Wednesday 19 September 2012

Hey Everybody,

So everything's going fine, the last week has been really fun.

Swami Ganganandaji, Myself, and Rolo

Visvakarma Puja 2012
Visvakarma is the divine engineer of the universe, therefore anyone who makes a living from a machine or from building things, offers worship to him once a year.  For instance, taxi drivers, rickshaw wallahs, and construction workers decorate their cars, rickshaws, and tools with garlands of marigolds.  Visvakarma Puja is a big deal at the University because we are building a new building.  The construction workers turned part of the unfinished building into this shrine over night, and then took the day off to play ridiculously loud music starting at 6 AM and dance around throughout the night in the abandoned warehouse where they live.  It's a little weird seeing cement mixers, cars, and computers decorated with garlands, but it's only another example of just how religious the Indian people are.  They will spiritualize everything, and find someway to bring God into every aspect of life.  It takes weird forms sometimes, but at the end of the day I think it's charming.

Rolo checking out the shrine, notice the rest of the building around it.

 Another view, some of the workers watching a part of the worship.

The University building at night.

 Vidyarthi Homa Ceremony 2012, Narendrapur
A couple days ago was the Vidyarthi Homa ceremony, which is the formal initiation of new students into student life.  It's done with a ritualistic worship followed by a Vedic fire sacrifice called a "homa."  We got up at 4AM and crossed Kolkata to go to the city of Narendrapur, which is outside of the big  city in a more rural setting.  The Ramakrishna Mission center sits on a huge piece of land with various schools, hostels, and other buildings scattered throughout.  This ceremony was only for the first year Vivekananda University kids though.

The Narendrapur Temple, where the ceremony was performed.

Homa Fire


Can you spot me looking stoked that I get to sit on the floor.

In this photo you'll notice separation of the sexes in action.  India's incredibly conservative, I've talked to maybe 4 or 5 Indian ladies since I got here 3 months ago.

VC Maharaj, he's the more prominent looking monk on the left.

Bus ride home!

 Shivam Maharaj (from Argentina) and I after the homa.

VU students, this is a typical shot of what the hostel kids look like.  I live with these guys all the time and I know the names of like 5 students at this school owing to the fact that we don't speak the same language.

 Vivekananda University's Narendrapur Campus (I'm at the main campus at Belur Math)

Myself, Ayon Maharaj, and a Narendrapur brahmachari (junior monk) waiting for lunch.

Strictly the homies, notice Palash sitting in the middle looking hard.

The servants of the main VU campus who were for some inexplicable reason given the day off and brought to the ceremony so they could hang around.  These are the guys that serve tea, clean, and garden around the school.  I had to snap this pic because these guys are awesome.

After lunch some of the monks and I broke away from the group and went to explore Narendrapur.  This is the cow-shed.

Abhushek Maharaj, Ayon Maharaj, and Shivam Maharaj eyeing a cow.

Shivam Maharaj having a moment with a pregnant buffalo.

The kids on the bus ride home.

That's all for now, sorry for the delay.