An Indian New Year

Today is the Kerala, Indian new year. There are three different Pujas taking place today. The one I went to began at 4:00am. Being dehydrated and exhausted made me inert and reluctant to get out of bed, but I knew I would probably never experience something like this again. I did a quick tooth brushing and hurriedly got dressed. I elected to take the elevator which was unfortunately filled with bees buzzing around the light. I crouched low, almost touching the filthy mat and waited the nine story decent to the ground.

The outside air was surprisingly cool and very refreshing compared to the stuffy-hot room Adam and I are occupying. I immediately detected a sweet smell of jasmine and it only became more noticeable the closer I walked to the Kalari(where most of the Pujas are performed). The Kalari was unsurprisingly packed full of people, overflowing out of the doorways. The energy was calm and all eyes were fixed on the inner most shrine room, nestled in the back part of the Kalari.

Being a pretty short person, there wasn't a chance of seeing over the sea of heads. I stood there in silence, taking in all the beauty; a metal tree with little dishes filled with oil and wicks, burning strong and illuminating the darkness; subtle orange and yellow flowers strung together and hanging from the entrance and all inside the Kalari; a man holding a gold spoon which held the burning camphor. As he would pass people, they would bring the flame close to their heads and bring the smoke close to their faces. I'm not sure of the significance of this, but I did it anyways.

I was soon ushered into a queue by a squat, watery-eyed Indian man. The Indian people here are not idle; they are constantly moving, working, praying, and graciously telling me how to participate in the ceremonies and so often nudging me forward into the queue. They tell me I need to be more pushy. If you are not pushy and assertive here, you will get budged in line and it won't be considered rude. As soon as I got one foot in the door of the Kalari, I noticed ornate white markings painted on the floor. Again, I am unsure of their meaning, but they are present every time a Puja is taking place.

On my right a young Indian girl in a saffron and red sari was beautifully singing, accompanied by an older man beating a drum. As the queue moved deeper into the small space of the Kalari, I could see people touching their hands to a stone carving of Ganesha(the elephant god, the remover of obstacles) hung precariously on the wall. I did not feel the call to touch it myself, but just gazed on its beauty. As I reached the inner part of the space I was able to kneel down in the doorway of the tiny shrine room. There were more fascinating symbols painted on the threshold and in the middle of the room was a large Amma doll ordained with many jewels and necklaces. On both her sides stood two beautifully blue Krishna figures, their peacock plumes standing out to me. Spread around Amma's feet were many plates of fresh fruit, most recognizably coconuts, grains , sweets, flowers, and burning camphor. People were also offering money as they bent down to pray. I gazed at the scene for some time, I was mollified by the light, the sweet smells, and the music. Then touching my hand to the threshold and placing it on my heart I led myself out of the Kalari to receive Prasad.

First a drop of turmeric paste was placed in my hand and I used my ring finger to mush it onto my third eye(you are not supposed to use your pointer finger to do this because it represents the ego). Next, holy water and tulasi( basil) were placed in my hand. It is customary to take a taste of the water and then dab the rest on the top of your head (your crown chakra). After doing this with the utmost effort not to do anything too sheepish, I received several different kinds of sweets. I have not idea what they were made out of , but I ate them and some were sweet, savory, and one was fried.

The whole experience was extremely calming and I almost felt a since of renewal and a definite boost of energy afterward. I knew Adam would want to come down and be a part of the Kerala new year, even though he told me he didn't want to wake up. I rushed up the stairs and and roused him from a sound sleep. He is quite the deep sleeper. Sometimes he looks like he is awake, but don't be fooled because he is probably still fast asleep! It didn't take any convincing to get Adam to come to the ceremony . We rushed to the Kalari and he went through all the same motions as I did, but I can't say that we experienced that same thing. While I waited outside for Adam to receive Prasad I focused all of my attention on one thought for the Indian new year--may all beings in all the worlds be happy.

-Eva