjabi), some in elaborate performance costumes, wearing flower garlands and gold and pearl jewelry. Folk songs and the tune of “Esho Hey Boishakh” not only welcomed the New Year but anticipated the birth celebrations of our greatest inspiration, Tagore, whose birthday falls on 25th of Boishakh. My favourite task, however, was putting alpona (rangoli) on the thresholds of all rooms (except the thakur ghor or pooja room that was my grandmother’s domain) with a small piece of cloth dipped in a ground, grainy paste of rice. My cousin sister would accompany me often on this task and we would compete as to who staked claim on how many rooms! Don’t ask me how the designs turned out to be in the end :-)

Coming to the most interesting part – food! The kitchen would naturally be the busiest place on this day.  The bronze and silver cookware would be shined anew. My mother would lead the little battalion of domestic helps to prepare the grand feast. Breakfast would usually be luchi (poori) and the spicy aloor dom (potato gravy) or the sweetish cholar daal (chana dal curry). Later in the day, heavenly aromas of aam porar shorbot (raw mango drink), sweet pulao, shorshe ilish (Hilsa with mustard sauce), chingri macher malaikari (prawn curry), and of course, the un-missable mishti doi (sweet curd) in the clay container would make us hungrier than usual. The shukto - gravy with potato, bitter gourd, raw banana, brinjal, drumstick, and bori (dried lentil dumpling) - would make its appearance too. Sometimes, luchi would be served with kosha mangsho (semi-gravy mutton) for lunch. Not to forget the rosogolla, rajbhog, and sandesh with ‘poila boishakh’ engraved on them.

The telephone would ring constantly with friends and relatives wishing ‘subho noboborsho’ as we got ready to welcome them home, participate in cultural programmes, and pay a visit to the nearby Kali bari to worship Lakshmi and Ganesha placed in small cane baskets.

Today, as I sit hundreds of kilometers away from my hometown celebrating Ugadi (New Year in Karnataka), I realize how significant my Bengali traditions were in making my childhood a very happy one.  Those who are still lucky to be in Kolkata, tell us what has changed and what hasn’t!

Image credit: http://www.scratchingcanvas.com

Lunisolar New Year /Bihu

Bihu , Assamese New Year, is the chief festival of Assam.  It is a set of three different festivals, Rongali or Bohag observed in the Gregorian month of April, Kongali or Kati Bihu observed in October, and Bhogali or Magh Bihu observed in December, of which Rongali Bihu is considered to be the most important one celebrating the new year and spring.  Bhogali Bihu or Magh Bihu is all about food while Kongali Bihu or Kati Bihu reflects a season of short supplies (Kongali meaning poverty).

By Rex86 

Montage of Asamiya Cultural Symbols: Jaapi, Bihu dance, Saraai (Xorai), Bihu Dhol, Gamosa.

The word Bihu is originally derived from the Sanskrit word ‘bishu’, which means to ask for prosperity from the Gods during important junctures of the harvest season. It is commonly believed that the festival received its name from two different words – “bi” which means to ask, and “hu” which means to give.

By Diganta Talukdar - 

Youth perform the Bihu dance on the occasion of Rongali Bihu festival

Rongali Bihu or Bohag Bihu is a month-long festival with seven phases and hence is called Xaat (seven) Bihu.  It  starts with Raati Bihu performed on the first night of Chot and marks the beginning of a month-long season of festivities and nightly performances in open fields illuminated by burning torches, meant to be a gathering for local women.  The presence of men is only ceremonial wherein they played the pepa, a buffalo hornpipe, or bholuka baanhor toka which is a split bamboo musical instrument.

By Hiranmoy Boruah - 

Bathing and worshipping cows (Goru bihu) is a part of the Bihu celebrations.

The last day of Chot month is celebrated as Goru (Cow) Bihu with ritual bathing of livestock using a paste of symbolic herbs like black gram and turmeric paste, whipped dighloti  (litsea salicifolia), makhioti (flemingia strobilifera), tonglati (a plant with flower like soft plastic butter-fly) and pieces of bottle gourd and brinjal.  After the bath, the livestock are decorated with new harnesses and garlands.  People sing the following passage: "Dighloti dighal paat, maakhi marru jaat jaat; lau khaa bengena khaa, bosore bosore bardhi jaa, maare xaru baapere xoru toi hobi bor bor goru" . This is roughly translated as : "With our herbs and the leaves of dighloti, we drive away the flies which disturb you; we hope you accept our offering of brinjals and gourds, and continue to grow every year; and may you outgrow your parents". After washing the cattle, the remaining branches of dighloti-makhioti are hung on the roof of the cattle ranch signifying their participation.

By Woodlouse from Brighton, UK 

Girls celebrating the spring Bihu (April) festival.

The first day of Visakh month (the day after Goru Bihu) is celebrated as Manuh (human) Bihu.  On this day, humans bathe with a paste of similar items that were used to bathe cattle on Goru Bihu, wear new clothes, seek blessings of elders and exchange gifts such as Gamusa.  A Gamusa is an indispensable part of Assamese life and culture with its distinctive symbolic significance. The intricacy of its handcrafting symbolically represents ideas of friendship, love, regards, warmth, hospitality that are intimately woven into the social fabric of Assam.

By Kangkan.it2004 - 

The key musical instruments - Dhol, Pepa and Taal used during Bihu song / dance.

The next day is celebrated as Gosai (God's) Bihu.  On this day, people clean up theirs homes and worship God for a fruitful and prosperous year ahead.  This is followed by kutum (family) Bihu. This is the time to visit friends and kinsfolk and exchange news and stories over meals.  Then comes the Mela (fair) Bihu.  The highlight of Mela Bihus is organisation of cultural events and competitions at outdoor locales.  In the ancient days, the King and his staff used to come out to such fairs or bihutolis to mingle in the Bihu celebrations. This tradition of events is continued till date with Bihu Melas or Bihu functions. The fairs are attended by people from all over Assam and are aimed at fostering an atmosphere of communal brotherhood and the inclusion of everyone.

By Nayansatya 

Manda Pitha

The final day is the Chera Bihu, also called Bohagi Bidai, Phato Bihu. In different regions of Assam, people celebrate it differently but the common theme is wrapping up the celebrations with contemplation and future resolutions. It is marked by the exchange of Pithas (rice cakes) made by different families during the Bihu week among their friends and relatives.

Lunisolar new year / Vishu

Being born to a Malayali father and Maharashtrian mother,  my childhood involved celebration of both Malayali and Marathi festivals.  Of the Malayali festivals,  Vishu was the more prominent one that I remember.

By rajeshodayanchal 

In Kerala, the astrological New Year is said to be the day the sun enters the Ashwini Nakshatra, or the zodiac sign of Aries, and is believed to shine right above the Equator.   Vishu is celebrated on the first day of the Malayalam month of Medam.  However, if the transit of the sun into aries occurs after dawn on the first day of the month, Vishu celebrations will be on the next day.  Interestingly, many other Indian communities celebrate their traditional new year around the same time by different names. It is called Puthandu in Tamil Nadu, Bihu in Assam, Baisakhi in Punjab and Poila Boishakh in West Bengal.

Vishu means equal and in the context of the festival, signifies the completion of the spring equinox.   The festival is celebrated with Vishukkani, Vishu kaineetam, Vishu sadya and Vishu padakkam. 

Vishu is believed to have been celebrated since 844 AD when the area was under the reign of Sthanu Ravi.  Lord Vishnu is believed to be the God of Time and since Vishu marks the first day of the astronomical year, people pray to Lord Vishnu on the day.  Shri Krishna, Lord Vishnu's eighth incarnation, is said to have killed Narakasura on the day of Vishu.  Hence, small children are dressed up as Krishna and Krishna idol is kept in the Vishukkani.  This day is considered auspicious by farmers to begin their agricultural activities.

Vishukkani

This is one of my first memories of Vishu.  Custom is for every member of the family to wake up at dawn on Vishu and visit the Pooja room with eyes closed and Vishukkani being the first thing they see on waking.  "Kani" means "that which is first seen" thus Vishukkani means the first thing seen on Vishu.   Traditionally, all items signifying prosperity are placed in a brass plate (Uruli) in the Pooja room.  These include paddy, coconut, golden cucumber, jackfruit, lemon, betel leaves, arecanut, a mirror with a metal frame, Konna flowers (Cassia fistula), holy texts, gold/silver articles, new white clothes (preferably Mundu), oil lamp (Nilavilakku), coins and currency notes.  The belief is to wake up to auspicious items to ensure the rest of the year brings good luck and prosperity.  Reading verses from Ramayana after sighting Vishukkani is said to be auspicious.

Vishu Kaineetam

This was my favourite ritual of Vishu during childhood.  Children seek blessings of elders and Vishu kaineetam (money) is given to children by elders and is an important ritual during Vishu.   The children start saving in a new piggy bank on the day.  This tradition teaches the younger generation to save for the rainy day.

Vishu Sadhya

By Rameshng

"Sadhya" means "feast".   On Vishu, the breakfast is usually Vishu kanji, a porridge made of rice, coconut milk, and spices.  Vishu Sadhya involves an elaborate meal served on a plantain leaf.  This includes:

Vishu Katta, a dish prepared from freshly harvested rice powder and coconut milk, served with jaggery.    

Thoran, a stir-fry side dish made from vegetables including snake gourd, bitter gourd, raw mango, jackfruit seeds and spices.

Veppam Poo Rasam, a broth made from neem flowers.

Mambazha Pulissery, a curry with the main ingredient being raw mango.

It may be noted that the meal includes the basic flavors of bitter, sweet, salty, sour, and astringent.  This is common to all the communities of peninsular India as part of New Year celebrations.

Vishu padakkam

"Padakkam" means "fireworks".  Vishu padakkam is a tradition of bursting firecrackers at dawn on Vishu.

Vishukkani Kazhcha

Tradition is to visit Sri Krishna or Guruvayoorappan temple at dawn to have "Kazhcha or darshan" and seek Lord Vishnu's blessing early in the morning on the day.

Credits:  I am grateful to Manju Stampwala, my colleague, confidant, and friend, a Malayali married to a Gujarati, for her help in composing this article and the picture for Vishukkani.

Lunisolar new year /Puthandu/Tamilian New Year

According to the Hindu lunisolar calendar’s solar cycle, Puthandu is the first day of the traditional Tamil New Year. It is generally celebrated on April 13/14/15.  Interestingly, many other Indian communities celebrate their traditional new year around the same time by different names. It is called Vishu in Kerala, Bihu in Assam, Baishakhi in Punjab and Poila Boishakh in West Bengal.

By Amila Tennakoon - Sinhala and Tamil New Year in Sri Lanka, CC BY 2.0, Link

Puthandu is the first day of the Tamil Month of Chithirai and hence, in some parts of Tamil Nadu, the festival is also called ‘Chittirai Vishu’.  On the eve of this day, a tray is arranged with mangoes, bananas and jackfruit, along with betel leaves, arecanut, gold/silver jewelry, cash and a mirror and placed in front of the home shrine.  Sighting this tray first thing in the morning is said to be auspicious.  The day is marked by a visit to the temple with a tray of fruits, flowers and other auspicious items.  Home entrances are decorated with elaborate "kolams" of coloured rice powder.  Later in the day, the family enjoys an elaborate vegetarian feast which includes "mangai pachadi" similar to the Ugadi pachadi.  Its ingredients include raw mango (sour), neem leaves (bitter), mustard (astringent), jaggery (sweet), red chilies (pungent/spicy).  The recipe is a reminder that the New Year will neither be a wholly sweet nor a wholly bitter experience and that all experiences are transient, ephemeral.

This day is also celebrated as New Year in Sri Lanka and Mauritius.

Life is Nothing without Determination and Self-respect: The Legacy of Dr B R Ambedkar

BA, MA (twice), PhD, MSc, Barrister-at-law,DSc, LLD, DLitt 

Born in Mhow, Madhya Pradesh, Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (14 April 1891 – 6 December 1956) was the last child of Ramji Maloji Sakpal and Bhimabai Sakpal. Bhimrao’s father was a Subedar in the British Indian army. The family belonged to the Mahar caste and had come to Madhya Pradesh from Maharashtra. They were treated as untouchables. After his father’s retirement in 1894, the family moved to Satara, also in the Central Provinces. His family name was Sakpal but his teacher in school, Krishna Keshav Ambedkar, gave him his own surname "Ambedkar" in the school records. Thereafter, he came to be known as Ambedkar. Shortly after they moved to Satara, Bhimrao’s mother passed away. Four years later, his father remarried and the family shifted to Bombay.

Although he first attended an army school, Ambedkar sat outside the class on a gunny sack, separate from the children of the Brahmin and the upper classes, and was given little attention or help by teachers. Discrimination followed him wherever he went. At Satara, where he attended the local school, he was not allowed to even drink the same water as the other children. The peon would pour water from a separate vessel into his cupped hands, if he felt thirsty. No one else was prepared to do this. “The days the peon was on leave,” he recalls, “I would go thirsty.” No change of schools altered this fate. Later he would say,

“Caste is not a physical object like a wall of bricks or a line of barbed wire which prevents the Hindus from co-mingling and which has, therefore, to be pulled down. Caste is a notion; it is a state of the mind.”
In 1906, 15-year-old Bhimrao married Ramabai, a 9 year old girl. He passed his matriculation in 1908 from Elphinstone High School, being the only untouchable student in the whole school and went on to study at the Elphinstone College. One can only wonder at the quality of the merit he possessed that single-handedly swept away the centuries of stigma his birth carried. Who can deny what it must have felt like - that it would not have entered like iron into his soul? Yet he persevered - unshaken, focused and above all, unembittered.

He graduated in 1912, with a degree in Economics and Political Science from Bombay University. By this time, the news of his achievements had reached the Gaekwad ruler of Baroda, SahyajiRao III. His Highness came forward with the monetary help of a scholarship £11.50 per month for three years, which Ambedkar decided to use for higher studies in the USA. He had, no doubt, by this time realised education was the only way out of his predicament, the only access to empowerment. He enrolled in Columbia University in New York City to study Economics. He completed his Master’s degree in June 1915, after successfully completing his thesis titled ‘Ancient Indian Commerce’. In 1916, he completed his second thesis, National Dividend of India – A Historic and Analytical Study, for another MA. Ambedkar returned to India and as stipulated by the rules of the scholarship grant, he joined the service of the King of Baroda, as the Defence Secretary. But here too, he had to face humiliation for being an untouchable. Thereafter, he worked as a private tutor, as an accountant, and established an investment consulting business, but it failed when his clients learned that he was an untouchable.

Undeterred, he went on in 1916 to enrol in the London School of Economics, to work on his doctoral thesis, simultaneously enrolling for the Bar course at Gray's Inn. In 1922, he was called to the Bar. In 1923 he presented his thesis titled "The problem of the rupee: Its origin and its solution" whilst completing a D.Sc in Economics in the same year. His third and fourth Doctorates LL.D, Columbia, came in 1952 and D.Litt., Osmania, in 1953. In 1918, with the help of the former Governor of Bombay, Lord Sydenham, Ambedkar became a professor of political economy at the Sydenham College of Commerce and Economics in Bombay. At every step, however, ostracisation dogged him. He had to leave the job as the staff refused to share drinking water with him.

“If you believe in living a respectable life, you believe in self-help which is the best help.”
He decided to fight against the caste discrimination that plagued him throughout his life. In his testimony before the Southborough Committee in preparation of the Government of India Act in 1919, Ambedkar put forth the opinion that there should be a separate electoral system for the untouchables and other marginalised communities. It was an opinion forged through having spent countless years in the furnace of humiliation and social alienation. He began to contemplate the idea of reservations for Dalits and other religious outcastes.

“Be Educated, Be Organised and Be Agitated.”
Ambedkar began to find ways to spread awareness, to make people aware of the drawbacks of the prevailing social evils. With the help of Shahaji II, a progressive royal from the family of Shivaji, he started a newspaper called “Mooknayaka” (Leader of the Silent) in 1920. It is said that after hearing his speech at a rally, Shahu IV, an influential ruler of Kolhapur, invited him to share a meal. The incident was enough to create a huge socio-political uproar.

In 1926, Ambedkar applied his legal skills to fighting cases of caste discrimination in courts. He won a resounding victory in defending three non-Brahmin leaders, who had accused Brahmins of ruining India, and were afterwards sued for libel. This established the basis of his future battles. While practising law in the Bombay High Court, he spoke of education for the upliftment of untouchables. His first organised attempt was his establishment of a central organisation, the Bahishkrit Hitakarini Sabha, which was set up to promote education and socio-economic improvement, as well as the welfare of "outcastes", which were referred to as depressed classes then.

“So long as you don’t achieve social liberty, whatever freedom is provided by the law is of no avail to you.”
By 1927, Ambedkar launched full-fledged movements for the rights of the outcastes. He demanded public drinking water sources open to all and the right for all castes to enter temples. He openly condemned Hindu scriptures advocating discrimination and arranged symbolic demonstrations to enter the Kalaram Temple in Nashik. He publicly condemned the classic Hindu text, the Manusmriti (Laws of Manu), for justifying caste discrimination and "untouchability", ceremonially burning copies of the ancient text. On 25 December 1927, thousands of his followers burnt copies of Manusmriti.

In 1932, the Poona Pact was signed between Dr Ambedkar and Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya, representative of the Hindu Brahmins, relinquishing reservation of seats for the untouchable classes in the Provisional legislatures, within the general electorate. These classes were later designated as Scheduled Classes and Scheduled Tribes. Ambedkar objected to the decision of the Congress and Mahatma Gandhi to label them as Harijans. He would say that even the members of untouchable community are same as the other members of the society.

“Lost rights are never regained by the appeals to the conscience of the usurpers but by relentless struggle. Goats are used for sacrificial offerings not lions.”
In 1935, Ambedkar was appointed principal of the Government Law College, Bombay, a position he held for two years. His wife Ramabai died after a long illness the same year. It had been her longstanding wish to go on a pilgrimage to Pandharpur, but Ambedkar had refused to let her go, telling her that he would create a new Pandharpur for her instead of Hinduism's Pandharpur which treated them as untouchables. At the Yeola Conversion Conference in Nasik, Ambedkar announced his decision to convert to a different religion. In 1956, he finally renounced Hinduism and formally converted to Buddhism, his religion of choice.

“Religion is for man not man for religion. Though I was born a Hindu, I solemnly assure you that I will not die as a Hindu.”
When the time came for the Constituent Assembly to appoint a committee that would draft independent India’s Constitution, it was his reputation as a scholar and his vision that led to his appointment to this post. He was a wise constitutional expert, who studied the constitutions of about 60 countries before beginning to draft the constitution of free India.

“Constitution is not merely a lawyer’s document, it is a vehicle of Life and its spirit is the spirit of the Age.”
He emphasised on bridging the gap between all classes of society. According to him, it would be difficult to maintain the unity of the country if the differences among the classes were not met. He put particular emphasis on religious, gender and caste equality. The text prepared by Ambedkar provided constitutional guarantees and protections for a wide range of civil liberties for individual citizens, including freedom of religion, the abolition of untouchability, and the outlawing of all forms of discrimination. Ambedkar argued for extensive economic and social rights for women. He was successful in receiving support of the Assembly to introduce reservation for members of the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes in education, government jobs and civil services. India's lawmakers hoped to eradicate the socio-economic inequalities and lack of opportunities for India's depressed classes through these measures.

“Equality may be a fiction but nonetheless one must accept it as a governing principle.”
After the work of drafting the Constitution was over, he suffered deterioration of health. He had developed diabetes in 1948, and it began to tell on his general wellbeing. He was bedridden for five months in 1954 due to the side-effects ofmedication and poor eyesight. His health worsened during 1955, however defying all odds, he continued working on “The Buddha and His Dhamma” during these days. Three days after completing the final manuscript, he passed away in his sleep on 6 December 1956.

In his address to the Indian parliament in 2010, US President Barack Obama remembered Ambedkar's extraordinary contributions to India in the following words: "No matter who you are or where you come from, every person can fulfil their God-given potential. Just as a Dalit like Dr Ambedkar could lift himself up and pen the words of the constitution that protects the rights of all Indians."
In 1990, the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, was posthumously conferred upon Ambedkar, now respectfully called ‘Babasaheb.’

“In believing we are a nation, we are cherishing a great delusion. How can people divided into thousands of castes be a nation? The sooner we realise that we are not yet a nation in the social and psychological sense ………..the better for us.”
“We are going to enter into a life of contradictions. In politics we will have equality and in social and economic rights we will have inequality. We must remove this contradiction or else who suffer from this inequality will blow up the structure.”
This blog will be incomplete if I don’t include this one last quote from this extraordinary man:

"I measure the progress of community by the degree of progress which women have achieved. Let every girl who marries stand by her husband, claim to be her husband’s friend and equal, and refuse to be his slave. I am sure if you follow this advice, you will bring honour and glory to yourselves.”
Image credit: neworldencyclopedia.org

Rama Navami

Rama Navami

Rama Navami marks the birthday of Lord Rama, the Seventh avatar (reincarnation) of Lord Vishnu.  It is celebrated on the Ninth day of Shukla paksha of Chaitra Masa (Waxing phase of the first lunar month, Chaitra).  Ramayana is believed to be the oldest Sanskrit epic in which the life story of Rama has been described in detail.  It has been translated into many languages by renowned poets and writers.  This post is my humble attempt to summarize the same in as few words as possible.

The Birth of Rama

According to the great epic, Ramayana, King Dasharatha ruled over Kosala (capital city Ayodhya) in the Treta Yuga (the second of the four Yugas, or ages of mankind).  He had three wives (Kaushalya, Sumitra, and Kaikeyi) but had no offspring to succeed him on the throne.  Following advice from Rishi Vashishta, Dasharatha invited Maharshi Rishyasringa to perform the Putra Kamesti Yagna.  Maharshi Rishyasringa then gave a bowl of blessed kheer to be consumed by the three wives.  Eventually, all the three wives conceived.  Rama was born to Kaushalya, Lakshman and Shatrughna to Sumitra and Bharat to Kaikeyi.  Rama is chronicled to be the reincarnation of Lord Vishnu who descended to earth to wipe off adharma (evil) and maintain dharma (righteous living).

Early Life

Rama is believed to have been a polite, self controlled, virtuous young man eager to help others.  Sage Vishwamitra once approached King Dasharatha to protect him from the harassment of Taraka, a female Asura (demon).  Dasharatha charged 16-year-old Rama and his younger sibling, Lakshmana, with the task of protecting the sage and his Yagna.   Rama, initially reluctant to slay a female, maimed her by chopping her hands off. When this did not prevent her from harassing the sage, he finally killed her.  Impressed by his valour, other sages too enlisted his help and thus began a series of adventures which finally led him to Mithila, ruled by King Janaka, father of Sita (also known as Janaki or Maithili).  The king had promised Sita in marriage to any man who could wield the divine bow gifted to him by God Shiva.  Rama wielded the bow and when he drew the string, it broke. Thus, he was married to Princess Sita.

Exile

After Rama had been married for 12 years, Dasharatha declared his desire to crown Rama as the heir to his throne.  This led to jealousy in the mind of Kaikeyi, who demanded that her son, Bharata be crowned the heir and that Rama be exiled to the forests for 14 years.  Sita and Lakshmana followed Rama into the forest. After 13 years in exile, while living in the Panchavati forest on the banks of river Godavari, they were visited by demon princess, Surpanaka (sister of King Ravana of Lanka), who fell in love with Rama.  Rama, declaring himself to be monogamous, turned her down.  Enraged, Surpanaka tried to kill Sita and was stopped by Lakshmana who cut her nose and ears off.  To avenge this insult, Ravana abducted Sita which led to the war between Rama and Ravana in which Rama enlisted the help of the Vanar Sena (monkey army) and finally killed Ravana before returning to Ayodhya.

Traditions/celebrations on Rama Navami

1.  A prayer or puja vidhi is performed on Rama Navami which includes sthapana or installation of a Kalash as well as the Panchang (the almanac). This puja includes the Gauri Ganesh, Punyavachan, Shodash Matrika, Navgraha, and Sarvotabhadra puja. The recitals include the Yogini Pujan, Shetrapal Pujan, Swasti Vachan, Sankalpa followed by 108 chants of each planetary mantra, 108 recitals of the Rama Raksha Strota, Rama-Sita Pujan and recitation of the Sunderkand paath. The puja ends with a yagna, aarti and pushpaanjali.

2.  People come together on Rama Navami to celebrate peace and harmony. Some perform a recital of the Ramayana, or reading scriptures like the Bhagvata Purana.  Some scenes from the Ramayana are also enacted.

3.  Kirtans and bhajans are organised in temples and at homes.

4.  Ratha Yatras are organised in some towns.

5.  Certain communities observe fast during Chaitra Navaratri (the nine days leading up to Rama Navami beginning on Gudi Padwa/Ugadi) and read the Ramayana.

6.  In Karnataka, local groups set up pandals and distribute panaka (a musk melon and jaggery drink) and kosambari (a salad of soaked yellow lentils and cucumber).

7.  The Sree Rama Seva Mandal, Chamrajpet, Bengaluru, organises a month-long classical musical festival.  This festival was started in 1939 and musicians from all over India (irrespective of their religion or genre) perform here.

8.  In East India, Rama Navami marks the start of preparations for the annual Jagannath Rath Yatra.

Finally, as I always say, Hinduism, having been passed on by the word of mouth for centuries, has different legends and interpretations in different regions.  Please feel free to share your beliefs and interpretations.  If there is any error or any omission in the write up, please do mention it in the comments section.

Muskmelon Drink/Panaka

Ingredients

Pulp of one medium-sized muskmelon

Jaggery 200 gm (grated/crushed)

Green cardamom 4, peeled and crushed

Water 2 L

Method

Deseed and blend the pulp of the muskmelon in a blender to a smooth consistency.  Add in the rest of the ingredients and stir till the jaggery dissolves.  Serve chilled for a refreshing, hydrating, rejuvenating natural drink this summer.

Tips

1.  One may add a pinch of salt to balance the sweetness of jaggery.

2.  Adding half a teaspoon of ginger paste gives a wonderful flavour to the drink.

Mahatma Phule: The Unsung Hero

Almost two hundred years ago, there lived a man, Jyotiba Phule whose name when entered into Google, yields a very interesting quote, which I want to share with my readers:  

  "Nationalism cannot progress in India until differences over food and eating habits persist and marital relationships are imposed upon by differences of community."

Ahem! I thought to myself.   Someone had had the gumption to say that outright almost two hundred years ago!  Had he lived today, he would have never made it with the current powers-that-be.  Must have been quite a trail-blazer for his times!  I continued to read further, my curiosity thoroughly provoked.  It turned out I was not far wrong in my thinking; he was indeed a remarkable man, to say the least.

Apparently, the original surname of the family had been Gorhe and they hailed from the village of Katgun, in present day Satara district, Maharashtra.  His ancestors moved to Poona in search of livelihood. They befriended a florist, who taught them his line of work. They became quite proficient at growing and arranging flowers and took on the name of Phule (flower-man) in place of Gorhe. 

One of the Phule siblings, Govindrao, had two sons, of whom Jyotirao was the younger. His wife, Chimnabai, died before Jyotiba turned one. The Mali community did not give much importance to education, which Jyotiba commented upon later as follows: 

Lack of education leads to lack of wisdom,

which leads to lack of morals,

which leads to lack of progress,

which leads to lack of money,

which leads to the oppression of the lower classes

See what state of society one lack of education can cause!

Here was a man, all those years ago, who established a clear connection between lack of money and oppression. 

A Christian convert from the same Mali caste as Phule (there were Christian converts in that day and age too!), recognised his intelligence and persuaded Phule's father to allow Phule to attend the local Scottish Mission High School.So eventually, he got to attend a school that is quite the best of the best even today.  Phule studied until the seventh standard in that school. As was the prevailing practice, he got married at 13, to a Mali girl, Savitribai, who was his father’s choice.

However, the turning point in his life came in 1848, when he attended the wedding of a Brahmin friend.  After having been invited to the wedding, Phule was insulted roundly by his friend's parents for including himself in the baraat or the groom’s party. They told him that knowing fully well he was from a lower caste, he should have stayed away from that part of the ceremony.  This incident left a great mark on Phule and made him sharply aware of the injustice prevalent in the caste system.

In 1848, aged 23, Phule had the opportunity to visit the first girls' school in Ahmednagar, run by Christian missionaries. It was also in 1848 that he read Thomas Paine's book Rights of Man and developed a keen sense of social justice. (I wonder which student having just completed education up to the seventh standard, from any school today, is capable of reading, understanding and assimilating into his life something such as Rights of Man?).  He realised how disadvantaged lower castes and women were in Indian society, and more importantly, how education of these sections was vital to their emancipation.

To this end and in the same year, 1848, Phule first taught reading and writing to his wife, Savitribai, and then the couple started the first indigenously-run school for girls in Pune.  In his book Gulamgiri, he describes how they were ostracised for this by both family and community.  They were given shelter by their friends, Usman and Fatima Sheikh, brother and sister, who opened their doors to them against immense pressure from the local society. They also helped to start the school in their premises.  By 1852, the Phules started three schools for children from untouchable communities. Undeterred by criticism, he supported the cause of widow remarriage and set up a home for pregnant widows to give birth in a safe and secure place in 1863.  An orphanage was set up in an attempt to reduce the rate of infanticide.  Phule stood up against the stigma of social untouchability surrounding the lower castes by opening his house and the use of his water-well to their members. 

Phule held radical views on Aryans.  He believed that the caste system of the Aryans was merely an instrument to ensure the social superiority of the Brahmins.  But it was his views of the British that were really astonishing.  He felt that the British were comparatively enlightened as they did not believe in the caste system.  In his book, Gulamgiri, he has expressed his gratitude to Christian missionaries for making the lower castes realise that they were human too, and deserved basic human rights.  The book was dedicated to Abolitionists in the US and their dedicated efforts to end slavery.  Such were his levels of awareness!

His view of Rama, the hero of the Indian epic Ramayana, would have raised quite a few eyebrows too.  Phule considered him a symbol of oppression (Is it any wonder Phule’s name and his path-breaking achievements are not given the credit they deserve!).  He looked down upon the Vedas as the most fundamental texts of upper-caste Hindus, considering them to be a form of false consciousness. He is credited with introducing the Marathi word, dalit (fallen/broken/crushed), popularised in the 1970s by the Dalit Panthers. 

On 24 September 1873, Phule founded the Satyashodhak Samaj (Society of the Seekers of Truth) with the aim of focussing on the rights of disadvantaged groups such as women, the Dalits and lower castes.  The Satyashodhak Samaj upheld the ideals of human well being and happiness above all.  It highlighted the importance of rational thinking, unity and equality, while speaking up against orthodox religious principles and rituals.  Members included Muslims, Brahmins and government officials, with non-Brahmin castes dominating it.

He was appointed as a member of the municipal council to the Poona Municipality in 1876 and served in this unelected position until 1883.  He passed away in 1890. 

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the first minister of law of India and the architect of the Indian Constitution, acknowledged Phule as one of his three gurus. 

This was Jyotirao Govindrao Phule (11 April 1827 – 28 November 1890) whose birth anniversary we celebrate today.  A man of outstanding courage, thinker,  reformer, social activist, who blazed an untrodden path against heavy odds.  He lit the way for others who came after him, some of whom were instrumental in building independent India.  He and his wife, Savitribai Phule, were pioneers of women education in India. The couple was among the first native Indians to open a school for girls of India.

Here was indeed, a man among men, a rare man, who measured the progress of his country from the state of its womenfolk.

Image courtesy gyanpandit.com