My general approach to life overseas is to say yes to as many opportunities as I can, even if I have little information about what I’m getting into. As long as there are no safety concerns I’m willing to risk a little discomfort and embrace the unknown. Sometimes these gambles are a bust and other times I find myself in situations so magical I need to pinch myself. Sunday just happened to be one of those fantastic days that fall in the latter category.
We met some new friends on Friday who have a 1st grader at ASB as well. They were on the Saturday shopping tour and we bonded during our 6 hours together. It typical expat fashion, I seized on the opportunity to hang out with my new friends and asked if they wanted to get together on Sunday as well to go to a kid’s play place. They declined, saying that they had been invited to a party in their building. However, they had spoken to the host via phone and he had encouraged them to bring other friends (Indians definitely embrace the philosophy of “The More the Merrierâ€). Hence we obtained an invite and decided to go.
So off we went to a party at a stranger’s house for a feast I was clueless about. I had no idea what to bring and would surely be dressed inappropriately, as I don’t own any Indian attire yet. I decided to risk it though, as all the Indians I’ve met thus far have been very gracious and welcoming. My plan was simply to apologize excessively for not “doing it rightâ€.
So we meet at our friend’s apartment and head upstairs for the party. We walk in the door and are greeted by this massive, beautiful shrine to the Hindu God Krishna.
I scanned the room and saw about 50 other people, mostly Indians, all in beautiful traditional Indian clothes. Not a single person had their legs showing. Oops. Alas, it was too late to go change (not that I had anything appropriate anyways). Our hosts came up and introduced themselves and encouraged us to go get food. That seemed like a good option, so we started with that. As we settled in with our food, various Indians came up and started introducing themselves. I briefly lost sight of Nia during one of my conversations. When I turned around I discovered that she’d made herself at home with the musicians.
They were leading Kirtan, which is basically sung prayer in a call and response format. I decided now was as good a time as any to go sing, so I went over and sat on the singing mat and encouraged Nia to come sit with me. The musicians switched to a super easy call and response song and someone else handed us a paper with the words written on it. So sing we did. It was so soothing. I love the repetitive nature of the chants. Definitely need to practice Kirtan on a regular basis.
It wasn’t long after we started singing that the dancing began. And you know Nia, once there’s dancing, she’s in! She gave it her all and, as usual, made quite a spectacle. I, too, enjoyed myself thoroughly. As the party went on we learned more about what we were celebrating. The festival is called Janmashtami and is a celebration of the birth of Krishna, a Hindu God. Hindus celebrate Janmashtami in a variety of ways – by fasting, singing, praying together, sharing special food, holding night vigils or visiting temples. After Krishna’s midnight birth hour, some families wash and cloth a statue of baby Krishna and place it in a cradle.
While that party in itself would have made for a spectacular day, we still had one more party to look forward to that evening. Our second party was another Janmashtami celebration, this time in the commons area of our building. The crowd was also pretty large, about 50-75 people, although this celebration was a bit more formal and included a puja ceremony.
What is a Puja Ceremony?
Puja is the act of showing reverence to a god, spirit or other aspect of the divine through prayer, song and ritual. It is essential to make a spiritual connection with the divine during puja. This is usually done by looking at a sacred object (like a statue of the God). It is not believed that the statue is the God itself but, rather, an object filled with the deity’s cosmic energy. Pujas are done daily in the home and also in public places like temples or outdoor spaces. More elaborate pujas take place on festival days.
When a puja is performed it has 3 important components:
- Seeing the deity (and making a spiritual connection)
- Worshipping the deity (by making offerings of flowers, fruit and other foods)
- Retrieving the blessed food and consuming it
This creates a relationship with the divine through an individual’s emotions and senses.
The puja ceremony was about 20 minutes in length. One man led the ritual and 6 other elder men were invited up to participate in making the actual offerings. They sat in a semi-circle around the offering bowl in front of the shrine.
As the ceremony was starting I encouraged Nia to go up closer so she could see better. Before I knew what was happening my precocious child had caught the eyes of one of the elders and was invited into the circle of elders making the offerings. And wouldn’t you know it, down she plopped.
The ritual started and it was obvious that not only did she get to sit extra-close but that she would get to do each of the offerings as well. I’m not gonna lie. I started to panic. Because what are the chances that my 6 year old is going to sit there quietly for 20 minutes while the leader chants in Hindu and hands out offerings?!? Will she wait her turn? Will she be reverent? Ahhhhhhh! I was freaking out people! But there was nothing I could do but pray, literally, because the ceremony was already in progress.
I did not understand all the symbolism, but the leader handed out round after round of flower petals to each of the elders (+Nia). Once everyone received some, all of them added their petals to a central offering dish. There was also a liquid that each person sprinkled over the offering bowl. There was also one part where each of the elders (+Nia) held a rupee bill while the leader wrapped a red string around their arm 3 times and tied it into a bracelet. Again, no idea about the significance but it was all very cool.
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Nia behaved spectacularly well. She was careful to pay attention to what the others were doing (ie: crossing their legs). She didn’t say a single word (this in itself was shocking). And her demeanor was very reverent the entire time. Who knew my daughter could actually behave when she wants to!? :) I was a proud mama. Her reverence may have even brought a few tears to my eyes…
The puja ceremony was the highlight for me, but of course there was also group chanting, singing, dancing and eating! Such a magical day. I am blessed to live a life that immerses me so completely in another culture and am grateful to all the Indians who have welcomed us with open arms and invited us to share in their traditions. If things continue at this pace then we’re in for a monumental tour ahead…
