MYTH CHECK - IS ONAM DEMONIC OR SARBOJONIN ?

Plot 1: A woman blinded by love chooses the wrong man.Her mother kicks the wayward son -in-law out of the house and she follows him without heeding her mother’s well- meaning advice. Soon enough ,he shows his true colours, kills her when she is most vulnerable and flees with her gold. She is reborn as a princess but gets abandoned by her family as she shows signs of being a yakshi (a vengeful spirit).She was indeed one whose sole aim was to avenge herself,which she does by killing the reincarnation of her husband.

Plot 2: A tribal girl and her friends wander inside a royal temple shrine deep inside the forest, used by the king for his worship. Angered by what he thinks is their audacity ,the king unleashes a carnage on their village.They take refuge inside a cave where the girl gets bitten by a furious flock of bats which changes something inside her and gives her unimaginable powers ,including the one to stave off death and ageing.

Both the stories are recognisable,one from Aithihyamala and other,of course,Lokah,common element being the name of both the protagonists- Kalliyankattu Neeli.The moviemakers used a popular name from folklore and created an entirely different story. I won’t be surprised if the second version will be remembered more after half a century, pushing the former into relative oblivion. Myths and legends are dynamic entities that change with time, sometimes like words in a game of Chinese whispers. They are like water poured in a jug, taking its shape and flavoured by the time ,space and culture it occupies.

Similar is the evolution of festivals, intimately tied to the myths often associated with their origin. Most festivals initially began for reasons like thanksgiving for a bountiful harvest. It cemented community camaraderie when people started agriculture and began to live as families in a wider society. Eventually they developed religious and spiritual sentiments and their celebrations were given such a spin, perhaps an origin story rooted in their local myths and legends. In the modern era, festivals have evolved into their commercial forms or as a platform for artistic expression, like the pandals in Durga Puja which use the opportunity and exposure associated with the festival to raise awareness about social issues, recently even using AI for designs. Festivals are also dynamic like myths changing with time. The associated myth is often  an add-on because stories can bind people better and faster than other media. A festival thus comes with multiple dimensions which caters itself to different people and what they could resonate with,some may be interested in the associated worship, some are all for the cultural aspect, some just need a season for fun and frolic, but festivals bring something for everyone like Santa Claus with his bag of gifts. As Bengalis call the DurgaPuja,sarbojonin(sarbo=sarva=all ,jon=jan=people),every festival and celebration is made to be for all, regardless of the origin of the associated legends. Onam is no different.

Onam may have begun as a religious festival,as the birthday of Mahavishnu according to ancient Tamil texts. But it is also a harvest festival and that is how it has always been in our collective memory. It was instituted as the state festival by the then state government in 1961 , probably with the intention of having something uniquely and exclusively Malayali which every Keralite can be a part of, wherever they are. It worked wonderfully with Onam weaving itself into the Malayali psyche as a marker of the state identity. Of course the bit where Mahabali made the request to visit his people is fiction added on with the purpose of creating a backstory for the festival. Like how the makers of Lokah drew on a name and created their own story blending creative liberty with modern themes .The power of stories to function as a social glue cannot be underestimated. Onam thus became a reminder of an erstwhile era under a kind and just king with the region enjoying its golden period. The mere thought that we may once have been part of such a legacy also makes it possible to think that such days could come back only if we work for it. But the same story has come under scrutiny now as the king in question is an Asura featured in Hindu mythology. Mahavishnu reincarnated in human form to push him down to the netherworld for whatever reason .In that case why is he being celebrated if he was an evil Asura whom God himself punished? It just does not add up.

It seems illogical simply because it is not the actual story. Mahabali was indeed a just king who ruled better than the Devas ever could .He was born in the Asura clan too,as the grandson of the great Prahlada, one of the most well-known devotees of Mahavishnu for whose protection he once emerged through a pillar as the fierce Narasimha, to kill Prahlad’s evil,arrogant father Hiranyakashipu who had set out to play God. The apple did not fall far away from the tree in Mahabali’s case, the tree being Prahlad. He took after his pious grandfather, learnt well from him and became a great ruler who conquered earth and even the heavens. That is where the plot thickens.The ousted Devas approached their mother Aditi who appealed to Mahavishnu to help her children. Some versions say that Bali’s administrative prowess and popularity threatened the Devas and they decided to nip him in the bud before he took over heaven. Mind you,Vishnu had nothing against Mahabali. He knew he was a better ruler on his own merit , albeit with a tinge of arrogance, fresh from his recent victories, but one completely fit for the post he was aspiring for. And he was his dear Prahlad’s grandchild to boot. But Indra was promised the position of the ruler of heavens for an entire Manwantara(a period of time) and that had to be honoured. He knew Mahabali’s time would come, but just not now. Hence,to preserve the cosmic balance ,he incarnated as Vamana and set out to the altar where Mahabali was performing a sacred yajna to seal his newly acquired position. His request as a young boy for just three paces of land amused Bali, now the ruler of all of earth and heavens. The disguise was pierced by the sharp gaze of Bali’s guru Shukracharya who forewarned him. Bali instead of being alarmed felt elated that God himself has come to seek something from him and there can be no greater fortune. The real action begins from then on. The young,short boy with  seemingly puny feet grew to humungous proportions and measured both earth and heaven with his first two steps. All that Bali earned till then now belonged to Vamana, or rather, they already did and the truth that God is the supreme power and owner of everything he thought he possessed dawned on Mahabali. When the child asked about the remaining third step, Bali knelt down, bowed before him, stripped of all arrogance, in complete surrender and humility and offered himself, his only possession at the moment. Honestly,what he did captures the essence  of “Thy will be done” taught by Jesus Christ himself in the Lord’s prayer. If someone degrades Mahabali as a demon from Hindu mythology, it is worth noting that he displayed the highly cherished Christian/universal values of humility and ultimate surrender to God. Besides,Asura is not an equivalent of Satan in Christian theology. There have been noble,virtuous Asuras .If God does not differentiate people based on the families they were born into, why should we?.

 Let’s move on to the rest of the story. Mahavishnu was extremely pleased with Bali’s self-sacrifice to honour his word. He explained that the job he is after, of that of the ruler of heavens will be his in the next Manwantara. It has already been decided but pushing for it now is challenging destiny and disturbing the balance of the cosmos. I consider that a hidden theme in the entire story, to accept God’s will and the fact that sometimes it is not yet the ripe time for us to get what we deserve and have been promised. Vishnu did not push him to a dark,damp hellish Pathala as is misunderstood by many to suffer for all eternity. He blessed him with a spot in another world called Suthala,one not lesser than heaven in peace and luxury and he even promised to stay guard there and be his constant companion. Does that sound like an evil demon king being punished? Rather,he was protecting Mahabali from the designs of the jealous Devas to overthrow him one way or the other. Vamana and Mahabali don’t share an equation like Ram-Ravan or Krishna-Kamsa.They have always been on the same team.

People often raise a valid question why Keralappiravi/or the date of the state formation was not chosen to be the official state festival. It may have been a random choice but Onam is a clear winner as the more obvious choice even in hindsight, as it is more of a complete package and a symbol of abundance, tradition and culture  –both as a harvest festival and also for celebrating the legend of a great ruler under whom everyone enjoyed equal rights and a golden era. Keralappiravi is more of an administrative milestone that is important but does not quite invoke the same appeal in a celebratory manner. Of course, It is all fictional to begin with. Moreover, Mahabali’ s kingdom is supposed to be along the Narmada in western India, miles away from Kerala. Incorporating this story to the Onam celebration may have just been a smart marketing tactic tapping on the power of stories and legends to bind and unite.It is unfortunate that the same story is now being used as a tool to divide people. Let’s set something straight.

Accusation 1- Mahabali is a demon/satan- No,he was born in the Asura clan,which does not make him evil/Satan.The two concepts are different. He should be judged by his good fruits,as mentioned in the Bible and not his birth family.

Accusation 2- Vamana himself punished this king for his doings and why admire him then- Hope the story is clear. It is not the usual story which ends in good vanquishing evil. Mahabali was being put to a test and he passed in flying colours.And Vishnu loves him. End of the story. Choosing to be part of a celebration or not is a personal choice that must be respected. But even if someone is  fictional, speaking ill of him out of ignorance and making him out to be someone he is not is unfair.

Xenophobia will not get a society anywhere. Labelling and boxing people and even demonizing stories because they come from a different culture deprives us of the chance to get to know something amazing and their hidden essence which is perhaps not very different from what we grew up learning For instance,Shivaratri commemorates the night Devas prayed for Mahadev who gulped down the deadly Kalakoot/Halahal poison to protect the earth. Is there truly a difference between Mahadev who , without a second thought swallowed a terrible poison to protect the world and its people and Jesus Christ who sacrificed himself on the cross to pay for the world’s sins?.If any of you finds the comparison blasphemous, kindly just focus on their actions and the intention behind it, rather than their origins or the cultures they represent.  A different belief need not be demonic, they might have expressed the same truth in different words. I have noticed that anyone who insists otherwise reiterates that they do love everyone irrespective of their beliefs and is always willing to help them out in need. But love without respect is empty and calling another’s belief demonic, when they proclaim the same truth in a different manner is hardly respectful.

Building fences to keep each other out when we all possess treasure troves of what could benefit everyone will ultimately be our own loss. Why must we restrict ourselves to drab cramped rooms when we have the entire meadow to ourselves? Or do we really have to wait for an alien invasion to forget these minor differences once and for all? A thing of beauty is a joy forever and beautiful things can be celebrated by anyone who can savour its goodness. Let Onam and all festivals teaching something good remain sarbojonin,for all people,for all eternity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lockdown and prolonged social distancing can take a toll on our mental health. Here are a few tips that could be helpful:-

1. HAVE A ROUTINE – Structure your day even if you are working from home and try to stick to it as much as possible. Set times for healthy meals, exercise, adequate sleep, work, hobbies et cetera.It’s not meant to be a strict timetable, but a rather flexible one. Not having a routine can increase the chances of boredom, stress, anxiety and cause a “decision fatigue’’, the exhaustion that stems from being suddenly bombarded with too many options.

2. MEDITATE/TAKE CONTROLLED, DEEP BREATHS – It helps you focus in the present moment and has a calming effect.

3. SOCIAL CONTACT – Remain connected with your dear ones with the help of technology. Social distancing does not equate to emotional distancing.

4. LEARN SOMETHING NEW – Or rekindle an old pastime. Setting an achievable goal will give you a sense of satisfaction at the end of this period. The newly learnt skill/habit can stay with you as a legacy of these days, a testament to your fighting spirit and creativity. Five to ten years down the line, you might think, “The Covid-19 lockdown phase brought out the artist/writer/blogger/poet/pianist/voracious reader/coder/polyglot/dancer/courage/hope/resilience/resourcefulness within me’’.

N.B – Make sure that your chosen pastime does not lead to a resource crunch [eg: cooking experiments] or put you at loggerheads with the rules of lockdown and social distancing.

5. UNDERSTAND IT IS NORMAL TO GET ANNOYED ONCE IN A WHILE – This is unfamiliar territory for all of us and we try to cope the best we can.Nevertheless, we can get weighed down by the frustrating uncertainty.Make sure your concerns get a positive outlet which could be through conversation,writing on a journal or artistic expression. Instead of viewing this as a forced hibernation, treat it as a special once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for rejuvenation. Perception matters.

We can’t see light at the end of this tunnel for the time being, but every day, every moment we are certainly getting closer to it. While there is life, there is hope. Bungling up social distancing and personal hygiene now could eliminate the chances of it ever getting better. If social life has been locked down, unlock a rich inner world that will open up new avenues to keep you motivated and entertained during this period. Surviving this pandemic is no mean feat,it would be a victory in itself. If we could learn something new and emerge more skilled out of this experience, that will be an icing on the cake.

Unlocking is underway but the world is nowhere when it comes to a real solution,the aforementioned light at the end of the tunnel.If we have no choice but to march ahead and coexist with the virus out in the public space during its reign,let's do that smartly.

1. Stick to social distancing

2. Hygiene and washing hands,ensuring we don't touch our faces so often

3 Wear effective and protective facemasks.

4. Avoid unnecessary outings even after withdrawal of lockdown.


P.S - The first part was written when lockdown was first introduced in March.The last paragraph is a relevant addition at this point in June.

princess OF PASSION-STORY OF another MAITHILI
WRITE-UP ON "SITA'S SISTER" BY KAVITA KANE
Genre:           Revisionist mythology
Publishers:   Rupa Publications

Ramayana is replete with a host of complex,intriguing characters,which is probably why the epic easily strikes a chord.The light and darkness  within each person surface so naturally,with the depicted range of emotions too familiar to identify with.Unfortunately,there are several unsung heroes and heroines whose stories do not get the attention they deserve.

Kavita Kane brings out an outstanding portrayal of one such woman,relegated to the background when the world got too busy ballading the much-repeated core of the epic.Urmila,Sita’s younger sister,also entitled to be called Janaki,Vaidehi or Maithili as the only biological daughter of King Janak and Queen Sunaina of Mithila is every inch what her given name symbolizes.Urmila means a wave of passion,where the heart and the soul meet.She is indeed a cool wave of endless passion for life,uniting the sea and the shore.

Urmila was always wise,having had to grow mature beyond her years.The trucemaker skills she honed throughout childhood,being the emotional anchor of her sister and cousins,help her wonderfully at her in-law’s.She takes after her father’s sagacity, mother’s fiery outspokenness and is shown to be an extension of both her husband and mother-in-law in temperament and insight.Some legends say that she went into a deep sleep for the entire duration of the trio’s exile,taking over Lakshman’s share too,enabling him not to falter in his duties and even kill Indrajith in the war as only one who had not slept for years altogether could achieve the near-impossible feat.It fits well with the mainstream view when all one cares about is the ultimate outcome of good winning over evil.But it is not any less charming,what’s more,it’s infinitely more beautiful to see Urmila evolving into a greatly accomplished scholar during these years,refining her painting skills,voicing the rights of women when the men seemingly favour promises given to fathers and brothers over duty towards mothers and wives,expelling the pall of gloom that hung over the royal household of Ayodhya and binding the family together,building it up from where they hit rockbottom with love and solidarity,all the while protecting Lakshman with her undying love and prayers,invoking more power than the romanticized notion of the long slumber.In Shatrughan’s grateful words,she turns the cheerless,sorrowful palace into a home they yearn to return to.

What really steals the limelight at one stage is the startling discovery made about Kaikeyi, presenting her in an entirely new light. Her actions have mildly been redeemed by the faint,philosophical justification that she was merely catalyzing what was pre-decided. It won’t be surprising if the new theory or revelation takes the long-hated Queen to your list of favourites among women of substance.But this version is not going to be a downpour of goodness as the wily Manthara still spews scathing venom but makes one realize that negativity cannot be dredged up from the heart without consent.

Urmila may not have become the queen of her land,but Soumitra’s warrior wife,his enchantress Mila is truly a queen of passion,of a million hearts.

ONE BIG JIGSAW

BC 2300,Shinar,Mesopotamia.

A nomadic group arrives in the town of Babel and  decides to build there a tower that soars up to the heavens; one that is great enough to be a symbol of their solidarity.Work progressed enthusiastically at an  amazing pace.They were proud of their camaraderie,and rightly so, but it gradually gave way to arrogance,making them want to rise beyond heaven.That was the defining moment when the innocently zealous project became an attempt to one-up God,the master builder.Suddenly,out of the blue,each worker started speaking in a  different language and one’s instructions began to be treated by others as gibberish.Chaos sprang forth and the project got interrupted.

The legend of Babel is perhaps the most popular story explaining the origin of multiple languages.Hence,we may hypothesize that if not for Babel,we could have had one universal language and  less confusion.There would neither be tricky moments during a foreign trip nor the need for frustrated attempts to mime your way out of potentially sticky scenarios!

But irrespective of whether it’s a true account or myth,it seems logical to believe that differences in history,geography,culture and outlook of a set of people who share those will lead them to coin words to express those experiences.Therefore,plurality in languages is the natural order rather than an aberration,where each has its own beauty and  creative identity.Every form of expression imbibes a bit of the thinker’s spirit.One language may express in a word what still could be an abstract feeling for another.In fact,knowing a different language has been likened to having a second soul.

Hadn’t we known there exists a Turkish word “Yakamoz” for the specific reflection of moonlight in water,the dazzling sight would forever have to be described.”Rimjhim” plays out the musical pitter-patter of raindrops in those two syllables.Have you ever appreciated the golden sunrays being filtered through the lush green leaves?It’s known in Japanese as “Komorebi”.It’s surprising to realise that someone paused long enough to absorb that spectacle and name it.Being so deeply moved by nature is an indescribable feeling.But “Duende” in Spanish totally captures that. In a lighter vein,the regret experienced after a haircut that did not go as well as expected is called “Age-Otori” in Japanese.When someone annoyingly quizzes you on your opinion while having in mind an answer that they expect,the situation is called “Dapjeongneo” in Korean.Even the act of scratching one’s head hard in order to remember something goes by the name of PanaPo’o in Hawaiian.Trust the foodie Italian bunch to come up with Abbiocco ;the sleepy feeling after a large,sumptuous meal.To this date,we probably do not have a better counterpart for “Déjà vu” that we no longer consciously remember its French origins.

Hence,while the words may be foreign,the experience is universal,which reflects the essential oneness of mankind,regardless of where we live and how we speak .Knowing those differences and the underlying shared emotions expands our perception of others and dissolves the boundaries that exist within our minds . It proves that the world is one huge jigsaw puzzle of which we are unique pieces;each different on their own but a lot more enriching as an intact whole complementing each other.We may not possess every resource for ourselves or have fleshed out every idea that counts.But we can express ourselves better when we ally with each other and exchange what we do have.Moreover,there would not be a language that has not borrowed words from another.Every one has to put in their uniqueness forward to fit in and find the ultimate solution.But humans have always exhibited the uncanny ability to highlight differences and sideline the similarities beneath.We choose to focus on the extraneous differences assuming that it has to equate with discordance,just like what happened at Babel.The teamwork crumbled when miscommunication crept in.Instead of the tower,we have been building walls when what we really need are more bridges.

 Language is just a metaphor for anything in the world that is claimed by a group as their own and yet belongs to anyone who can savour its beauty and essence.Cognitive research has found that learning another language increases the connectivity between neural cells and changes the dimensions of brain.But those  apart,understanding another viewpoint increases connectivity between people,changes the dimensions of our mind and not to mention,it’s a humbling experience that  blurs fixed concepts like nationalities and makes us true citizens of the globe.The key to accepting difference is effective communication and a genuine interest in it. As the lyrics goes in “Colours of the Wind”,”If you walk the footsteps of a stranger,you learn the things you never knew,you never knew”.

Words are the closest we have to wizardry in our lives.They can hurt or heal,spread joy or fear, incite revolutions or stop wars. They are the vessels that contain our emotions,irrespective of their origin or structure .A foreign word is like a magical spell that summons us what we need and conjure new thoughts in a different land.It unlocks a world that has long been hidden and that awareness is the first step towards understanding that we are all similar deep down.It’s indeed a small world,after all.Let’s wrap it at that.

Words fall short to thank you for your patient reading.So,

Grazie..Obrigada..Kahmsa hamnida..Dankie..Efharisto..Merci..Arigato..Shukraan..Tak..Terima Kasih!

Good luck decoding that !!!

Image from laravel-news.com

                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

In the country of longing

In the country of longing -by Riyas Babu

A moving tale of countless lives and dreams  gambled away by powers spurred by self-centred pursuits.Over a spectrum of instances,their trajectory in life follows a constant fear about survival.A feeling that is very much similar once you look beyond the extraneous differences,be it in the swarmed Darfur refugee camps in Sudan or the Himalayan hilly town of Dharamsala.Regardless of their nationalities,the disasters that toppled their lives or where they fled to,they all happen to be the citizens of a country of longing.Universally,they are bound by their shared nationality of the land of the exiled.

The novel follows the narrative of a  journalist,who feels distraught about his inability  to make a worthy change in spite of his popular, eloquent stories on the unjust perpetrations he has witnessed.As he faces deportation for an especially provoking article during his assignment in Sudan,it breaks his heart to leave behind Hawwa,the orphaned little girl he met at the refugee camp.He returns to his native Norway  determined to save the child.When attempts for legal adoption fails,he prepares to smuggle the child across the Mediterranean to Italy and begins to coordinate with his refugee friends, who illegally transported themselves to Europe and continue to wait for their resident’s permits.Meanwhile he’s sent to Tibet on another assignment where he finds himself facing a similar situation that he can’t help but approach emotionally.

Even as the landscape shifts across the bleak camps,the blue Nile,Norwegian fjords,jammed Delhi streets,serene monasteries and a packed boat over the  rough Mediterranean sea,the dominant theme is a desperate will to survive when you do not belong anywhere and the world seems thirsty for your blood.Even so,there is no dearth of hope as we find three individuals from different corners of the world,bound by love and destiny,coming together to make their own little family.