The weather here is right now very unsettled. If you watch the weather report on national television here, you will notice that the just keep repeating a few words like, it is going to be cold and blustery with persistent rain and wind, with chancing of frost etc..etc..so much so that I actually feel very depressed. In those moments, memories of the good sunny Indian visit comes flashing in my mind. Talking of that, I remember how I grumbled about the heat and humidity there but, definitely now the cold weather is taking its toll on me.
After coming back from my India visit, I took my time to settle down here and then got busy with the Diwali preparation. That reminds me that I didn't share pictures of my Rangoli here, which I am doing right now because, we all know 'Its better late than never'. I searched the net for a Ganesha Rangoli and decided on the simplest design and I did it with rice. I was happy with my amateur design and was actually over the top when my DH said it came out nice. I must say that praises doesn't come from that way often.
Now coming to the tale part of the post. I had told you about our Puri visit in this post. It so happened that we went to the famous Jagannath temple there. We are Jain by religion but that is no hindrance to our paying a visit to temples to pay our homage. I had been there last year as well. Since, Puri is just a over night train journey, it is very convenient for us to go there for a short trip. We knew what we would face if we went there in the morning, the temple is usually very crowded in the morning, so we decided to go there in the evening when the rush is relatively less.
We bought 'prasad' to offer to the deities which were available to buy in the temple premises and went inside. As expected we were surrounded by a number of 'pandas', the so called priests who pestered us to come with them so that they could help us in our 'puja'(prayers). We decided not to hire one and went inside. There were priests inside who would take our 'prasad' and offer it to the deities and bring it back. That was where the unexpected happened. The priest would not take our prasad if we did not put money in it! We do prefer to make our offering through the donation box. After much nagging, my husband parted with a fifty rupees note, which for the priest, was not sufficient and he asked for more as there we two of us to make the offering. My DH was reluctant and some what irritated and angry with the demand and did not give in. It was then another priest came in and said that he would do it. And you know what, that fifty rupees went into his pocket.
That was not the end of it.
Then we went around the temple and came across a sacred tree. It is said that if you sit underneath it and and wish for something and then tie a thread to it, you wish will be granted. Like most people we wanted to do it. But when we went closer we found that there was a make shift place there where a priest was sitting. We went ahead sat there and as soon as we went ahead to take a thread from the pile, the priest said, it is Rs 100 per thread. Now, this was too much and we decided not to do it, not because that sum was too much for us, but because they had made a business of the sacred temple and it was this practice that we did not want to support. As we were making our way back, I could hear the priest saying that if you want to make a wish you have to pay it!
I personally feel such practices in temples are actually make a joke of the sacred shrine and I do not see that things are really going to change with most people ready to give in such demands to avoid the wrath of the priests. Have you ever come across such situations?
I remember talking about the nephew- Pranay too in my post here. Here are a few more pictures. Like most kids he enjoys his time in the bath doing, chabal, chabal (his words for splashing water).
I pampered him a lot with chocolates. My sis was really angry about that and threatened to do the same with my kid (when I have one, she will have to wait for her sweet revenge). I think there is no other better way to make friends with kids other them offering them chocolates.
It so happened that one day me and my sis and the kid went to a tailor. While she went inside his shop, I waited outside with Pranay. He was getting uncontrollable, since his mother was paying more attention to the tailor than him and subsided only when I offered to buy him chocolates. I took him to a near by store to buy him a candy. But, no! He had already set his eyes on a big Dairy Milk Celebration Pack and wouldn't budge an inch without it. And I had to buy it for him. No doubt my sis was furious! That was not all, he teared the packet and stuffed all the chocolates into his pocket. Guess what, he knew his mother well!
You can see he has long tresses and now it is all one, as he is done with his 'mundan' ceremony. These pictures are about 2 months old and he now has a grass like hairs. But, I loved his previous look.
Doesn't he look like Junior Dakku Kalia! But, look at that smile.. After shedding a few tears when his head was shaved off, he was back to normal. I wish I could be so care free too!
So, this is all for today. I am finished with 'The Girl who Kicked The Hornets' Nest' By Steig Larsson. Stay tuned for the review. Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!
