Om Ganesha Namah
I Bow to Lord Ganesha, The Remover of Obstacles
There is another blog post in the process, which will be uploaded shortly.
But it is His day.
I have had a few people unsubscribe after I posted some Hinduism related things.
So, I am prepared.
Lord Ganesha: The God of Beginnings, Prosperity and Wisdom.
I will return to this image later in the post.
But before I delve into this, for all those who are interested in learning, or all those who do not mind reading it again for they already know these stories, a little background.
I grew up in a Hindu household. Only I did not know it.
Growing up in India means you were surrounded by temples, churches, mosques, gurudwaras.
Bharat, that is called India, is the land of spirituality, love, dance, color and acceptance, despite the tales that media has been spinning (much representation of Hinduism and India will follow in later posts).
Santana Dharma, meaning eternal law, is another name for Hinduism. The eternal law of how this universe, not just this world, but this universe functions. It’s too complicated for the human mind. Therefore, we have multiple ways of customising the wisdom to all kinds of learning styles and abilities. We have deep philosophy and light hearted stories, we have folk dances that tell the stories of our villages and families and classical dances that revel in retelling the stories of Gods. We have a whole knowledge system of medicine, that has been incorporated into daily life resulting in Indian cuisine and we have six schools of philosophy that consider ‘being human’ from multiple angles.
Here are a few things that make Hinduism a universal way of life.
Being a Hindu
Growing up Hindu meant many things.
One joyful aspect was that there was a celebration every few days. Each region had its own specialty. Each celebration was associated with one aspect of divine energy, music, rituals and food to accompany it. Being raised in a Hindu household felt like a perpetual party. For we honored changes of seasons, coming of spring, onset of monsoons, onset of autumn, beginning and end of winter, new moons, full moon,…and in between there were many other days to honor nature, Gods, people and families.
Oh and there are many ‘New Years’. Each community has its own. Which makes sense. Ours, related to the farming community comes in April, the time of the harvest. The business community celebrates it in autumn, as they close their ledgers and begin new ones.
Santana Dharma, meaning eternal law, is another name for Hinduism
With social media today we even know of festivals that were not celebrated in our regions. For example, Lord Ganesha is more popular in central India. He is present in all north Indian temples, but prominent celebrations in the north India were related to incarnations of Vishnu, for examples Lord Krishna and Lord Rama. (if you stick around for several blog posts, these aspects will become clearer).
I learnt about Ganesh Chaturthi, the festival that celebrates our elephant headed God, from a movie. However, today with social media, we know of festivals that our parents did not celebrate.
To some extent, even though it remains divisive, media has become a binding and reviving force.
Fasting and Festivals
Being a Hindu also meant that every few days some or all members of the family were fasting. We did not refrain from food completely but for the days of fasting we ate fruits and drank milk. Some people had one meal after sundown.
One of my favorite fasts comes at the change of seasons. When summer slips into autumn and when winter turns to spring. For nine days almost the entire country changes its diet. We leave out heavy grains and focus on fruits vegetables and gluten free grains such as buckwheat. Chestnut flour is also used for making breads. Of course no meat, flesh foods or eggs during this time. We also abstain from onions and garlic since they are considered stimulants. Since it is the change of seasons, we honor Goddesses during this time.
The special food during these navratris, the nine nights (of fasting), is absolutely delicious. In many ways, we all look forward to altering the change of diet. At the end of this nine day fast, prepubescent girls are given gifts. For they represent the Goddess!
Ayurveda, the medicine system that developed in India, understands that human body must work with rather than against nature. Changes in seasons directly affect our body. By changing our diet, we can reduce the negative impact on drastic modifications in temperature and humidity.
And you’d think modern health aficionados had invented intermittent fasting!
There are many ‘New Years’. Each community has its own. Which makes sense. Ours, related to the farming community comes in April, the time of the harvest. The business community celebrates it in autumn, as they close their ledgers and begin new ones.
Honoring Speech and Time
Being a Hindu also meant there was a clear distinction between conduct of children from good family and those from not-so-good families.
One of them was honoring speech.
In our crazy land India which is usually misunderstood, we consider all aspects of life divine. So we have a Goddess of knowledge.
Pay attention folks, it’s a Goddess not a God: Mother Saraswati (a separate post dedicated to her will follow later).
Possibly the only belief system today with divinity in the form of a female.
An aspect of Goddess of knowledge is the Goddess of speech, Vak.
To honor Mother Vak meant, we will not use swear words, harsh words, and keep away from gossiping. I can vouch for some of this personally. There was not one child in the neighborhood that used swear words (harshness and gossip is another story). Till this day, my friends from India, cousins and siblings, have never used a swear word in our conversation.
No favor to anyone. Just honoring Mother Vak.
Do Hindus not swear? Sure, they do.
But this inherent wisdom that we are dishonoring Goddess of speech if we swear, is the basis behind raising children with politeness in their speech. Also, an understanding that dishonoring the Goddess will have repercussions.
How?
Well, another concept to consider is that Hindus have a very different idea of time. We consider endless life cycles, not just one life. So the repercussions for using bad speech can arrive in some other lifetime. Consider all the issues one can have with speech. Writing, speaking, clarity of thinking---all the things that make us powerful.
Important to remain in gratitude and understand that words are energy. And we are magnets for what we are.
Stay positive to attractive positivity.
No need to Profess. We Just Are
The most important aspect about being a Hindu was that even though I grew up in a Hindu majority nation, we were never told at home that we are Hindus. In fact, the first time I had to respond to ‘What religion are you?’ when I left India, I was almost tongue tied.
What did it mean to be a Hindu? And why was it an important question?
I was a human being, dealing with human condition, that was enough.
However, I learnt that it was different for other religions. Professing a religion was important outside of India, with exception of a few countries in Asia, that went the path of dharma and Buddhism.
Therefore, years outside of India have been confusing where I haven’t encountered the same unspoken openness and wisdom that was used in Hindu households.
Many in One, and One in Many: Democratic all the way
And yet another aspect of Hinduism that is dear to me is that though we are aware that there is only ONE divine energy, we acknowledge that it manifests in different forms.
It is not that so much that we have different Gods, but the fact that we are aware that energy can take different forms. Something that science has just found out. At the core of everything is empty space, filled with potential. That empty space, that void, is the source of everything.
As a result you are allowed to honor the energy that is closest to you, that calls you, that inspires you. Obviously then, you can have your own ‘isht’—a personal energy that you feel connected to. For me, it’s mostly Lord Vishnu’s incarnations (at some point I will share more, but right now, I do not want to say more than that).
That empty space, that void, is the source of everything.
There are no fights between different energy forms we call Devas, or Deities. You will find them all in one temple. Some specific temples are dedicated to one or other, but even then you can find more than one deity.
Truly a democratic system.
As are the people who follow this faith. I do not get upset walking into a temple not dedicated to Vishnu. Not only that, my siblings and I are attracted to different energies.
As in one family, so in the world.
I do not get any less Hindu by bowing to Jesus, or kneeling in a mosque.
Respect for all forms of faith is inherent to Hinduism.
I want to sit for a few seconds now, and just smile, at that breadth and depth of thought process called Hinduism.
Hmmmmmm……
Okay, now that some of these basics are behind us, let us talk a bit about symbolism.
What did it mean to be a Hindu? And why was it an important question?
I was a human being, dealing with human condition, that was enough.
Lord Ganesha and Symbolism:
All deities have symbolism.
All.
Hinduism teaches us to see divine in everything. If that energy which created this planet is all powerful, it must shine through everything, including our enemies (this aspect is complicated. I am working with this myself and will return to address this in different posts as I read and analyze more).
Those who have little to no experience of Hinduism question how and why our Gods not look ‘just human’. I won’t try to answer that here, but one simple answer is that the Gods are beyond our imagination and a simple human form does not allow the bulk of symbolism and meaning they carry.
In this post, I will explain some symbolism related to Lord Ganesha’s form.
The image of elephant headed God is put whenever we begin a new venture. You will find Him on all the wedding cards. He is said to remove all obstacles, and you will find him often on dashboards in cars.
The trunk of an elephant has the strength to uproot a tree and the dexterity to pick up a needle. Similarly a person blessed by Ganesha has the strength to deal with life’s difficulties but also the wisdom to know when and how to use his/her strength.
His round belly, on the other hand symbolizes generosity, and reminds the devotee to be giving. Generosity and prosperity are synonyms in this material world.
Large ears are for listening and patience.
Multiple hands imply multiple powers, abilities, skills and sensibilities.
Lord Ganesha rides on a mouse, a symbol of lack of control, like our mind, like our senses, and steadies the nervous, fickle energy. A stable, calm focused mind is what we need. He functions as a mantra.
In three simple words, Lord Ganesha is
Achintya – beyond thought
Avyakta – beyond expression
Ananta – eternal
And his form, as presented to us, guides us on how to live a good life, keeping a focus on all that a human must confront—impatience, weakness, lack of clarity.
His idol can be bought in the market but is just as often created at home from soil, flour, turmeric and other spices. At the end of the festival, He is immersed in a river (other bodies of water).
What Inspired this Post
How do those who do not understand any of the above, or haven’t been trained to think beyond the images, see Hinduism?
Remember I said I will return to this image.
Here is the image again by a ‘person of faith’ and their comment from August 24, 2023. I have hidden their name (hint: Not a Hindu) to save them embarrassment. Because that is not the point. This is a comment on twitter. A public forum. We come across these quite often.
I first experienced this thought process in India where missionaries would come to our schools and colleges and distribute ‘books’ that ‘told the truth’, for we were worshiping ‘false Gods.’
Know what I admire about India? Openness. A Hindu majority country allowed missionaries to distribute books and tell us that our parents, our ancestors, our Gods were not ‘authentic or the real truth.’ It was not weakness, but a carelessness.
Or was it transgenerational trauma that followed invasions and colonisation?
Here listen to this podcast to know how transgenerational trauma can affect civilisations and culture.
Then ask yourself how many cultures and civilizations were eliminated with the idea of ‘one true god, or one way of living’
Here is a tweet from July 2023 by another ‘person of faith’ about how all the temples should be dedicated to what they think is the ‘right religion.’
An Open call to annihilation of an entire system that has enriched the world with language, sciences, poetry and imagination.
And we wonder why our world is constantly on the brink of a war?
 How can we have peace until we hold ideologies that are hold anger and dislike (using mild words here) towards anything they do not understand and yet claim to ‘work for love’.
Ask yourself how many cultures and civilizations were eliminated with the idea of ‘one true god, or one way of living’
It was when I experienced many forms of discomfort at my love (not pride) for Hindu festivals that I realized it was important to state without any discomfort, that I am, indeed a Hindu. I believe in reincarnation, I look at stones and rivers as divine, I think the divine is powerful enough to manifest in a caterpillar or a snake or gentle wind that caresses my face.
And here to wrap it all up is a response to the above tweet from a friend. I have deleted his name too, to avoid trolls coming after him.
The Sanskrit word Mleccha refers to those of an incomprehensible speech
Banning of Hindu Festivals
But this confidence that Hindus have today was missing for the last 1000 years.
Yes a 1000 years.
Invasions began over a 1000 years ago from one religion that could not see beauty and art but instead saw Idolatry. They crushed temples, after stealing gold from them, burnt libraries, raped women and killed millions of people. (Remember the bombing of the Buddhas in Afghanistan? As recent as 2001.
Another ‘people of faith’ came about 400 years ago. Major projects of colonization were undertaken by the French, Dutch, Portuguese and of course the British.
During the British rule, festival honoring Ganesha lost its state patronage. One of the many ways colonizers altered the state of the world. Each country had its own religions, languages and cultures. Today only tattered remains can be seen through two main faiths that have overtaken the world but maligning faiths that do not fit their understanding of the divine.
Post restrictions during the British rule, Ganesha festival became a private celebration, restricted to homes, such that Hindus had to hide Ganesha idols out of fear. Â .
--scholars state that the British Empire, after 1870 out of fear of seditious assemblies, had passed a series of ordinances that banned public assembly for social and political purposes of more than 20 people in British India, but exempted religious assembly for Friday mosque prayers under pressure from the Indian Muslim community. Tilak believed that this effectively blocked the public assembly of Hindus whose religion did not mandate daily prayers or weekly gatherings, and he leveraged this religious exemption to make Ganesh Chaturthi to circumvent the British colonial law on large public assembly. He was the first to install large public images of Ganesha in pavilions in Bombay Presidency, and other celebratory events at the festival:
In Goa, the hold out of the Portuguese, among other atrocities during the inquisition (did you know that there was an inquisition by the Church in India too?) Hindu festivals were banned.
‘--- Hindus who did not convert to Christianity were severely restricted. However, Hindu Goans continued to practice their religion despite the restrictions. Many families worship Ganesha in the form of patri (leaves used for worshiping Ganesha or other gods), a picture is drawn on paper or small silver idols. In some households Ganesha idols are hidden, a feature unique to Ganesh Chaturthi in Goa due to a ban on clay Ganesha idols and festivals by the Jesuits as part of the Inquisition. Source Wikipedia
And yet, the festival was revived as a form of rebellion to the 1892 ban by the British on Hindu gatherings. Several prominent public leaders are associated with its revival. Â
Hindus are still standing (although projects to undermine the faith have gotten stronger, untruths are spread faster via electronic media, through journalists both foreign and Indian).
But now using the same media that trashes them, Hindus are speaking up.
Without violence, using the blessing of Mother Vak, to share, argue, fight back with intellect as they continue to hold their Deities in their heart.
It is arguments like these in public places that have spread another mistruth, ‘Hindus as aggressors.’
I remember a line from the musical Shenandoah, documenting American Civil War. A patriarch is opposed to getting involved in the war. But when one of his own is affected, he declares, ‘Now we are at war.’
Hindus are not at war. But they are awake. Awakening still.
Reading, learning and debating. Realizing the millions that gave their lives so that their descendants could have the freedom to practice what is considered ‘abominable’ by the invaders and the colonialists.
Hindutva, which has been made to seem an ugly word is simply Hinduism that resists conversion.
Anyone claiming to be pro diversity should be upholding Hindutva.
Do You Support Diversity?
For the sake of diversity, this thought process that has given the world everything from zero to some concepts of calculus, to meditation and Yoga to Ayurveda (medicine, the art of longevity), and believes in a uniquely different concept of time, must be preserved.
There are only two Hindu majority countries in the world.
Only two.
To not acknowledge this fact is to be blind to the violence that led to elimination of faith systems, languages and cultures. Today we are left mostly with roman script and two forms of Abrahamic religions that control our mind and thinking.
Did you know that while we have both male and female Gods, the main concept of the divine is formless, genderless and without qualities. That is one big difference. The ultimate idea of divinity is NIRGUN, without qualities.
It does not judge, reprimand or bestow.
All that matters is our action. Our Karma. How we conduct ourselves in the minutest of actions. Holding back anger and swear words can be start (not easy for many, including Hindus).
On this Ganesh Chaturthi, (September 19, 2023) I hope anyone who has read this far, will acknowledge at least one thing.Â
Hinduism, despite its billion followers and wealth of knowledge systems is a minority religion.
While it is a majority faith in two of the over 200 countries in this world, it is a minority religion in the world.
For the sake of diversity, it must be preserved.
At the end of this long winded, somewhat light, somewhat heavy post, here are two short clips of bringing Ganesha home, in Delhi.
On one of my visits I heard these drums right outside my house and ran out with my camera. I had never seen these celebrations in Delhi before. But now with in-country migrations and the freedom that Hinduism allows to believe in any manifestation of the divine, one gets to enjoy these even in places where they were not very popular.