Jennifer in India

[Guest guest]

HI all.

I have been really busy. I been trying to update my online journal

without much time. I have written an email to my family about what I

have done in past few days. Hope you find it interesting.

JEnnifer

 

PS I Have not much time to read any posts, I will catch up later.

 

Sat we went to temple. We went to this special temple to do an

archana.

That pujari used my name without a grin BUt the

only problem is I don't know my (birth) star, so she

made up one! In this temple they let foreigners in to

all parts but one.. we did not ask to pressure them..

Actually before temple we went to kamakshi's cousin's

house. SHe recently got married. Her new family is

reallly strict. We had to come only after her

husband's grandfather ate cause he won't like girls to

come unchapperoned (without an older male) to the

house. And her cousin can only come visit us after we

come to see her (since I am a new guest or something

of that sort, I did not quite understand). But I was

surprized to see where their house was. Kamakshi's

family is not rich at all. They live in a 'house'

enclosed by shops on the main road. BUt they rent out

a few sections of the house, partitioned off, to the

shopkeepers. They have a strange set up to their

house, which I realized only now since your house has

the same. the bathroom off the kitchen. They are

remodelling their house now, so it is looking better

everytime.

BUt her cousin lived behind a main road, in an area

which is not pakka. IT is not dirty or anything like

that, there is no stagnating water or garbage on the

road, I mean the way the houses are. Many are small

concrete structures about 20 ft by 15 ft with thatched

roofs, and packed closely, there are few small

provisions shops there. BUt her cousins' house is

pakka. It is fully concrete and big. IT is only one

floor, but it has a concrete 'gate' or wall around it.

The floors are tiles and that shiny material I can't

tell what it is called. There is a small verandah in

the front, and the rooms inside are really big. They

have a 'swing' in the front room, sort of like the

ones in the brahmin marriage. They have an

'entertainment' center with full wood and tv and

radio. the other things are behind the closed doors so

I couldn't see that. They have a big kitchen, but

cook like in village, by sitting on floor. Their

bathroom is outside, like in traditional house. YOu

have to go outside and walk behind about 10 steps.

THerre are 2 bath rooms and 2 toilets! about 10

people live in this house.. her cousin, husband, her

sister in law, husband, children, and mother in law

and grandfather. They have a verandah on top of the

house. IT is really big. It seems her cousin's

husband's family is rich. But the place they have

built their house is not so nice.

After this (cousin's house and temple) we went to the

shop to buy saris' Actually I thought of buying

kamakshis amma and appa diwali dress, as I felt bad

when they said they did not get this year and I wanted

to do something nice for them cause they helped me so

much. We went to two shops, she said in kanchipuram

there are not many good quality shops. I came to see

that. I mean Tambaram really is the best. THe shop I

told you I went with Ninja's mom, LNC. THat is THE

best, not even Nalli, Kumaran Silks or any Spencer's

Plaza shop will beat that! So we will be making trips

to Tambaram

THe saris here the threads are coming out, on top of

that the selection in types of materials, colors,

patterns, pallus, borders and everything is not good.

I think I pained that man, but I don't care, cause it

is his job, he removed so many saris and I rejected

them all. THere was only 2 that were good in the whole

100 or so he showed us. One was a dark purple, the

fabric was supurb, so soft to touch and the pallu was

so soft and the design was very intricate and grand.

They wanted more than 700 for that. It is not worth

more than 500. THe one I got was a purple silk mix

with mixed colors inside. It shines and shimmers, the

pallu had golden thread, grand. It was 640 or so,

still the same thing in Tambaram would be at least 100

less. And for her appa I got a dhoti

and shirt material. It is so cheap, for

half sleeve shirt the fabric (cotton) was only about

75 rupees! I am not sure of stitching charge.

SO when we went home, we went directly in the puja

room. THey have a big puja room. I put the sandal paste on the

corners of the dresses

and placed it on a plate with some jasmine flowers and

presented it to them, also touching their feet.

Kamakshi took lots of pictures:)

This day I wore my new diwali sari. IT is purple and

black checks, the fabric is a silk mix, it is so easy

to wear. Kamakshi said all the shop keepers asked her

if she tied the sari on me, she told them I did it

myself. They said even we Indians can't tie and wear

like that! People were appreciating me

Yesterday morning we went to temple in early mornign.

There are 1008 siva temples in kanchipuram! we went

to one.. I forgot name but they had to get me special

permisison to do this puja. it can only be done on

sundays after the full moon. they told them my name

is 'jayasree' the pujari did not even blink!

anyhow the puja is different type. YOu buy this rice

flour and jaggery mix there, and you bring the other

items for the puja, ghee, banana, flowers, comb,

turmeric ball and betel leaf and nut. The rice mix

and the jaggery is put in the metal plate and part is

mixed with water and you create a small hill with a

hole in the top, put ghee and then wic and light it

when puja time comes. For this puja, you pray for

good health. So after the items are given in puja,

each member puts this plate on their head and walks

around the shrine one time. (we got pictures:) after

there is one shiva shrine in a small room. sometimes

this lingam comes on a 'plate' like thing with an

opening on one end that comes out. This 'opening or

lip' is coming to the wall itself, so to circle this

thing inside the room is difficult, you have to crawl

underneath it. they say if you do that you releive

back pain! but i did do this.

after words we sat and ate that jaggery mix and banana

and the prasadam. We circled the entire temple, it is

big, it takes almost 30 minutes. On some sections

there are shops and beggars. You can give money to

them or that flour mix. I saw the beggar there with a

small plastic cover and it was filling up of this

flour mix. They of course will eat it later. I found

that kind of gross, but that is the custom, I guess.

They even have those nagas statues around the tree, so

many women are praying for their marriage there, by

bathing the naga in milk, honey, kumkum and turmeric

water. Some even pray for their healthy baby. they

come after the baby is born and place a baby swing on

the branches of the tree and make a puja.

we went to vellore in the day time. you can't

understand how much i get pained by christians here.

once they realize how 'unchristian' i am, they start

giving the gospel. even kamakshi was feeling bad for

me. so we did want to see a special temple there, it

is surrounded by a moat, but due to hearing the

'gospel' we couldn't go .. we got the bus at 5 and got

to kanchi at 720pm And apparently my friends mother

who 'was a brahmin' her family owns many temples. she

says in hinduism she did not find the holy people,

only in christianity. But indians fail to realize one

thing in US there are mostly christians, so we see so

many unholy people in US, that is why people like me

come out. but I just kept quiet.

today we are going for special puja again, everyday we

will. one day is a special murugan puja. where he

marries one lady after the killing of a beast. it is

only once a year after diwali.

 

 

 

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