"Pola" is a Unique festival of Farmers of Maharashtra. It celebrates Farm Animals. મહારાષ્ટ્રમાંઉજવાતો પશુ-પ્રેમને દર્શાવતો, અતી વિશિષ્ટ ઉત્સવ - “પોળા” (बैल-पोळा)

Just a few days back on the last New-Moon-Day, we celebrated "Pola". The festival is celebrated on the day of Amavasya of the month of Shravan/BhadraPada* in the Maharashtra State in India. We thank and show our gratitude and love for the farm animals represented by the Oxen who ploughs the fields and pulls the bullock-Carts. This festival is known as "Bail-Pola" (बैल-पोळा) or simply "Pola" or "पोळा", alluding to the feast dish being served to the Farm-Bullock. 

The Chapter 9 of a Gujarati "Umodi" ("ઊમોદી"), contains an interesting description of how this festival was actually celebrated since ancient times. It is an excerpt from the diary of Urmila, who had witnessed many Polas in her lifetime in the early twentieth century i.e. around 1940s in the area around Nagpur city, a city of India in a province then known as the "Central Province"**. Following is translated from her amateur narrative.

Excerpt:

Quote from the Diary....."Pola Utsav is a special festival celebrated by all but mainly by Farmers of the village. It is celebrated on the new-moon-day of the month of Shravan/Bhadra Pada This day is dedicated to the farm animals like oxen. To celebrate, the bulls are decorated and worshipped with red kumkum tilak, and garlands of freshly picked flowers. Their Horns are painted in bold colours. Some paint only the tip of the horn but more often than not, the entire horn is painted. The back of the Bullock is adorned with multi-colour thick-cotton rug. Their necks are covered with beautiful necklaces made from colourful beads and tiny tinkling bells.............On the day of "Pola", no farmer would yoke or shackle their oxen. It is like Bulls' "Double-Pay-Official-Fun-Holiday". In addition to no-work, Bullock is fed a special celebratory dish, namely "Puran-Poli". Most herbivorous animals such as Cows, Horses, Mules etc, are known to relish lentils and jaggery. Therefore huge sized Roties or "Polas"*** are prepared on this day and these Polas are filled with cooked stuffing made from split lentils in Ghee and Jaggery......... 

... This prized dish is lovingly served to the bulls working hard throughout the year, rain or shine. These farm bulls are farmer's reliable and constant companions. It is not unusual even to hear the farmer lovingly talking and singing to the bull while they are working with them on the farm as if they are talking to a friend. They have a special bond. Even the poorest farmer too gives these treats to Bulls on this day.''...   

.................On the morning of this day, the festivities begin with bringing the Bullock and their carts in a huge open field on the outskirts of the village. Village Headman (Patel) and other big and small chiefs too are present on the field. They sit on the chairs, whereas others are busy in their activities while onlookers either stand or squat and await the unfolding of events, usually a Bullock-Cart Race, or just a bullock Race. Children, curious and full of awe and excitement look at the arrangements and decoration of the make-shift decorated shelter and the decorated bullock carts with farmers in their newly stitched dresses and Safas (head dress).......

......The Bullock-Carts are lined up and on the cue from the Headman, the race begins. The crowd that was simply chatting or singing or playing some music, suddenly gets into a frenzy with cheering, clapping, shouting and running with the carts. The children too join their friends and dads into the same frenzy and the whole atmosphere is filled with joy, excitement and of course a lot of dust from the stomping feet of bulls and people on the field. If it is a rainy day, the shower and liberal spray of mud  can also add to the fun. No one minds shouting, cheering, dust or mud. People just enjoy the fun and games, have some sweets, feed the Bullock and go home cheerful with a well spent day. .....

Nowadays, such races have more or less disappeared and can only be seen in movies......However, these days, in some films, I see that the farmers taking part in such cart races are shown to be dishonest and cheating. But those farmers, I have seen, were honest, loving and as innocent as a small child.......

......After returning home for lunch and some rest, Bulls are taken to meet and greet. They are led to neighbouring farmers' homes, to relatives and friends. At every home the bulls are again given the treats of "Puran-Poli". The occasion is as gracefully celebrated as what we do on Diwali day when we, with our family, visit our friends, relatives and elders. So do these farmers; they take bulls, as their own family members and go to greet the friends, family and elders on "Pola" day....

.....On the next day, it is the turn of Children to celebrate their own "Small-Pola" or "लहान पोळा" also called "तान्हा-पोळा". This day is for little boys. With joy and passion, farmer dads play "Pola" with their children. Before the festival, either they make a bull from wood or mud and place it on wheels. This toy bull is for real as far as the boys go. Is up to about a foot or two in height and can be towed by hand using a rope tied to the toy. Some farmers buy it from the market if unable to make it at home. The toy is fully decorated as if it is a real bull. Children pull the bull and bring them out on a playground for Bull-Race.....It is a great fun to watch these children excitedly pulling the bull. At the cue of their local elder, children would start running with a hand holding the rope pulling the bull behind them, some do it fast, some slow, some stall some toys fall flat, some being dragged, some broken on the way, with ongoing cheering shouting and screaming, even by the onlookers, the race comes to end. Some contestants win and some lose and after a joyful chaos, everyone goes home cheerfully.......Either before or after the toy-bull race, they take their toy-bull, just as what their dads did on the previous day with real bull, to the homes of their friends and neighbours. At every home, the host would treat children with sweets, toffees and other goodies......Thus the children too would have fun and inadvertently begin the journey of love and gratefulness for the farm animals. These are quintessential Hindu way of life that see divinity everywhere........" End of  Quote

Trivia:

1-*Amavasya of Shravan month in Vikram Samvant is the same day as BhadraPada month of Saka Samvant and is same as 2nd September of Gregorian Calendar this 2024. Indeed while the Gregorian date of the Pola festival may vary with the year, the Indian Dates do not change.

2-**After 1947 Indian independence, the states in India were reorganised for better administration on the basis of language. Thereby the province of Central India was subsumed into three newly reorganized states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

3-***Pola is masculine for Poli-Typical celebratory dish for humans is called "Puran-Poli" (feminine gender) and consider what you need for a huge bull ten times as heavy as a human? - Not a dainty "Poli" the big "Pola" i.e. "Puran-Pola" a masculine gender word!!

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गणानां त्वा गणपतिं हवामहे (Rigveda 2-23-1) Ancient Hymn Sung by a Mongolian Girl

 A remarkable young woman was melodiously singing an obscure hymn of ancient origin. Had she been an older person or someone of Indian origin, or if it was any other more popular mantra it would not have been that startling. But she appeared very young, probably in early twenties and unmistakably of non-Indian stalk. 

Although it was little past the sunrise, clouds had successfully prevented the sun's attempts to appear in the eastern sky. On that cold snowy morning of March in Vancouver BC, a small milieu of various ethnicities had congregated in a small hall. Neither the convergence of disparate ethnicities nor singing of Hindu hymns is unusual when it comes to Yoga or Meditation gatherings. Therefore, in such a setting even if someone bearing a typical non-Indian-appearing-face is seen singing a Hindu hymn, it does not surprise people anymore. However, this time around, it was out of the ordinary; the hymn happened to be from an antiquity of more than 5 millenia. 

Later, when introduced, I came to understand her name was Sue and that she originally came from Mongolia, now settled here in Vancouver BC, Canada. Parents had brought her up in their native Buddhist traditions and that Hinduism fascinated her from an early age. What she sang was the first Shloka (Verse) of Sukta (Chapter)-23 from the 2nd Mandala (Book) of Rig Veda; RV 2-23-1. It is addressed to a deity Brahmanaspati, aka Brihaspati aka “Father of Gods” (Ref: RV 2-26-3).

Notwithstanding its obscurity and archaism, the verse is extremely revealing at many levels; its content, both said and unsaid, activism behind the invocation, petitioner’s mindset, characteristic of request and objectives sought by those motley activists youngsters who have gathered perhaps on a seashore or a clearing in a forest, 3000 BCE or even in a still older era, seeking help and blessings of Lord Brahamanaspati. 

The verse is a petition. They are making a passionate plea: 

Sanskrit: “गणानां त्वा  गणपतिं  हवामहे कविं कवीनामुपमश्रवस्तमम् । ज्येष्ठराजं ब्रह्मणां ब्रह्मणस्पत आ न:

शृण्वन्नूतिभि: सीद सादनम् ॥” ( Transliterated in English: Gaṇaanam tvaa ganapatim havamahe Kavim kavinaam upamasravastamam, Jyestharaajam brahmanam brahmana spata aa nah srunvannutibhih sida saadanam.) RV-2-23-1

Its simple translation without contextual tweaking would read: “We invoke the Brahmanaspati, chief leader of the leaders; a sage of sages abound in beyond measure in every kind of food; best lord of prayer, hearing our invocations, please come with your protections, and sit down in the place of sacrifice.”

But its interpretation with contextual input would be an essay in itself: 

The petition ceremony is likely to be set around a fire-pit (yagna-kunda or homa-kunda) where a group of learned, eager looking activists have gathered around leaping flames to make a fervent appeal, a passionate request, imploring Lord Brahamanaspati to assist them in their mission, just before embarking upon a pursuit of non-combative, non-coveting efforts for upliftment of scattered groups of humans living in isolated existence in far-flung areas of deep forests, valleys and islands.

O, Supremely Knowledgeable (supremely knowledgeable among the knowledgeables),

O, Greatest leader (leader of the great leaders),

O, Greatest Philosopher (Philosopher of the Philosophers),

O, the one who is worthy of being described with similes and metaphors of adulation, (Unsaid content: who is  worthy of considered exemplary to be a role model who inspires us to inculcate qualities He possesses.)   

O, Ideal (Very Best) King of the Kings,

We all gathered here are making a fervent appeal to you,

Along with all power of defence at your command, (Unsaid content: ‘the tiny group of exploiters, dictators, capitalists, communists etc power-mongers are ultimately humans and has a potential within them for becoming reformed, hence the prayer does not seek their destruction or elimination but just seeks merely defence from them.),

knowing our thoughts, intention and mind (Unsaid content: “we are not seeking anything for us, no wealth, power or territory), 

Please establish yourself in our hearts. (Be our friend, Philosopher, Guide and Protector) 

Thanks to these unsung heroes of the distant past that ancient Indian civilizational footprint is visible all around the globe. Largely owing to this non-domineering, respectful civilizing efforts of those activists who left towns, ashrams, gurukuls and shores of India to distant and unknown territories, infested with wild animals, poisonous plants, shrubs and ivies, extreme climates, deserts, marshes, hunting cannibals and every kind of mortal danger lurking around. With no guarantee of returning to see their loved ones left behind in India, they kept on the mission of lifelong pursuit single mindedly. Not to claim territories, not to seek fortune, not to proselyte  but to learn, teach and inspire strangers to lead a vitreous life.  

They had to guard not only against the dangers, but also to not fall to any enticements on the way. In one of the speeches delivered by well known ancient rishi (seer), Kaundilya, has forewarned similar aspirants: “you are brilliant and energetic young people, you may easily find precious treasures in those distant lands, Humbled with your knowledge and abilities they may willingly and gratefully become ready to share their gold, precious stones, other treasures and even beautiful women. But remain alert not to succumb and not to be diverted from the important life-long mission of making the whole mankind noble- “Krunvantu Vishwam Aryam”, that they have undertaken. This speech was delivered to a group of volunteering activists who had gathered presumably on a sea shore to board a ship to Southeast Asia, perhaps, Bali. The very names Jawa, Sumatra, Malaya, Bali, Singapore  Brahmdesh (Burma), Siam, Mekong, etc unmistakably bear Sanskrit fingerprint.

Contrast the Sanskritization (Making of a nobler mankind) efforts made by Indians to the other historical campaigns undertaken by other groups who also were set forth on a ‘civilising’ mission with a book in one hand and sword or gun in the other.

An ambassador of the Republic of China (China of Pre-communist revolution era) to the U.S. (1938-1942), Mr. Hu Shih famously said  "India conquered and dominated China culturally for 20 centuries without ever having to send a single soldier across her border." A British Historian D G E Halls, Professor of History in the University of London summed up in his 1955 book, “The History of SouthEast Asia'' that the deep impression of Indian culture in  Southeast Asia was without any trace of signs of war, aggression, trade or any other generally known method but seems to be due to the willing acceptance by its people who had witnessed Indian ways of life via intellectuals visiting their country and returning students who had graduated from Indian universities of Nalanda, Takshashila etc. These assertions from leading scholars seem to reiterate and vindicate the aim, objective and SOP of those unsung, self-effacing activist heroes who had prayed to Lord Brahamanaspati. Sitting around Agni-Kund and performing Homa (Yagna) around the flames. Etymology of the word Yagna indicates that its root root syllabuses signify 3 attributes- 1 befriending, 2 uniting and 3 God worshipping. 

Sanskrit Grammarian Panini of 6th Century BCE is credited with recodifying Sanskrit Grammar. Language reformed in 6th Century BCE is the standard Sanskrit that we learn today. However, the Rig Veda text is written in pre-Panini ancient Sanskrit language. That makes it slightly more difficult to interpret even by current Sanskrit Scholars. The Rig Veda consists of 10 Mandals (Books), every book has several chapters (Sukta), more than 1,000 if put together. And every chapter has several Shlokas (Verses), more than 10,000 collectively.    

 

Some people mistakenly assume that the hymn is addressed to a well known deity Lord Ganapati because a word in the hymn happens to be “Ganapati”,  not realizing that the word is used not as a proper noun but is meant to be signifying the roleplay of the deity as a leader of states. (“Gana” means a group or a state. And “Ganapati” signifies a Leader or a President of the republic. “Gana-Tantra” is a word commonly used even today as a type of Nation that is made up of an association of States or a Republic. For instance, India is popularly defined as a “Gana-Tantra” in the local languages). 

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Oscars: Tale of Two ‘Best Pictures’; Oppenheimer-Gandhi: Love and Disdain Shared by Both Individuals -- By Nilesh M Shukla

 Oscar Awards for 2024 were announced on 10th March. ‘Oppenheimer’ won 7 Oscars including the ‘Best Picture’ award. It certainly deserved it. 41 years ago, on 11th April 1983, ‘Gandhi’ won 11 Oscars including the ‘Best Picture’. And certainly it too deserved it.

Curiously  contrasted personalities they both were! One “Father of Atomic Bomb '' and another “Apostle of Non-Violence and Peace”! And yet, their stories made it to earn ‘Best Picture’ Oscar. However unusual it may appear, when you deep dive into the real life of these two seemingly opposite poles, they stand out in sharing exactly the same object of love and exactly the same class of people who disliked them. A duo, otherwise so vastly diverse that bracketing them together is nothing short of blatant oxymoronic pairing.

Posters of Blockbuster Oscar ‘Best Picture’ winners and images of books on the Bhagavad Gita. Its  text is considered a holy scripture by about a Billion Hindus of the world. It is even considered by many thinkers as a Bible of humankind because it does not profess any religious rituals but merely consists of a dialogue about life, about way to  think and conduct. It is just a small book consisting of 700 verses in Sanskrit language and takes less than 180 minutes to chant/read them. It has charmed and captivated many brilliant minds; Ralph W Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Annie Beasant, Carl Jung, Aldous Huxley, T S Eliot, Romain Roland etc to name a few.

Among the most celebrated scenes of the film 'Oppenheimer' the two are prominent; the bedroom scene and other, the detonation scene. In both, the father of the atomic bomb, J Robert Oppenheimer is seen quoting from the Bhagavad Gita. The same Bhagavad Gita, something in which the apostle of peace, aka the champion of nonviolence, Mahatma Gandhi is equally invested. He is in fact famous for commentary on it (The Gospel of Selfless Action or The Gita According to Gandhi, By Mahatma Gandhi, compilation of his 1926 discourses, published by Navajivan Publication House). The sacred Sanskrit language scripture, the Bhagavad Gita, unites an American scientist and an Indian lawyer! 

These both remarkable individuals did share exactly the same suspicion from their respective governments. The Government of America headed by president Harry Truman suspected Oppenheimer to be a communist and at worst, a suspected traitor who shared classified info. His disdain for the physicist becomes apparent when he not only calls him a “crybaby” but also instructs staff to keep him away from the White House. On their part, the British colonial government of India, headed by Queen Elizabeth II was deeply suspicious of Gandhi due his agenda for freedom of India. Her Prime Minister, Winston Churchill never hid his disdain for him. In a file related to reports on the Bengal Famine, he penned down his disappointment in his own handwriting, “Gandhi is still alive” dismissing that there was a famine, thus exhibiting guttural disdain for the Indian Freedom Fighter and utter disregard to 3 million Indians who died of starvation due to British administrative order that had created 1943 Bengal Famine, bearing a uniquely dubious distinction of being the only one known in history as the “man-made famine”. (Order of the British government to ship away 100% of all grains produced in the fertile lands of India, not leaving anything for Indians to eat. Churchill was so recklessly indifferent to crippling famine that when an Australian ship with relief supplies docked at Kolkata port, it was blatantly ordered not to unload and was diverted to Europe)

Besides suffering suspicion and hatred from their governments, they both also stand out together in suffering the very same rejections by the one very same organization, the Nobel Prize Foundation of Sweden and its member organizations that select Nobel laureates. The Physicist Oppenheimer was nominated 3 times for the Nobel, in 1945, 1951 and 1967 but was rejected every time. The Leader of the Non-Violent Freedom Struggle, Gandhi was nominated 5 times, in 1937, 1938, 1939, 1947 and in 1948 and rejected each time. (However, to be fair to the Nobel committee, much later in 1999, the Nobel Prize Organization did realize their error of judgment and published an apologetic admission under the title of “Mahatma Gandhi, the missing laureate” at:  https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/themes/mahatma-gandhi-the-missing-laureate/  )

Oppenheimer deployed atomic energy as a weapon. Mahatma Gandhi deployed the peace instinct of humans as a weapon. Stark opposites. That this unusual duo could still merge at several places does transform a true oxymoronic into a curious non-oxymoronic pair, with shared admirers and haters in equal measures and makes it a curious tale of two films. 

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Canadian First Nation Peoples, Gazing into Future, Paganism is Way Forward 4-Part Essay by Nilesh M Shukla

 Part 1 

The government of Canada has taken many steps to reassure and encourage communities of the First Nations. This has been widely acknowledged by the indigenous community. Any average Canadian, who may not be a member of the First Nations,is also sympathetic and happy to help out. This is indicative of a mature, emphatic and understanding society. It helps a violated and a disadvantaged community to feel wanted and move from despair to a future of hope, achievements and fulfilment. 

Indeed, some measures of hand holding, out-of-turn opportunities at education, employment, housing, business etc can and should be fine, until the First Nations gain enough confidence to feel that they no longer need. But in the long run, what seemed welcome at one stage has a potential to turn toxic and damaging. In the long run the handouts and freebies end up harming that very same community. However, going forward, The First Nations people would need to rediscover the unique life force that they once possessed before they were rudely disturbed upon arrival of not-so-friendly sailors, soldiers, settlers and merchants onboard modern ships from the other end of the Atlantic since the early sixteenth Century. 

The Canadian First Nations became the victims of the overseas settlers. A large number  of unsuspecting innocent First Nations people were mowed down by gunpowder and the rest were ‘eliminated’ using every other dark trick. Settlers proved to be insensitive and cruel exploiters. However what is different for the First Nations as compared to indigenous folks of  the world is that some of the Canadian indigenous communities have still survived somehow. In part, thanks to the European merchants who collaborated with them in harvesting fur and the lack of appetite of Europeans in acquiring the frozen inhospitable lands of Canada.

Therefore, the surviving First Nations could still tell us the tale that Vikings, Celts, Pagans, Heathens, Polytheists, Germanic Tribes etc in Europe could not. Those ancient Europeans had completely and totally perished along with their language, history, gods, rituals and culture. What has remained of them are some archaeological ruins in the form of Stonehenge, some artefacts in the museums and caricatured Santa Claus and Halloween. Probably the same fate awaited First Nations in Canada too. 

However, just when everything was about to be lost, the wheels of fortune turned and a few members of the First Nations could survive, albeit just a bit. As a consequence of general progress in transport, communications and education levels, the world over, and especially the renaissance in Europe gave birth to a whole new kind of thinking generation. They were liberal and open minded elites who did not share pride in an inherited aristocracy but in liberal art, culture and fresh thinking. This development saved some of the First Nations people.

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Part 2 

Come the nineteenth and twentieth century, some of the Europeans and Americans became a little disillusioned by what they saw happening in the name of religion in the churches around them. Apart from dogmatic dictates and the moral and financial corruption, they discovered the ugly history of systematic annihilation of Pagans, everywhere in the world. They saw how the innocent word ‘Pagan’ was made into a derogatory term and made to mean “Devil worshippers”. It was beyond them to reconcile the reverence for nature and for one's own ancestors with an evil term as “Devil-worship”. Europeans were cleverly gaslighting the divinity of paganism as devilishness. They soon discovered deceit and moral degradation of so-called ‘civilised’ under the cloak of their make-believe ‘love’ and ‘empathy’.  These modern men, whose conscience was stirred up, went ahead to discover roots and religions of the pagans. Many of those began their own churches with their own Pagan Gods, Deities, Symbols and rituals, taking cue from still-alive practices. This movement is still in a budding stage but surely, it has aroused a fresh thinking.

Not so much in the twentieth century, but currently in the twenty first century, these ‘new’ Pagan religions suddenly became more relevant as the world witnessed the consequences of thoughtless destruction and exploitation of nature, what is popularly known as “Global Warming” and “Climate Change”.

The First Nations of Canada, just like every other indigenous ancient people of the world, worshipped nature. The Rain, Shine, Spring, Sowing, Harvest, Forays into Seas, Solstices and Equinoxes were celebration times. The Earth, Lands, Mountains, Seas, Rivers, Ponds, Trees,Forests, Sun, Moon etc were respectfully considered their objects of reverence, they were gods, friends, brothers, sisters, mother or father. They spoke with respect to them and gratefully thanked them for the bounties they bestowed. The nature-deities responded kindly to them. So called shamans, interpreted them. Misuse of natural resources was immoral, an insult or a sin. 

The, Celts, Vikings, Germanic Pagans, Red Indians, Mayans, Incas, Slav Pagans, Russian Pagans, South-East-Asian Forest dwellers, etc. either disappeared completely or just barely survived, accepting what crumbs of bread were thrown to them by the conquerors and survived by submitting to them, even aping their tormentor’s customs and languages, hoping to garnish their reluctant sympathy. In Canada, the First Nations too were brutalised. It was beyond the trusting-type   innocent indigenous communities to even comprehend the minds of settlers who apparently had no mercy. It was physically impossible to defeat them using the elementary weaponry that they had. They were completely helpless.

They, who studied histories and anthropology of the First Nations in Canada wrote their impressions, some perhaps even inadvertently, with biases and languages that they had brought with them from Europe. Their biases and languages could not truely express the history, folklore, religious prayers and the spirituality behind invoking the nature-deities. However unfortunate as it is, we have to depend today on those ill-translated European-language “scholarly researched” documents and books. 

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Part 3 

Current anthropologies, histories, geographies and folklores concerning the Canadian First Nations have indeed been written after a painstaking study of still surviving as well as long dead First Nation communities. 

Notwithstanding its immense value, a keen reader with an analytical eye, would not miss that none is seriously appreciative of the life force that kept the community alive and kicking for centuries before the arrival of ‘civilised’ Europeans. In addition, due to limitations of their language and biases inherent to their cultural, their ‘scholarship’ has given rise to make-belief anthropology, poorly translated prayers, watered-down importance of what is otherwise a worship that treasures nature, promotes vital relationships between people, family-members, reinforces belongingness to nature etc. That the people can actually ‘listen’ to or ‘talk’ to lakes, rivers, seas, mountains, trees, fish, birds etc was just a silly joke to them. Communicating with ancestors is just some mumbo-jumbo to them. Everything related to Pagan is myth, their living experience as superstition or silly. 

As hardly any account is written from a perspective of a practising Pagan, the current literature has given rise to a twisted understanding of the indigenous culture. The potential benefit the world was to accrue from the First Nations is lost in ‘civilising’ them. In fact there are many things that the First Nations can teach us, the so-called ‘modern men’. That, if encouraged, the First Nations can be an influential, powerful ally in our current conundrum of fight against Climate Disasters, Forest Fires, Flash Floods and melting of Glaciers in the North, is but overlooked.

Most of the available literature on the Canadian First Nations gives a sense of utter despondency. Yes, it does arouse sympathy for loss suffered by the First Nations as a community but, significantly, it does not evoke the respect that they deserve as a nature-loving, nature-worshipping, sensitive civilization. In addition to the despondency filled literature, another set of literature has recently come up that celebrates success of some members of the First Nations, who could ‘succeed’ by aping the ways of erstwhile tormentors. Thus, in a nutshell, even the newer genre of books encourages abandoning ancestral practices. 

The blame-game is usually an exercise in futility and even counter-productive. Therefore, those who wish to uplift the community may look at interesting options. Studies of factors that help the healthy development of societies suggest what is needed by  the one who wants not only to survive, but meaningfully progress and be happy and fulfilled.

Generous handouts or obligatory-courtesy-job and education is certainly needed in the beginning, but that is half the solution. What is really needed is a sense of purpose, an objective, before that person, not just ‘an’ objective but a ‘glorious’ one. It can not be synthetic but should be something organically inherent to them.

Is there a grand objective for the First Nations even possible? 

 

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Part 4 

There does exist a glorious objective as natural as what water is to a fish, hidden in plain sight, that could transform the First Nations society and maintain their unique identity.

It is simple, natural and it works. Return to the roots. Reclaim that potent ancestral nature worship, lead the green movement and embrace that profoundly far-reaching Paganism. 

The First Nations could perhaps take a path which some European and American brethren have taken. They began to develop an understanding of nature-worship of forefathers and became proud inheritors of ancestral Paganism.

Like a Phoenix, the Canadian First Nations could rise to a live and kicking community shored up by clasping ancestral wisdom. Recently, the Prime Minister of Greece, Mr. Kyriakos Mitsotakis, was spotted coining the term for it, The “Ancestral Intelligence” during Raisina Dialogues, an international platform of discussions, mimicking a more popular term “Artificial Intelligence”. No mainstream thinkers have given any consideration to rebuilding the indigenous culture based on the fundamentals of the innate culture of indigenous people.

The First Nations community, standing on their own feet, proudly facing the modern world can become a major contributor to the multi-cultural society of Canada instead of getting remembered in the literature as random creators of totem-poles, Inukshuks and  perhaps in the museums across the world with their artefacts as pieces days of bygone cultures or as pieces of decoration on the fireplaces of the homes of wealthy.

The current religious thought prevalent among the majority population is sworn against “Paganism”. Head-wind can be anticipated from them while reclaiming paganism. But they can not be faulted as they were roped into Paganism-hating-clubs, well before they even learnt to walk. They take it as their religious duty to destroy paganism and to ‘save’ the people from going to ‘hell’ and enduring ‘suffering’. Same is true for “Loyalists” elks.

Pride in going back to basics, going back to nature, reverently worshipping nature and the ancestors, could make a positive contribution to the First Nations psychology and wellbeing and consequently to the Canadian Society as a whole. Anthropologists, and other specialists in the matter of First Nations have defined the problems and solutions of the indigenous communities by “their” lens, “their” bias and in “their” language. A relook is necessary to understand the First Nations through their indigenous Pagan lens.

While European neo-paganism followers had to create their own new ways of rituals, the First Nations of Canada are lucky that they still know some of their rituals and therefore it is easier for them to reclaim their heritage. Indeed they can exchange notes with American and European new Pagans, such as Heathenry, Asatru, Wicca, Feraferia, Odinic Rite, Nova Roma, etc.or other Pagans of Orient, the still active and alive Hindus, Zoarastrians, Kurds, Droids etc. Pagan cultures have found profound learning from Nature. Nature knows only to give. It does not take. It gives everyone, the Sun does not discriminate between people. My Gods, treat everyone equally. Let's show some reverence.

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Letter from Canada: Modi’s Temple Opening in Ayodhya. Why is it a big deal?

What India’s Modi did on 22th January 2024, was predictably flashed on Canadian TV Channels variously as “Opening of controversial Hindu temple” or as a vote-bank-promoting tool ahead of the upcoming general election “using the elaborate consecration ceremony to lobby the country's Hindu majority” etc. remarks. Other media, known for towing similar lines, BBC, NYT, WP, DW, AJ, etc too maintained their characteristic hostile stance. 

While all those observations are neither correct nor legit and at best misleading half truths, the reporters and journos could benefit themselves by considering what really it is that has resulted in unprecedented, unseen, frenzy around opening. There is something more at play. It is political but in a different sense. After opening, Modi announced from the podium: “the occasion marks the beginning of a new era”. Many share his sentiment across the globe. Besides political fallout for India and the world, it has opened a vast curiosity among thinkers and even the general public all over the world. Everyone has begun wondering as to what has triggered an excitement, almost a frenzy all around inside and outside India? More than 100 flights, 40 of them chartered, have landed in the morning that day in a sleepy and hardly known small town of India. Situated hundreds of kms away from cities like Delhi and Kolkata and thousand plus kms away from Bangalore, Chennai or Hyderabad, in the plains of agricultural rural land fed by Himalayan rivers. Ayodhya, where until just a few days ago hardly any flights flew or trains plied. As a matter of fact there have been times in the past when it was a taboo even to visit it. Whatever few pilgrims visited in those times, did it under a shadow of reprisal and arrest by local administration who took pride in having ordered shooting on unarmed devotees. The Supreme Court ruling in 2019 changed everything. 

The town of Ayodhya was not always a sleepy place but was, once, a prosperous thriving capital city of King Rama. After the court verdict, people are now full of hope that the restored temple will once again bring back the happiness of Rama Rajya. 

On 22nd January 2022, when the city woke up from sleep, they witnessed the presence amongst them of about 7,000 VVIP guests invited by the temple Trust, a non-gov body. Everyone who matters in India, who are leaders in their own fields, be it business, politics, finance, religion, scientists, philosophy, art, theatre, music, media etc. were present to witness the opening. Learned men had calculated from the celestial movements of stars and planets that a slot of 84 seconds beginning 12:29:03 pm.was the most suitable time period for that important event. Besides those who were invited by the Trust, there were other visitors, estimated at 250,000. VVIPs. The tycoons, celebrities, faith leaders, politicians were seen rubbing shoulders on the streets or on the Saryu Riverfront of Ayodhya with ordinary folks. Entire funding, temple decorations and food expenses were met through crowdfunding through donations. Tradition was set by Mahatma Gandhi by his categoric edict that no government funding should be provided for building temples and that crowdfunding route only can be used for that purpose. Mahatma in his foresight had spelled out that restriction when rebuilding of Somanath Temple was discussed during the early years of independence. 

Excitement was not limited to Ayodhya city alone but was palpable even 12,000 kM away in Canada and its many temples. So also was in many cities of 100 other countries that are home to a significant ethnically Indian population notwithstanding the fact that they have no or negligible skin in the outcomes of Indian election or economy. And still, somehow they found it important enough to arrange live streaming of the telecast of the Ayodhya function. Besides temples, the ceremony was shown live at hundreds of locations including the one on a large screen in the Times Square of New York. On various other TV channels, Live interviews of many Europeans, Americans, Australians etc who were clearly not of Indian ethnicity, were expressing excitement and happiness. A few American Rabbis too seemed extremely enthusiastic and excited with the rebuilding of the temple on the site that marked the birth place of legendary King Rama, considered an Avatar of Bhagavan Vishnu. 

Temple was originally a room in the Palace of Rama’s mother Kaushalya Mata. That is where she delivered the baby Rama. Millenia ago a monumental temple was constructed there, housing a murti (idol) of baby-Rama and was continuously maintained there by subsequent societies for subsequent thousands of years till 1528. 

Global community, perhaps, finds it intriguing. What on earth is in the opening of that temple?? How can a temple excite billions of Indians and others, after all it is just a temple? And there are thousands more scattered around, so what is the big deal? 

Well, there are a few important reasons. Bhagavan Rama epitomises good governance and personal purity. The ideas and SOP for governance conveyed through text “Ramayana” are legendary and far more advanced than what we consider as modern democracy or justice system. The justice and fairplay of Rama excites everyone because that's what one wants to see in their own societies. On the other hand, the lofty ideas of Rama’s governance excite the thinkers of the world who are grappling with the solution to discontent, fear, poverty and greed prevalent in their societies. This must be the main cause behind the intense excitement. 

In our modern society, the relationship between haves and have-nots derives its laws and SOP framework out of an exploiter-exploited rights-based paradigm, while in the Rama Rajya, the same is derived from supporter-supported responsibility paradigm. In the former, your need becomes my opportunity but in later your need becomes my duty. In the former, one fights for taking rights and in the later one fights to take responsibility. This is what tickled Mahatma Gandhi and he craved Rama Rajya for the Independent India as soon as she attained frredom from the British rule.

The sage-author Valmiki, can be interpreted to be saying in ‘preface’ of the Ramayana text, that armed and powerful use weapons to kill weaponless and powerless when he sights the famous episode of bird-hunter. This story is the backdrop of Ramayana to illustrate oppressor-oppressed relationships and Ramayana shows the way how humans could change it to the sustainer-sustained or nourisher-nourished relationship between them where powerful consider it their duty to save powerless. Valmiki thought of haves and have-nots, thousands of years before Karl Marx and today's liberals. Rama Rajya's solution was based on Dharma (Duty) and not on rights. Therefore Rama ended up uniting diverse societies while Marx et al have inadvertently excelled in breaking up of united societies. 

Ramayana can help the West understand why India is an inherently democratic, inherently secular and inherently plural without having succumbed to pitfalls of societal diversity arising out of religions, languages and economic status. It is a great learning tool for the nations who seem to be failing at experiments of celebrating diversity in their countries. In the Western model, the solution to diversity at best is “Tolerance of All” but Rama’s Governance model is starkly different, it is “Acceptance of All”. Intellectuals understand what a stark difference is between the two mindsets. If Modi said in Ayodhya after the temple opening that Rama is for everybody and Rama is the spirit of India, it makes perfect sense. Of late, many career coaches and management institutes have adopted Ramayana as their teaching source material for effective administration and ethical management. 

A despotic marauder descended on the fertile Himalayan plains, Ignorant of Rama’s value and with a view to terrorise, rob and dominate the inhabitants of Ayodhya, sacked the Rama-Birth-Temple. His name was Zahir-ud-din Muhammad Babar, also simply known as Babar. He returned to his homeland and died there, however he successfully established a dynasty that ruled India till the Maratha dynasty displaced them. Then came the British who defeated Maratha and governed India till 1947. 

Since 1528, for exactly 496 years Indians of every generation have been struggling to worship once again at the home of baby-Rama. Only they who struggled really understand what it is to participate in the opening of Rama-Birth temple. 

Some may be excited due to the sense of having avenged wrong done or on recovery of ancient grandeur of Rama-Birth-Temple or feel of the sense of relief or for successful culmination of sacrifices made by Rama devotees. All are valid reasons but mainly the import of this excitement lies in the sense everyone feels of a belongingness to a lofty ideal of a society where everyone is happily living under a just and fair administration run by a loving ruler. Everyone naturally craves to live in a society that treats them fairly. The constitution and governance SOP for that kind of an ideal state is termed as “Rama Rajya”. While the term is known from time immemorial, in recent times “Rama Rajya” became a popular term during India’s non-violent independence struggle when the great leader, Mahatma Gandhi began using it as a synonym of good governance. 

Ram-Rajya after having perfected a system of fair, just and open governance, had successfully and continuously delivered it for more than a thousand years. Traditional historians do not find the claim to be historical but consider it a piece of rich literature woven around the mythical Ikshavaku Dynasty. That is fine because according to them civilization dawned just about 4-5,000 years ago. Of course, several Western historians are now finding holes in that theory with the newer archaeological evidence pushing history back several more thousands of years. Even if Ramayana is a myth, the governance concept described in the text of Sage Valmiki, in the epic Ramayana is enticing to say the least. It is so alluring and intellectually fulfilling that thinkers get carried away. As per the ancients, the Ramayana is a historical text, a chronicle of events in the territory of Ayodhya during a long period identified as “Treta Yuga”. The Ramayana text describes history, politics, governance principles, administration, taxation, education system, health care for humans, animals and birds, family values, society and lives of citizens of Ayodhya. chariots, horses, sharp weapons and wars. That its population was prosperous and happy, citizen wore fragrances, wore silk, used gold and silver ornaments, spoke in a rich and articulate language, women were brave and men were strong, no one died ahead of his time, they died in the same sequence as of their birth, later born never died before the former born. The description of the city of Ayodhya is breathtakingly charming. Indians had continuously for thousands of years remained in peace and prosperity using the constitutional framework of the brave King Rama who never ever in his life deviated from righteousness or made exceptions to rules or indulged into favouritism. He fondly came to be known as “Maryada Purushottam”. This expression for King Rama translates as he who is a “great person who stays within the set bounds of morality never transgressing it (even if possible by law or military power or money)” His dynasty is famously known as the promise-keepers, “Raghukul Reet Sadaa Chali Aayee, Praan Jaaya Per Vachan Na Jaay”. Translated: “Way of Rama’s dynasty is to keep the promise even if that meant inviting death to keep the promise” 

Who can resist craving for belongingness to such a ruler or his kind of governance? That is the secret of unlimited charm and attraction Rama and Rama Rajya have stored for its citizens. His governance idea and ethical behaviour is legendary and above petty politics. 

How I wish the journalists and correspondence of the media I referred to in the first para could find some time to reflect upon the governance ideas laid out in the Ramayana. Even if one was to leave alone the governance and if they were to just enjoy the rich literature, they woild be thrilled.

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Hindus, Reach Out To Everyone, Start With Hindus. Message from 2023 Bangkok World Hindu Congress

At the World Hindu Congress* 2023, Bangkok, organised between 24-26 Nov, the theme of the event was “Jayasya Aayatanam Dharmah”. (जयस्य आयतनं धर्मः). Elaborating on the theme, in his opening, the RSS Chief Shri. Mohan Bhagawat, simplified it as “Hindus, reach out to everyone in the spirit of service by winning everyone’s hearts. Aim of the Hindus is “Work for everyone’s benefit and for everyone’s happiness, बहु जन हिताय, बहु जन सुखाय” This is the Hindu Dharma View. The world hopes this becomes the world view. It can happen if the Hindus take it to the world, first to every pocket of Hindus, those we have not yet reached to, they may even be in far corners, in forests or forgotten in the far away countries. It is our ordained “national task” because it is sanctified in the Hindu scriptures from the prehistoric times as: “World is one family, वसुधैव कुटुंबकम” and “Make the people of the world righteous-noble-honourable, कृण्वन्तो विश्वमार्यम्”. And, it is our obligation to execute these two Dharmic civilizational directives as our duty. He made a point that all religions and the thought processes of the entire world have one common theme, “How to behave?”. In India that is Bharat, referring to the ancient literatures, he repeated the virtues defined in the Chapter 16th of the Bhagavad Gita as what is “Dharma Behaviour” in Hindu view: The Fearlessness अभयम्, Pure mind सत्त्वसंशुद्धिः, Knowledge ज्ञान, Resoluteness at task योगव्यवस्थितिः, Charity दानम्, Control over five senses दमः, Sacrifice यज्ञः, Study of self स्वाध्यायः, Austerity तपः, Simplicity आर्जवम्, Non-violence अहिंसा, Truthfulness सत्यम्, Absence of anger अक्रोधः, Renunciation त्यागः, Peacefulness शान्तिः, Restraint from un-required fault-finding of others अपैशुनम्, Compassion for living दया, Absence of covetousness अलोलुप्त्वम्, Gentleness मार्दवं, Modesty ह्रीः, Non-fickleness अचापलम्, Vigor तेजः, Forgiveness क्षमा, Fortitude धृतिः, Cleanliness शौचम, Non-Enmity अद्रोहः and Non-Vanity नातिमानिता. Dharmic Behaviour has no place for Anger, Hatred, Lust and Foul speech. He further elaborated on Dharmic Behaviour referring to a Tamil Classic “The Tirukkural” as that also says: No Anger, No Hatred, No Lust, No Envy and No Ego. The real problem is विकार-Corrupted desires and Ignorance. Hence the outreach. Birth of our society, the Hindu society, is for this grand purpose. World expects this from us. Bharat will provide guidance. We live to create happiness for all. Our nation is born through the austerities- तपः of Rishis since before the ‘history’ began. All the pre-Abrahamic so-called “Pagan” practices were similar in spirit. They had the same quality everywhere. The theme of 2023 World Hindu Conference, जयस्य आयतनं धर्मः guides us to “Glory by expanding (reaching) Dharma” and for that, Hindus, Reach out to everyone, start with reaching out to every Hindu on the earth. Apart from above many distinguished speakers from various countries and diverse fields took to the stage and delivered inspiring and informative speeches. What attracted the attention of many was a message from the Prime Minister of Thailand, Shri. Srettha Thavisin. As he was unable to attend in person, his message was read out on stage from the dais: “World is struggling with turmoil in current times. Hinduism is a religion of principles and values. Inspiration should be taken from religion, truth, tolerance and harmony. Peace can be established only through Hindu Values”. ____ World Hindu Congress* 2023 was the third since its inception. It assembles once every four years with predominant Hindu thought leaders of the world. The World Hindu Congress (WHC) is a global platform for Hindus to connect, share ideas, inspire one another, and impact the common good. Interactive sessions offer space to deliberate the challenges and opportunities facing Hindu communities across the globe, and seek tangible solutions for the progress and prosperity of Hindus and the betterment of humanity and the world. World Hindu Congress is organised by the World Hindu Foundation (WHF). ---- ---- ---- ----

Chess Federation Silver for R Praggnanandhaa. Chess is Chaturang

International Chess Federation Silver for R Praggnanandhaa. Chess is Chaturang Today, a bright young 18 year old boy from India, GrandMaster Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa has won Silver at the International Chess Championship* and earlier, GrandMaster Vishwanath Anand had won Gold in the year 2000 at this Championship. Therefore, this is perhaps an appropriate time to reflect on our heritage-link with this sport.

💡Chess, just like Yoga, is essentially a gift of the Ancient Indian knowledge system to mankind. Everyone knows this, globally all chess organisations admit this and Google also says so! Now India has to work on projecting chess and repositioning it as a costless tool to sharpen intellectual prowess, something like a kind of Intellectual Yoga or “BrainYoga”. Also let us remember not to confuse this grand intellectual game with chance games of dice. Chess is not a game of chances but it is a war-game of strategic thinking, planning and executing an attack on an enemy.

Chess is another evidence of ancient India’s cultural current, softly and gracefully flowing throughout the globe, just like Yoga does. Contributing to the intellectual elevation of the human potential at almost no cost, no commitment and no demand. In that way, chess parallels Yoga. Yoga contributes to humanity by elevating health and wellness at no cost, no commitment and no demand.

It is no secret that what was once a very commonly played game in India has lost that place, albeit, due to very legitimate reasons. Finding peaceful leisurely time for this sport was nearly impossible during the centuries of assaults and oppressions of colonisers. Now that the tide has turned in favour, independent India is slowly finding its feet, it is the right time to work on India’s assets, intangible and tangible.

In most Indian languages, such as Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi, Bengali, Urdu etc, the game of chess is known by its Arabaised pronunciation,“Shatranj”. However, it was not so before the foreigners colonised India. Wherever the Indic civilisation existed, from the Far-East to South Asia, chess was known by the original name “CHATURANG - चतुरंग”. In Tamil language and many other Asian languages such as Burmese, Bahasa Indonesia etc. it is still Chaturang, expressed as ‘Chaturnkam’ in Tamil or similar meaning in their local languages.

The word ‘Chaturang’ carries a meaning. When applied to an army, Chaturang means ‘a strong full-fledged army consisting of all “4-Elements”. Namely, 1- foot-soldiers, 2- elephant mounted soldiers, 3- cavalrymen riding camels and 4- cavalrymen riding horses’. The army is led in the game by a King and Chief of the Army. Chaturang has almost the same set of rules as those used in Chess today, however the titles of the pieces on the chequered board are not the same. The Indian Chaturang pieces were secular soldiers but modern international chess today has religiously anointed soldier pieces such as Knights and Bishops.

Chaturang came to be known as Shatranj in many languages in Asia and by names such as échecs, ajedrez, schach, xadrez, check, shakhmaty, or chess in Europe. While Shatranj is merely Arabised** pronunciation of the Indian word Chaturang, the European name connects it to the word ‘Shah’, as the game of Kings/Rulers. In the Islamic ruler dominated regions such as India/Persia etc, the ruler was known as ‘Shah’ or ‘Shehanshah’. Eventually Chaturang took various local customised forms of ‘Shah’ in Spain, Portugal, France, Britain, Germany, Russia, England etc European countries and even in China.

Persian, Nepali, Sinhala languages etc and all the modern Indian languages such as Hindi, Gujarati, Urdu, Marathi, Bengali etc had no alphabetical or larynx deficiency, they being members of the Indo-European Language group, with roots in Sanskrit, were fully capable of proper pronunciation of every syllable of ‘Chaturang’ but had ironically began adopting the “ruler-friendly vocabulary” ‘Shatranj’ for the game of Chaturang.

Thus, most of the current names for chess do not capture the essence of the game as brilliantly as the original name “CHATURANG” that alludes to the spirit of the game, The Battle. This leaves a possibility 💡 that the world might welcome a more relevant name such as Chaturang in the future. Perhaps it can begin by making a positive narrative about it first in India, taking care not to waste away the goodwill of the game even though obtained by use of any other name. 💡 Let’s project Chess on the global stage as an ancient Indian game of Chaturang on the lines of Yoga for health and Chaturang for Brain Enhancement. Maybe India can host the FIDE office in India. Maybe India can begin with encouragement schemes, awards, incentives, coaching centres for Chess players in state capitals etc. and build on the potential that exists in the talented young generation of India.

* Esterix References/Additional Details: Chess Championship*: The International Chess Federation, well known by its French language acronym FIDE, is based in Switzerland. Chess Championship 2000: India’s first international success at the championships came in 2000, when Viswanathan Anand won the Gold. Chess Championship 2023: Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa now won the Silver at the FIDE World Cup in 2023. Arabised** Arabs always replace ‘च - Ch' with ‘شوِِ‘ - ‘Sh’ or ‘س’-, ‘S’ simply because Arabic alphabets does not have any syllable equivalent to ‘च - Ch'. (We are aware that in Arabic, the Chai is Shy, China is Sin, Chocolate is Shockolate, etc. Secondly, Arabic alphabets ‘G’-‘ग’, ‘GH’-’घ’, and ‘J’-’ज’, have certain freedom of transpositioning resulting in tribe-wise/country-wise pronunciation differences. (We know that Gamal is occasionally Jamal, Sharga is Sharjah, Gabriel is Jibriel, etc). This led to Chaturang coming to be pronounced as ‘Shatranj’ and the original word began its life in the Islam dominated parts of the globe with Arab, Turkic or Mongol rulers in the mediaeval time as a new spoken word, “Shatranj” - ”شطرنج” (in Arabic).