It is Maha Shivratri today. For an average Shiv bhakt like me, it is 'THE' day to worship thy Lord and ask forgiveness. Though Wiki defines it as something complicated, Indian mythological tales inform me that the 13th or 14th day of month of the month Maagha is his favorite day and that is why 'Maha Shivratri' is celebrated today. For me, it meant waking up on early(uhmm...I mean around 8:30) and showering to get blessings from The God.
I left early(why do I keep using that word when actually I went at 10) only to find a hundred more people had turned up at the same time. Now the temple(behind my house) is divided into three small structures. There is the complex dedicated to Shiva and his family, then there is another one for Sai Baba and the third biggest structure houses all the other main deities. It took me 10 minutes to buy Pooja samagri and finally enter the Shiv Mandir complex. Only to find another 100 people.
There were three queues to enter into another queue to make their way to offer jal samagri to the deities. People were least concerned who was next to them and seemed to be in a stance of their own. Each one was murmuring something and held flowers, water/milk and other fruits/money/honey/ etc for the Gods. There were kids, their parents, parents of their parents and then some. All vying for first a glimpse of the deity and finally occupying permanent space next to them.
Each one wanted to be first and some who managed to beat the line simply sat down next to the Gods and refused to budge. A certain Mr.X was the case here. He had around a dozen people with him and he beat everyone in the line and went and sat in the same right next to the deity. Slowly he started offering his prayers all the while mumbling instructions to first Chintu, then Pintu, then their mother, then their maid and then to everyone else. Slowly, a line of people(Mr.X's family) forced their way through the crowd and formed a circle around all the deities to block the view of others. The remaining 100 odd religious minded but obviously pissed people chose not to say anything to them( to avoid upsetting the God) and just watch the family pray.
The following conversation ensued:
Mr.X: Oye Chintu, ithe aa. Mummy nu bhi le aa.(Om Namo Shivaye)
Chintu: Mummy, chalo, Papa ne jaga malok li hain.
Mummy: Deepo(domestic help) , saara saman utha la. Mataji da hath phad ke lain aayi jara.
Now there were six of them.
Mr.X: Oye nai. Hune nai. (Om Namo Shivaye). Tu maal utha le. (Om Namo Shivaye).
Everyone was still staring at him as the seventh member of his family trickled in.
Mr.X: Daddy, ithe aao. (Om Namo Shivaye)
Now there were eight.
Mr.X: Achca, haan. (Om Namo Shivaye). Kinne da de rahe ne maal? (Om Namo Shivaye). Inna mehenga nahi. Meri gal kara. (Om Namo Shivaye)
Mr. X: Chachi, aa jaon. Main idhar aa. (Om Namo Shivaye)
Mr. X: Haan Preet Singh ji, (Om Namo Shivaye). Rate theek karo thoda. (Om Namo Shivaye).
Pintu, ruk oye. (Om Namo Shivaye). Haan nava rate das do . theek hain, (Om Namo Shivaye). Vadiya.
Deepo, mainu thali de. (Om Namo Shivaye). Nahi Preet Singh ji, theek karo rate tussi. (Om Namo Shivaye).
Pintu and Chintu were falling over Mr.X and Preet Singh's bargaining power wasn't helping either so the man on the bluetooth burst in an anger bout. Threw the two kids aside and finally got up from his position in front of Shivji and decided to settle scores with Preet Singh first.
The patiently waiting janta was smarter to the scene and everyone finally managed to get the line moving.
More effective and heart felt religious chants of Om Namo Shivaye finally took over the haggling articulation of Mr.X and the piousness of the complex returned. Many, like me, offended by the whole drama gave the shoulder to his family and finally offered their prayers.
Om Namo Shivaye.
R
I left early(why do I keep using that word when actually I went at 10) only to find a hundred more people had turned up at the same time. Now the temple(behind my house) is divided into three small structures. There is the complex dedicated to Shiva and his family, then there is another one for Sai Baba and the third biggest structure houses all the other main deities. It took me 10 minutes to buy Pooja samagri and finally enter the Shiv Mandir complex. Only to find another 100 people.
There were three queues to enter into another queue to make their way to offer jal samagri to the deities. People were least concerned who was next to them and seemed to be in a stance of their own. Each one was murmuring something and held flowers, water/milk and other fruits/money/honey/ etc for the Gods. There were kids, their parents, parents of their parents and then some. All vying for first a glimpse of the deity and finally occupying permanent space next to them.
Each one wanted to be first and some who managed to beat the line simply sat down next to the Gods and refused to budge. A certain Mr.X was the case here. He had around a dozen people with him and he beat everyone in the line and went and sat in the same right next to the deity. Slowly he started offering his prayers all the while mumbling instructions to first Chintu, then Pintu, then their mother, then their maid and then to everyone else. Slowly, a line of people(Mr.X's family) forced their way through the crowd and formed a circle around all the deities to block the view of others. The remaining 100 odd religious minded but obviously pissed people chose not to say anything to them( to avoid upsetting the God) and just watch the family pray.
The following conversation ensued:
Mr.X: Oye Chintu, ithe aa. Mummy nu bhi le aa.(Om Namo Shivaye)
Chintu: Mummy, chalo, Papa ne jaga malok li hain.
Mummy: Deepo(domestic help) , saara saman utha la. Mataji da hath phad ke lain aayi jara.
Now there were six of them.
Mr.X: Oye nai. Hune nai. (Om Namo Shivaye). Tu maal utha le. (Om Namo Shivaye).
Everyone was still staring at him as the seventh member of his family trickled in.
Mr.X: Daddy, ithe aao. (Om Namo Shivaye)
Now there were eight.
Mr.X: Achca, haan. (Om Namo Shivaye). Kinne da de rahe ne maal? (Om Namo Shivaye). Inna mehenga nahi. Meri gal kara. (Om Namo Shivaye)
Mr. X: Chachi, aa jaon. Main idhar aa. (Om Namo Shivaye)
Mr. X: Haan Preet Singh ji, (Om Namo Shivaye). Rate theek karo thoda. (Om Namo Shivaye).
Pintu, ruk oye. (Om Namo Shivaye). Haan nava rate das do . theek hain, (Om Namo Shivaye). Vadiya.
Deepo, mainu thali de. (Om Namo Shivaye). Nahi Preet Singh ji, theek karo rate tussi. (Om Namo Shivaye).
Pintu and Chintu were falling over Mr.X and Preet Singh's bargaining power wasn't helping either so the man on the bluetooth burst in an anger bout. Threw the two kids aside and finally got up from his position in front of Shivji and decided to settle scores with Preet Singh first.
The patiently waiting janta was smarter to the scene and everyone finally managed to get the line moving.
More effective and heart felt religious chants of Om Namo Shivaye finally took over the haggling articulation of Mr.X and the piousness of the complex returned. Many, like me, offended by the whole drama gave the shoulder to his family and finally offered their prayers.
Om Namo Shivaye.
R
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