OCT 8, 11 (2/4) .. For What It’s Worth
In.. LATEST NEWS.. I wrote of how busy I will be today.. so this will be quick and I may come back to it later this evening..
To refresh you all.. I have NEVER been in India during this time period.. September 7th through October 30th.. I HAVE been here up to September 6th and beginning October 31st.. and for all of the days in between (don’t know about February 29th)..
With all I am doing.. I do NOT have the time to FULLY STUDY ALL ASPECTS OF WHAT I AM WITNESSING..
Having said this.. for the past one week I have been telling you all that the DURGA PUGA (PUJA MEANS FESTIVAL) would begin on Monday October 3rd and it would END on Thursday October 6th..
WELL IT DID NOT END ON THURSDAY.. AND IT DID NOT END ON FRIDAY.. IT WILL NOT FULLY END ON SATURDAY (today) AND IT WILL CONTINUE INTO SUNDAY.. tomorrow the 9th SORT OF.. it will end..
Last night .. Friday evening the 7th of October.. I went out SMACK DAB INTO THE MIDDLE OF A PARADE COMING DOWN A.J.C. Bose Road in front of the Mother House and this Internet Cafe..
“WHA.. ? ” I thought to myself.. ” WHAT IS THIS ? ” a parade with drummers drumming and all sorts of lighting and festivities.. complete with a small crowd of people moving along with the vehicles..
THE VEHICLES were flat-bed trucks with some open-bamboo sides to the flat bed to keep people from falling off.. and in the back of the trucks were the following.. DURGA AND OTHER IDOLS.. two in each truck.. and men and women and ESPECIALLY CHILDREN.. all smiling and all having fun..
I learned today that what I saw was the BEGINNING OF IMMERSION..
“OF WHAT YOU SAY ? ” .. IMMERSION..
IT SEEMS THAT ALL OF THE (I heard there are about nine (9,000) THOUSAND) IDOLS.. not only DURGA but many others in the Indian Hindi God Culture.. all of the small and medium sized IDOLS were going to the River to be IMMERSED.. they put them ALL INTO THE RIVER.. these beautiful IDOLS.. I also was told that some were immersed on Thursday evening..
Tonight.. Saturday the 8th.. the LARGE IDOLS will go through IMMERSION..
HOW SAD THEY ALL GO INTO THE RIVER..
THEN I THOUGHT. .what happens to the floats in OUR BIG PARADES..
WELL WHAT DOES HAPPEN.. I DON’T KNOW AS I WRITE THIS..
IT ALSO SEEMS THAT THERE IS A BIG CONTEST FOR THE JUDGING OF THE BEST IDOLS AND A CONTEST JUDGING OF ALL OF THE DURGA-PUJA DISPLAYS..
MUCH LIKE OUR PARADE FLOATS ARE JUDGED..
Well with the conclusion of IMMERSION this evening.. tomorrow .. Sunday the 9th WILL WRAP UP THE DURGA PUJA..
KINDDA SORT OF..
I have learned that on Tuesday ( this NEXT Tuesday ) there is another PUJA for LAXMI..
” WHA.. WHO.. ? ” .. LAXMI is turns out is one of Durga’s two daughters.. and on Tuesday LAXMI has HER PUJA..
I have to chuckle.. IF DURGA has two (2) daughters.. she and some GOD must have been ‘ doing it ‘.. and we have all this thing about our VIRGIN BIRTH.. goes to show you the differences in cultures.. I don’t fully understand some of the FUNDAMENTALIST beliefs.. do NOT dance because.. sex is naughty and dirty so SAVE IT FOR THE ONE YOU LOVE..
I will just let THAT issue drop.. (good idea captain.. /s/ crocodile dundee)..
AND SOME.. IF NOT MANY.. OF THE LIGHTNG DISPLAYS WILL REMAIN IN PLACE AND BRILLIANT AT NIGHT.. up to and through Tuesday evening..
wow.. WOW.. when they throw a party.. THEY THROW A PARTY.. WOW..
MUCH JOY AND LOVE.. Cap..