Guest guest Posted January 26, 2006 Report Share Posted January 26, 2006 [Meeta Chaitanya, a Hindu woman living in Atlanta, USA, contributed this provocative editorial to the Hindustan Times the other day:] January 24, 2006: Britney Spears' recent visit to a Hindu temple in California with son Sean Preston is an event that in isolation may be trivial enough -- but as part of a canvas of occurrences that put the spotlight on Hinduism in the international arena, it is representative. Representative of a cultural montage that with its enormous reach is eager to capture some fleeting glory of this ancient glyph. Hollywood's fascination with Hinduism has over time and episodes both ignited the Indian fury and fanned its reach. If some like Spears actually visit Hindu temples and don symbols like Om, Hare Rama Hare Krishna, marigold flowers and the tilak, there are others who wear it even more literally on their sleeve. Quite often American and British television offers sightings of what had hitherto belonged to a different world. Seeing Jennifer Aniston in an episode of Friends sporting a T-shirt with a Hindu God imprint, or Jenna Elfman (Dharma & Greg) wrapped in yards of batik against a backdrop of a Hindu calendar isn't the least bit of an anomaly. In fact, sporting of clothes, jewellery or tattoos of Gods and symbols is harmless, even fun. Precedents in film are not so innocuous. Carnatic vocalist Manickam Yogeswaran chanted verses from the quintessential book of Hindu philosophy, the Bhagvad Gita as the background score for Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut. Reportedly, the singer wasn't even aware of the fact that he had lent his composition as the soundtrack for a lovemaking scene. Jane Campion's Kate Winslet starrer Holy Smoke had its own sense and sensibility about Hinduism. Mike Myers on the cover page of a leading magazine dressed as a dowdy crossover to Vaishnavism and Aerosmith's Nine Lives album cover did not go unnoticed by stalwarts such like the AHAD (American Hindus against Defamation). The most ambiguous and misrepresented notion however seems to hover around Goddess Kali. As early as 1984, Steven Spielberg explored the concept of the devouring Goddess in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom depicting the deity as demonic rather than pious. Similarly, in Runaway Bride (1999) a very sombre protagonist speaks of the female prototype thus: "To be fair, the man-eater isn't exactly new ... In India, she is Kali, who likes to devour her boyfriend Shiva's entrails." An explanation that could have precipitated a furious backlash for being just as misplaced as it is false. "Boyfriend Shiva"?; seriously now! But like Britney's Bindi, and Madonna's myriad blink-n-miss Hindu avatars, the trend of embracing Hinduism is not all that perfunctory. Some filmmakers, acknowledging the ingrained verity in this ancient ideology, for it is more than religion, have strummed a different tune, making it a structural part of holistic theological cinematic experience. The Matrix Revolutions (2003) is one such example. The Sanskrit sloka: Asatoma Sat Gamaya, Tamasoma Jyotir Gamaya, Mrityorma Anritam Gamaya, meaning (going from)- the unreal to the Truth, from darkness to Light, from the ephemeral to the Eternal- constitutes the backdrop to a fight sequence between Neo and agent Smith. The difference between a hurriedly glossed over reference and studied integration is thus obvious. Of celebrities, a lot can be said and cited - like Kabbalah and Buddhism, Hinduism is being explored tentatively by the likes of Spears not so much probably as a serious religious alternative but merely as a fashionable brush with something eclectic, oriental and archaic. Many of them, from the Beatles to Richard Gere, Goldie Hawn have made inroads into India and its philosophy, which is bigger than Hinduism, and, derived wholesomely from it. This here-and-now trend of revisiting one's ideological orientation however has seen veritable translation off the tube and the screen. Many people from the Diaspora, leave alone the 'others' are vying for a spot in this elite clique and are now recent converts to sporting and flaunting one's religious ideology. Atlanta Metro area boasts of many traditional Indian temples such as Hindu Temple Augusta, GA Hindu Temple of Atlanta, Riverdale, Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Temple among others that welcome members from Atlanta's community irrespective of religious orientation. The pop star's pit - stop at an Indian temple may not be significant enough to contribute to the 'reach' of the religion but it sure has generated piquant curiosity. With the re-orientation of both Indians and friends from other communities, it wouldn't be surprising to see interest go up and hopefully, at least some people would be on the lookout for something a little less than nirvana, but surely more than the bindi. SOURCE: Hindustan Times. Britney's bindi, ATLANTA DIARY | Meeta Chaitanya, January 24, 2006 URL: http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/7752_1607287,004100180001.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 26, 2006 Report Share Posted January 26, 2006 Namaste, This is a great and well written article that made me think. I realize that American pop stars, or just American teenagers sport bindis without much reverence, much more style. But doesn't this happen in India as well? From what I recall of tv in India, the bindi was used as a style point. Indeed, youth and the entertainment industry is nearly universal in its convenient appropriation of cultural icons for decorative purposes. In addition to that, there are two other forces at play here. One is the reach of communication; internet, and satellite tv. We are now more exposed to very interesting images of other cultures in our own living rooms, with out the need to actually go to that country, walk the streets, see the people in context, eat the food, have the wholistic experience that gives interesting icons their complete context. The other is the migration of people. No one in a major urban area is not in contact with a member of a growing Indian community. India has come to America. We hear the melodious accents in our workplaces and in our communities. Indian restaurants proliforate, grocery stores pop up in strip malls near our home, seemingly entreating the curious. There will be bindis. And sometimes they will be worn simply because they are so gosh darn cute. I think this sort of thing has happened everytime divergent cultures have come in contact with each other. No disrespect intended. Namaste, prainbow , "Devi Bhakta" <devi_bhakta> wrote: > > [Meeta Chaitanya, a Hindu woman living in Atlanta, USA, contributed > this provocative editorial to the Hindustan Times the other day:] > > January 24, 2006: Britney Spears' recent visit to a Hindu temple in > California with son Sean Preston is an event that in isolation may be > trivial enough -- but as part of a canvas of occurrences that put the > spotlight on Hinduism in the international arena, it is > representative. > > Representative of a cultural montage that with its enormous reach is > eager to capture some fleeting glory of this ancient glyph. > Hollywood's fascination with Hinduism has over time and episodes both > ignited the Indian fury and fanned its reach. > > If some like Spears actually visit Hindu temples and don symbols like > Om, Hare Rama Hare Krishna, marigold flowers and the tilak, there are > others who wear it even more literally on their sleeve. > > Quite often American and British television offers sightings of what > had hitherto belonged to a different world. Seeing Jennifer Aniston > in an episode of Friends sporting a T-shirt with a Hindu God imprint, > or Jenna Elfman (Dharma & Greg) wrapped in yards of batik against a > backdrop of a Hindu calendar isn't the least bit of an anomaly. In > fact, sporting of clothes, jewellery or tattoos of Gods and symbols > is harmless, even fun. > > Precedents in film are not so innocuous. Carnatic vocalist Manickam > Yogeswaran chanted verses from the quintessential book of Hindu > philosophy, the Bhagvad Gita as the background score for Stanley > Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut. > > Reportedly, the singer wasn't even aware of the fact that he had lent > his composition as the soundtrack for a lovemaking scene. Jane > Campion's Kate Winslet starrer Holy Smoke had its own sense and > sensibility about Hinduism. > > Mike Myers on the cover page of a leading magazine dressed as a dowdy > crossover to Vaishnavism and Aerosmith's Nine Lives album cover did > not go unnoticed by stalwarts such like the AHAD (American Hindus > against Defamation). > > The most ambiguous and misrepresented notion however seems to hover > around Goddess Kali. As early as 1984, Steven Spielberg explored the > concept of the devouring Goddess in Indiana Jones and the Temple of > Doom depicting the deity as demonic rather than pious. > > Similarly, in Runaway Bride (1999) a very sombre protagonist speaks > of the female prototype thus: "To be fair, the man-eater isn't > exactly new ... In India, she is Kali, who likes to devour her > boyfriend Shiva's entrails." An explanation that could have > precipitated a furious backlash for being just as misplaced as it is > false. "Boyfriend Shiva"?; seriously now! > > But like Britney's Bindi, and Madonna's myriad blink-n-miss Hindu > avatars, the trend of embracing Hinduism is not all that perfunctory. > Some filmmakers, acknowledging the ingrained verity in this ancient > ideology, for it is more than religion, have strummed a different > tune, making it a structural part of holistic theological cinematic > experience. > > The Matrix Revolutions (2003) is one such example. The Sanskrit > sloka: Asatoma Sat Gamaya, Tamasoma Jyotir Gamaya, Mrityorma Anritam > Gamaya, meaning (going from)- the unreal to the Truth, from darkness > to Light, from the ephemeral to the Eternal- constitutes the backdrop > to a fight sequence between Neo and agent Smith. The difference > between a hurriedly glossed over reference and studied integration is > thus obvious. > > Of celebrities, a lot can be said and cited - like Kabbalah and > Buddhism, Hinduism is being explored tentatively by the likes of > Spears not so much probably as a serious religious alternative but > merely as a fashionable brush with something eclectic, oriental and > archaic. > > Many of them, from the Beatles to Richard Gere, Goldie Hawn have made > inroads into India and its philosophy, which is bigger than Hinduism, > and, derived wholesomely from it. This here-and-now trend of > revisiting one's ideological orientation however has seen veritable > translation off the tube and the screen. Many people from the > Diaspora, leave alone the 'others' are vying for a spot in this elite > clique and are now recent converts to sporting and flaunting one's > religious ideology. > > Atlanta Metro area boasts of many traditional Indian temples such as > Hindu Temple Augusta, GA Hindu Temple of Atlanta, Riverdale, > Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Temple among others > that welcome members from Atlanta's community irrespective of > religious orientation. The pop star's pit - stop at an Indian temple > may not be significant enough to contribute to the 'reach' of the > religion but it sure has generated piquant curiosity. > > With the re-orientation of both Indians and friends from other > communities, it wouldn't be surprising to see interest go up and > hopefully, at least some people would be on the lookout for something > a little less than nirvana, but surely more than the bindi. > > SOURCE: Hindustan Times. Britney's bindi, ATLANTA DIARY | Meeta > Chaitanya, January 24, 2006 > URL: http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/7752_1607287,004100180001.htm > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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