I went for lunch at a hole-in- the-wall Indian restaurant that I discovered in town. I appeared to be the only customer but after some disjointed conversation, I managed to order. A little girl kept coming around the corner to peek at me and run away. Later, the waiter showed up in ceremonial dress. He explained that his family had a celebration that day. I realized that it was Dussehra, the Hindu celebration of the triumph of good over evil (it was on this day that Lord Rama killed the demon-king, Ravana and rescued his abducted wife - Sita). I wished him and his family well. When he realized that I was familiar with Dussehra, he invited me to join his family in the backroom.
The Grandma of the family placed red-dyed rice on my forehead and the women helped to weave flowers in my hair. They passed money around the circle and blessed it. The money landed with me and when I tried to pass it on, they said that it was for me as their honored guest. They said I could not spend the coins as they would bring me good fortune in the year ahead. Each of the families took pictures with me (the crazy Caucasian they had picked up in the restaurant). They explained that the little girl had never seen anyone with my eye color. She wondered why God gave me such funny looking eyes.
The Grandma of the family placed red-dyed rice on my forehead and the women helped to weave flowers in my hair. They passed money around the circle and blessed it. The money landed with me and when I tried to pass it on, they said that it was for me as their honored guest. They said I could not spend the coins as they would bring me good fortune in the year ahead. Each of the families took pictures with me (the crazy Caucasian they had picked up in the restaurant). They explained that the little girl had never seen anyone with my eye color. She wondered why God gave me such funny looking eyes.
I am planning to go back to pick up copies of the pictures and have some more curry soon. Also, I have a cowgirl sticker book for a sweet Indian girl.
Wow! We need to see copies of the pictures taken by the families in the restaurant! What's the meaning behind the red-dyed rice on the forehead?
ReplyDeleteThe rice represents the sixth chakra (dyananakashu)which is commonly reffered to in the west as the "third eye" or "eye of wisdom".It is worn by many on holidays or some daily. Although each eastern religion and some western philosophies give different meanings to the symbol, in Hinduism, it is believed that the opening of Shiva's (one of the greater manifestations of Brahman the Hindu God who encompases all things) third eye causes the eventual destruction of the physical universe. In the Upanishads (Hindu holy text), a human being is likened to a city with ten gates. The third eye is the tenth gate and leads to inner realms housing myriad spaces of consciousness.
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