Venkat's Random Thoughts

Today is Thursday and as promised here I am with the next in the series of Hindu Rituals. 4. Why do we prostrate before parents and elders? Prostrate Indian Hindus prostrate before their parents, elders, teachers and noble souls by touching their feet. The elder in turn blesses us by placing his or her hand on or over our heads. Prostration is done daily, when we meet elders and particularly on important occasions like the beginning of a new task, birthdays, festivals etc. In certain traditional circles, prostration is accompanied by abhivaadana, which serves to introduce one-self, announce one’s family and social stature. Man stands on his feet. Touching the feet in prostration is a sign of respect for the age, maturity, nobility and divinity that our elders personify. It symbolises our recognition of their selfless love for us and the sacrifices they have done for our welfare. It is a way of humbly acknowledging the greatness of another. This tradition...

Hindu Rituals- Why do we do Namaste? I am sure all of you are waiting for this Monday's post of Hindu Rituals. I am really overwhelmed with the response I got for this series. I have as you know created WhatsApp groups so that I can pass on a single link to those who are members of the group. I was heartened to see members not only read my blogs, but also discuss amongst themselves about the day's published blog. Namaste 3. Why do we do Namaste? Indians greet each other with "namaste". The two palms are placed together in front of the chest and the head bows whilst saying the word namaste. This greeting is for all - people younger than us, of our own age, those older than friends, even strangers and us. There are five forms of formal traditional greeting enjoined in the shastras of which namaskaram is one. This is understood as prostration but it actually refers to paying homage as we do today when we greet each other with a namaste. N...

This is the second in the series of Hindu Rituals. I have decided to publish two every week. On Mondays and Thursdays. So today being Thursday here goes...  2. Why do we have a prayer room? Most Indian homes have a prayer room or altar. Though in a place like Mumbai, having a separate room for prayers is an unimaginable luxury. Hence most of the homes do with several photos of the GODs they pray to. A lamp is lit and the Lord worshipped each day. Other spiritual practices like japa - repetition of the Lord’s name, meditation, paaraayana - reading of the scriptures, prayers, and devotional singing etc are also done here. Special worship is done on auspicious occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, festivals and the like. Each member of the family - young or old - communes with and worships the Divine here. The Lord is the entire creation. He is therefore the true owner of the house we live in too. The prayer room is the Master room of the house. ...

Human beings are curious by nature. Whenever some one asks you to do something, there is a question as to why I should do it. There are many rituals in Hinduism we follow blindly without knowing why we do it. It may be because of the following: The elder whom you ask may be doing it without knowing why and will admonish you for asking foolish questions to hide his ignorance. You may find it easier to do it just to avoid a confrontation. You may avoid doing it and earn the disapproval in the community as a rebel who does not listen to elders. But if you have the time and inclination there is enough material available on the world wide web (google,  social media platforms) these days to quench your thirst for knowledge. However time these days is at a premium. Many do not have the time management skill to manage time at their disposal, Lots of time is wasted in travel.  The tendency these days is to avoid taking trouble and consume what is readily available....

    A day to remember and cherish August 8 , 2019 is a day to cherish and remember in my life. You all know from my past posts about the "Bells Palsy" attack I suffered in January 11 this year. You must also have read the wonderful treatment I  was getting from the Terna physiotherapy hospital since then. Well the treatment is almost at its fag end and I , having been restored to around 95% of my original self was given the good news by the Physiotherapy head Dr. Jul Dave herself that I might be duly discharged by around the 15th of August 2019. She however put across a difficult proposition to me , that I as a patient who is about to be discharged and set free from treatment in a weeks time (15th August happens to be Indian Independence Day) must prepare myself to give a short speech to her fresher(first and second year) students on August 8th about the treatment given to me , the emotional phases a patient goes through after a sudden major ...