Different strokes for different folks as diversity; divergence; plurality and diversity is what indeed makes this universe spin on it's axis.......
While traditionalists and conformists swear by the centuries old practices and rituals of propitiating and currying favour with their beloved "Elephant God" (Lord Ganesha) with modaks; puranpolis; obbatus; ladoos; and last but not the least a mind boggling and tantalising plethora of kosambir's; here is a village in Karnataka's Koppal district that begs to differ.......
Residents of Koppal districts truly "different an unique" Bhagyanagar village make a more than earnest and devout effort to please or the gratify their favoured lord and deity with overflowing and burgeoning offerings of both cooked as well as raw chicken; beer; rum; whisky and every other conceivable form of liquor on the third day of the ten day long festival that is celebrated in vast tracts of this age old nation.......
According to the headman of this largely anonymous and stereo typically sleepy hamlet that has abruptly come into the limelight and been accorded celebrity status their (villagers) forefathers or ancestors started or then initiated this rather "hatke" ritual more than two hundred or so years back and their descendants or progeny have found no earthly or then outworldly reason to discontinue this age old practice.......
Elaborating further or then adding his own two bits of seemingly infallible logic or earthy wisdom a toothless and wizened village elder quips that the "mover and shaker" of the world has neither expressed his displeasure or sense of outrage at the offerings made to him by the indebted three odd thousand inhabitants of the village in question and hence they see no rhyme or reason to change or alter these unique customs that may end up causing volcanic eruptions of hypocritical and hysterical proportions amongst the ranks of the self appointed guardians of all matters associated with the Hindu religion........
If anything it only gets better from hereon as families that offer chicken and a bottle of rum on day three do one better and offer mutton and premium whisky brands on day four and last but not the least fish; prawns and every other imaginable or conceivable variety of sea food and bottles of exorbitantly priced Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) on day five apart from the litres of milk; coconut water and other condiments that are continually showered on the lord within each household that can afford to do the same........
Let me clarify or then clear the resultant misconception that could arise about the same practices being followed or then observed at pandals raised in public spaces or common areas as the afore mentioned rather eccentric systems are strictly observed within the hallowed precincts of the very same households who have been doing the same unfailingly year after year........
All I can say in conclusion is more power to the elbow of these humble; ubiquitous and naive village folks who are the living embodiments of the mellifluous words in the ghazal that goes something like this "Dastoor Ibadat Ka Duniyaa Se Niraala Ho; Ik Haath Main Maala Ho; Ik Haath Main Pyala Ho".........
While traditionalists and conformists swear by the centuries old practices and rituals of propitiating and currying favour with their beloved "Elephant God" (Lord Ganesha) with modaks; puranpolis; obbatus; ladoos; and last but not the least a mind boggling and tantalising plethora of kosambir's; here is a village in Karnataka's Koppal district that begs to differ.......
Residents of Koppal districts truly "different an unique" Bhagyanagar village make a more than earnest and devout effort to please or the gratify their favoured lord and deity with overflowing and burgeoning offerings of both cooked as well as raw chicken; beer; rum; whisky and every other conceivable form of liquor on the third day of the ten day long festival that is celebrated in vast tracts of this age old nation.......
According to the headman of this largely anonymous and stereo typically sleepy hamlet that has abruptly come into the limelight and been accorded celebrity status their (villagers) forefathers or ancestors started or then initiated this rather "hatke" ritual more than two hundred or so years back and their descendants or progeny have found no earthly or then outworldly reason to discontinue this age old practice.......
Elaborating further or then adding his own two bits of seemingly infallible logic or earthy wisdom a toothless and wizened village elder quips that the "mover and shaker" of the world has neither expressed his displeasure or sense of outrage at the offerings made to him by the indebted three odd thousand inhabitants of the village in question and hence they see no rhyme or reason to change or alter these unique customs that may end up causing volcanic eruptions of hypocritical and hysterical proportions amongst the ranks of the self appointed guardians of all matters associated with the Hindu religion........
If anything it only gets better from hereon as families that offer chicken and a bottle of rum on day three do one better and offer mutton and premium whisky brands on day four and last but not the least fish; prawns and every other imaginable or conceivable variety of sea food and bottles of exorbitantly priced Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) on day five apart from the litres of milk; coconut water and other condiments that are continually showered on the lord within each household that can afford to do the same........
Let me clarify or then clear the resultant misconception that could arise about the same practices being followed or then observed at pandals raised in public spaces or common areas as the afore mentioned rather eccentric systems are strictly observed within the hallowed precincts of the very same households who have been doing the same unfailingly year after year........
All I can say in conclusion is more power to the elbow of these humble; ubiquitous and naive village folks who are the living embodiments of the mellifluous words in the ghazal that goes something like this "Dastoor Ibadat Ka Duniyaa Se Niraala Ho; Ik Haath Main Maala Ho; Ik Haath Main Pyala Ho".........
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