In the land which is now known as #Telangana there exists a ritual. In some villages just before Diwali, the kids are invited to throw stones on the home's roofs. Prayers are offered to the gods. And then the kids take over. Children, of course, have a great time. They scream shout giggle laugh. And they s.h.a.t.t.e.r the mud tiles on the roofs. The one who breaks the most, is the most respected and talked about dude!
The elders say, it is to shoo away the evil. But if you look deep, you realise. This playful ritual is a simple way to refresh the work demand for the village potters. Each year new tiles, each year, new work. One community, supporting other. Via play.
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Religion in #India is like that. It is not confined just to scriptures or the esoteric. It traverses all the way from the sky to the earth. It has glorious wings, but it has equally magnificent roots. Intertwined in this soil. Deep. And those roots take the form of many such folk rituals strewn about in the life of India.
Its great to read the scriptures. But its even more magical to see how they have been woven in the everyday life of India. Glimpses of which we can still find in her simple folk life.
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This could be the same understanding behind getting new Ganesh Laxmi, new diyas every year for Diwali. #Sustainable #Celebratory #Rituals make #SustainableReligion.
To fly high, you need to nourish the roots deep. In this very soil. The soil of India.
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