Since I've been in India I've been the recipient of many benefits: one of which is the title of an honorary man. Indian society is divided into castes and within those castes men are ranked higher than women. At meals the men, served by the women, eat first. After the men are done, the women, children, and household help eat. However, because I'm considered to be more highly ranked than the household help, while in India I'm considered to be an honorary man and am allowed to eat meals with my professor and the on site director as well as receive other benefits only men can have.
My professor has been forming connections in India for the past 40 years and he has a very close relationship with the king in Visakhapatnam. The king found out we were planning on visiting Simhachlam temple, a nearby Hindu temple dedicated to the god Vishnu, and he called the temple informing them that we are guests of the king and that we are to be allowed into the inner sanctums of the temple; a portion of the temple which usually only people who pay 20,000 rupees are allowed in.
Once we got into the inner sanctum, we were able to participate in several traditional Hindu rituals.
One of these rituals, the Puja, was one where, in the middle of the inner sanctum, you put your hands on a silver plate with holy basil leaves on it and the priests recite a prayer for you. After everyone has a chance, he came back around with a bowl of flavored water and poured some in my hands and I drank it and poured the leftovers onto my head. We then rotated clockwise around the shrine and received a portion of holy basil (we was sternly told not to let it touch the ground as it would be not auspicious) as the priest put a silver crown-like-headpiece onto our heads for a second and chanted a blessing to keep the demons away. (Or for fertility. It seems like every blessing is for fertility.)
When we left the room with the shrine, came to a room with a pillar decorated with flakes of gold and paint powder. One by one we (the females of the group) hugged the pillar then turned around with our backs to it and we were tied to the pillar with a sash while the priest chanted a blessing. This ritual was to bless us with fertility and "many many children". (See? Fertility.)
We were led to a small room with about six musicians, including some holy Indian clarinet players. These players played a song and then a priest chanted over us, tossing rice onto us. We were told later that the man who was leading us around the temple, the king's doctor, had never seen that ritual performed before and that it is usually reserved for the kings and presidents of India; we were very fortunate to be recipients of such an honor.
On our way to leave the temple we stopped at an alter where we each took a small bowl filled with animal fat and lit the wick on an already lit bowl and place it on the alter. When it was my turn, I did so, turned around to leave, and a man standing by the alter stopped me and bent down. He then started to worship my feet; stroking them and bringing his hands to his face as Hindus would do in the presence of something sacred. My professor had never seen this happen before and told me that this form of worship is reserved for people who are of much higher caste and power. My professor told me that most likely the man believed I was the reincarnation of a important and powerful person.
Before we went into the inner sanctum of the temple, we went through a portion of the temple where people who had bargained with a god and whose prayer has been answered are able to shave off their hair as an offering to the god. One of the girls in my group, E, decided that she wanted to have the full experience of India and shaved her head! She's now bald and has no regrets. (Plus she's much cooler in the India heat and humidity)
My professor has been forming connections in India for the past 40 years and he has a very close relationship with the king in Visakhapatnam. The king found out we were planning on visiting Simhachlam temple, a nearby Hindu temple dedicated to the god Vishnu, and he called the temple informing them that we are guests of the king and that we are to be allowed into the inner sanctums of the temple; a portion of the temple which usually only people who pay 20,000 rupees are allowed in.
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| These women do everything at our home from cooking and cleaning to helping us get dressed in traditional Indian attire and doing our hair. |
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| Sidhu, the 11 month-old boy who lives with us, with temple statues made 15,000 years ago (or so our translator said--he may have been exaggerating or could have meant 1,500) |
One of these rituals, the Puja, was one where, in the middle of the inner sanctum, you put your hands on a silver plate with holy basil leaves on it and the priests recite a prayer for you. After everyone has a chance, he came back around with a bowl of flavored water and poured some in my hands and I drank it and poured the leftovers onto my head. We then rotated clockwise around the shrine and received a portion of holy basil (we was sternly told not to let it touch the ground as it would be not auspicious) as the priest put a silver crown-like-headpiece onto our heads for a second and chanted a blessing to keep the demons away. (Or for fertility. It seems like every blessing is for fertility.)
When we left the room with the shrine, came to a room with a pillar decorated with flakes of gold and paint powder. One by one we (the females of the group) hugged the pillar then turned around with our backs to it and we were tied to the pillar with a sash while the priest chanted a blessing. This ritual was to bless us with fertility and "many many children". (See? Fertility.)
We were led to a small room with about six musicians, including some holy Indian clarinet players. These players played a song and then a priest chanted over us, tossing rice onto us. We were told later that the man who was leading us around the temple, the king's doctor, had never seen that ritual performed before and that it is usually reserved for the kings and presidents of India; we were very fortunate to be recipients of such an honor.
On our way to leave the temple we stopped at an alter where we each took a small bowl filled with animal fat and lit the wick on an already lit bowl and place it on the alter. When it was my turn, I did so, turned around to leave, and a man standing by the alter stopped me and bent down. He then started to worship my feet; stroking them and bringing his hands to his face as Hindus would do in the presence of something sacred. My professor had never seen this happen before and told me that this form of worship is reserved for people who are of much higher caste and power. My professor told me that most likely the man believed I was the reincarnation of a important and powerful person.
Before we went into the inner sanctum of the temple, we went through a portion of the temple where people who had bargained with a god and whose prayer has been answered are able to shave off their hair as an offering to the god. One of the girls in my group, E, decided that she wanted to have the full experience of India and shaved her head! She's now bald and has no regrets. (Plus she's much cooler in the India heat and humidity)
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| Portion of the temple where barbers are available to shave heads; we watched this small child have her head shaved |
I always knew you were an important and powerful person, as far as the the reincarnated part, I am not as convinced. Love you! Thanks for keeping a blog for all of us to follow. :)
ReplyDeleteLauren,
ReplyDeleteYou are amazing!! I saw your blog link on FB and I'm so glad I did. Thank you for letting us share this wonderful experience with you. Be safe and know that we love and support you.
Wow, such a once-in-a-lifetime experience! I love hearing the details of your visit to the Hindu temple: so fascinating!. Thanks for the window into life there. As you know, I kind of crave that. :)
ReplyDeleteFantastic, Lauren! What great memories you'll have. Keep your updates coming!
ReplyDelete-Uncle Matt