Match made in heaven!

As part of the ritual after marriage, newlywed Brahmin couples are told to search for Arundathi-Vasishta pair of stars (Alcor-Mizar). These double stars make part of the Great Bear constellation and named after a great sage, Vasishta, and his philosopher wife, Arundathi. They were an exemplary couple that complemented each other, without one dominating over the other. 

Unlike most double stars where one star would be revolving around the other, the Arundathi-Vaisishta pair orbits around each other. The Hindu traditions believe that that is how a husband-wife pair should be - the couple should work together; not one exerting dominance over the other!

Varaha

It is beyond comprehension how ancient Indians knew so much about astronomy. These traditions have a long history that predates Corpenicus and Gallilee. At a time when the world was arguing about flat Earth and imprisonment of scientists whose discoveries clashed with the Church, the Indians knew that Earth was a sphere. Varaha, Vishnu's boar avatar, tried to save a spherical Earth from the major floods on his snout. (Not a disc)

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Heaven on Earth?

"Don't ask too many questions, sometimes it is better to just let go and follow the pack. Follow the people who are experts and know more than us!" At the end of our intellectual discourse on religion, this is the best my friend could tell me. I think that aptly explains the current situation we are in.

There was a time in our civilisation, we were all clueless about the things around us. One blind leading another, we all used to grope around making sense of things as we moved around in an environment that never failed to awe us. Initially, simple explanations sufficed to satisfy our curiosity. Answers begot more questions and our thirst for knowledge and desire to know the Truth never got doused.

Then a group of self-appointed beholden of the race came to the fore to claim of direct communications with the Maker. They claim to have obtained fresh rolls hot out of the oven! Our answers are answered and that we have reached the zenith of our understanding. That, we should not kid our minuscule minds to comprehend the master plan set by the Agent Intellect. That we should just accept and not prod too much.

These leaders' action smattered of power and control but who are we to question? They put us the fear of eternal damnation and the horrid pain of hell fire. We cow to submission.

On the other hand, tribes who dwelled in an environment of discourse, constructive argumentation and scientific thinking, always questioning the known and experimenting the unknown, reached progress of dizzying heights. The naysayers lament that their advancement is not the one favoured by the Agent Intellect but who cares. They have their society in order and their life peaceful. After all, that is what we want. Peace on Earth and Heaven on Earth!

We all live on the assumption of...

Today is Assumption Day, the day Mother Mary (no, not the one that comes to you in times of trouble in 'Let it be', but the real one) is assumed to have ascended to heaven. How do I know this? Well, a mother who was in active labour was hoping against hope to postpone her delivery to today for obvious reasons!
Talking about heaven, the hell gates are open now, according to the Chinese folklore and the ghosts are out to play. Hence, throughout the 'Hungry Ghost Month' (Phor Thor), many distractions are given to these ghosts so that they would be sitting down watching the Chinese opera, the scantily clad singing girls and feeding on the food stuff left at the road side during prayers. The distractions are meant to divert their attention from their daytime duty of haunting the living!
Talking about that month of the year, the middle of July to mid August is the inauspicious month for the Hindus. Most important events in life are postponed if possible. Agreements, moving into a new premises, births (by prohibiting intimacies 9 months previously), buying of properties, marriage and engagement ceremonies are postponed till after the Aadi month is over. The temples used to be void of activities and the time was used to spruce the temples and conduct repairs and what not. That was in those days, when I was growing up. Now, many activities (even religious ones) are happening. Aadi Puram which seem to be a low key fare then is a celebration of sorts lasting many days with chariot procession to follow. The snake goddess also has join in the foray. Guess, the temple had to fatten its coffers.
Talking about hell, heaven and spiritualism, an icon of songs he used to lip-sync to and I had to bear the brunt of listening to it day and night when I was desperately trying to cramp my facts in RRF kicked the bucket recently. The Bollywood film fraternity moan and wail that his death is an irreplaceable loss even though he has out of acting for decades! Nah, I do not think they miss him. They are just telling that as they know that the media people are out with their memo pads! Shammi Kapoor, the chubby crazy sometimes monkey-like dance-moving star of the 6os passed on at 79 due to renal failure. All the songs from Andaz, Junglee, Love in Tokyo which were the background score of me studying for SPM still reverberates in my ear drums... Ironically, India celebrates its Independence on 15th August in the month of Aadi. I wonder why? Did not any learned holy men try to postpone the handing of  self rule from the British? Guess they could not wait! Perhaps then, they could be less mayhem than there is now, and I wonder...