Holi Festival in Varshana- Brijbasi matajis beating their Prabhus

[Guest guest]

Actually they don't beat their prabhus, but the prabhus of their sisters

from Nandagram. What happens is all the brahmans from Nandagram come with

their shields and all. Then only the brahamanis from Varshana who were

married in Varshana are allowed to play. Those who are born there can't

play. It wouldn't actually be proper for the ladies from Nandagram to beat

their own husbands, but you notice this interesting female bonding going on.

These ladies from Varshana know what rascals these guys have been all year

in Nandagram so on behalf of their sisters in Nandagram they really give it

to them.

 

The other thing is the festival doesn't take place on the Purnima but in

Varsana on the 9th day before and in Nandagram on the 10th day of the moon.

In Nandagram it's the reverse. All the brahmans come from Varshana and the

brahmanis married in Nandagram let them have it on behalf of their sisters

in Varshana. And they're really strong not only from rolling rotis but they

don't have any Maytags over there. They jump up in the air and really give

them a wallop. 3 to 5 girls on one guy! All their ankle bells and bangles

are gingling giving a nice sound to all the color!

 

Yes I think it would be interesting to see how we could work out this

tradition in Iskcon. We might solve a lot of problems this way and have a

lot of fun doing it. Everyone hates meetings.

 

In service of Sri Sri Krishna Balaram,

Deena Bandhu dasa

[Guest guest]

>

>

> Yes I think it would be interesting to see how we could work out this

> tradition in Iskcon. We might solve a lot of problems this way and have a

> lot of fun doing it. Everyone hates meetings.

>

> In service of Sri Sri Krishna Balaram,

> Deena Bandhu dasa

 

Yes, these rituals can be very theraputic, an authorised outlet for normally

suppressed energies if done in balance.

 

The Lakota have a traditional ritual , the Sundance, where the young men

ritualistically are pierced in oreder to feel the sacrifice the women make by

having their flesh ripped in the birthing process. One aspect during the

preparation stage used to be a couple of small male and female diorams would

be

hung on the Tree in the center of the Sundance grounds. Normally, the tribal

mores were of very chaste and shy relationships between men and women, but on

this yearly occasion, they all came forth and just indulged in the bawdiest of

earthy humor, getting it out of their systems in an authorised manner, then

back to shy and chaste for the rest of the year.

 

It seems to be a common element of earth based cultures.