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Back home in India and at the homes of Hindus Worldwide today and tomorrow are being widely celebrated as Pongal and Sankranti. These are basically celebrated and perceived as harvest festivals by most people. There is a greater meaning however, this is the day when the Sun's northward journey aka Uttarayan starts. This festival has been celebrated for several thousand years across the world. Way back it was celebrated in South America by the Mayans, who built the fantastic temples that are still a marvel to modern architects.
Maya is a historical/ mythological character in Hinduism, he is the architect of the gods and demons alike. Legend is that when Lord Shiva, destroyed the three cities built by Maya, he was spared and banished to Patala Loka (nether world). The earth is a globe and if one were to trace a straight path through the earth from India, it would probably end up around South America where Maya was sent. The Mayan people were his descendants. Therefore it was not a wonder that they celebrated the Makar Sankranti also.
Anyway this blog post is a message to all my readers, friends and family wishing you all a very happy Sankranti and may the future be full of revolutionary and positive changes in your life.
Yesterday I was part of the Metroplex Tamil Sangam's (pronounced as 'Changam' - in a typically Tamil way). I would never attend such an event if I were in Bangalore... but then I am in US right now and like they say while in Rome be Roman I am acting out my part. The colourful function was organised in a typically Indian manner, cultural programmes, singing, dancing, yummy and lip smacking food (pongal, curd rice and vada).
Like most other such events this programme too started about 45 mins late. The Tamil Sangam (ooops.. Changam) function was a colourful and noisy affair. Anywhere we Indians go we are bound to make a racket and that is what was happening at the Plaza theater in downtown Garland. The Plaza was a movie hall promoted in the 1940s and was forced to closedown by the advent of theatre chains and multiplexes. Currently it has been converted into a auditorium for live concerts and in a display of generosity the heirs of original promoters donated the hall to the city council.
We were basically there to hold the fort for Sankara Eye Foundation an organisation which is working towards eliminating curable blindness (essentially cataract) in India by the year 2020. They have already promoted over 6 superspeciality FREE eye hospitals in Tamil Nadu (Madurai and Coimbatore), Andhra Pradesh (Guntur), Karnataka (Bangalore and Shimoga) and Gujarat (Anand) and are in the process of constructing many more.
The last programme on the agenda was a light music rendetion by Prabhu and party, for the first time in my life I actually sat through such a programme and enjoyed a little. It was the first time I had ever listened to any such live orchestra and I have no regrets. Prabhu and his associates did a good job on the music front, only pity was that all the songs were in Tamil and I couldn't understand one word of it, that was kinda boring but then it is ok... some outing better than staying at home.
If it were in India I would have been probably up some mountain or swimming in some lake enjoying nature. But in US where everything is organised and strictly enforced, one cant just jump into a river and swim or climb a mountain from whichever direction he pleases. You have to follow marked and often paved hiking trails and swim only in designated areas.... straight jacketed but then that is the way these people live.... and that is the way we live in our home country....
