Alters & shrines adorned with flowers, incense, and other offerings are everywhere. It’s like the impromptu memorials we create along the roadside for loved ones, but much more elaborate, permanent, and in this case, dedicated to deities. This one in our hotel, honors Krishna, the embodiment of divine love & joy, destroyer of all pain & sins. Krishna is the main hero in the epic, Bhagavad Gita.
Here are three examples of the plethora of Hindi G@ds. Brahma, the g@d of creation contains the entire cosmos, reminding us that the cycle of birth and death is constant and ceaseless. Vishnu, depicted with four arms, preserves and sustains life, adhering to principles, order, righteousness, and truth. They encourages his devotees to show kindness and compassion to all creatures. In a trinity with Brahma and Vishnu, is Shiva, with a serpent around their neck, representing Kundalini life energy while eliminating physical and spiritual negativity.
I could define many others, but as fate would have it, we are in Jaipur, Rajasthan as women celebrate the reunion of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati in the Teej Festival. At the temple, we witnessed women dressed in vibrant traditional attire, singing folk songs, praying for the long life of their husbands and husbands-to-be. I think this is the closest I will get to Shekinah in this experience, of course, with the exception of being with the women doing handwork!! Steve’s photos of Teej:
As many shrines as we saw, there are many more cows prevalent everywhere on the streets. They are referred to as “Gau Mata,” Mother Cow. Reverence for cows is rooted in ancient texts and traditions as symbols of nourishment, purity, and kindness, reflecting the Hindu principle of non-violence and respect for all living beings. Hindu traditions believe that 33 crore (330 million) deities reside within a cow. They provide milk as a vital source of nutrition and they play a significant role in agriculture, plowing the fields and producing natural fertilizer. Cows are always offered the first roti in the morning, acknowledging their importance. (Separately, Black Dogs are given the last roti at night to ward off the evil spirits.) Steve’s cow pics:
BubbeWisdom 