ANIMALS TOO HAVE PSYCHIC PROBLEMS

One can easily walk along a strip on the road, barely a foot wide. If it is a bridge,of the same width, over a deep river, few people will dare to attempt it. The fear of losing our balance, will keep us back from the attempt. This is psychic problem.

We are not aware of it. But we are always weighing the consequences, even while answering a casual question or when we come across an unfamiliar animal or a poisonous snake or just when surrounded by darkness.

Instinctive fear of the unknown, is common among all of us except some brave men.

What about animals?

Most animals are afraid of fire. Elephants are cautious, even when they see a shallow ditch. Normally they are fearless.

Some cows become nervous when they see us, while others come threatening to charge us. I have seen cows tied to a narrow V-shaped bamboo contraption, for being served by a bull. Otherwise, they will run away, on seeing the bull, being shy like a girl.

A butcher had tied two buffaloes, each facing the other. He first killed one of them. Realizing that next is its turn, the other animal broke the strong rope and ran away as fast as it could!

Of course, the butcher ran after it and caught it.

I feel that the animals somehow feel uneasy, when they are brought to the butchery.

In the open grass land in Rajasthan, once I saw a number of cows gathered round a dead cow, as we do, when one of us is dead.

Such instances are too common to be retold. It shows that there is no difference between man and animal.

All living things have sufficient intelligence and feelings, as is required for its survival!

Nowadays in Keralam, artificial insemination of cows is the practice. A cow never sees its mate. Will it not cause psychological problems for them?

JALIANWALLA BAGH

BAISHAKHI

Baishakhi is an important festival of Punnjabis.

Those were the days of revolt and terrorism against British rule in the whole of North India, especially Punjab, under militant local leaders . Col. Dyer, the commander of the military unit in Punjab wanted to put an end to anarchy and chose Baishakhi, on the thirteenth of April every year, to teach a lesson to all Indians. There was a meeting at Jalianwalla Bagh and he ordered his machine guns to be placed at suitable positions and started firing at random to kill maximum number of innocent people, who had come to attend the meeting. There is only one exit point from the maidan (open ground) and the people ran here and there and many died in the stampede; many jumped into a well and died. Dyer became a hero to the British subjects who raised money to defend him.

Punjab became quiet. Armed uprising against the rulers is most common throughout history. The State too indulge in terrorism to suppress the revolt. Ireland won independence through a series of uprisings and was always antagonistic to the Crown.

We are witnessing a repetition of history here today.

GODS AND GODDESSES ARE ENJOYING DAILY BATH IN THE OPEN PONDS

I am now observing the pattern of ten aarattu (dip in ponds and rivers) of various Devis and Gods, during the pooram festival season.

In order to understand it, you should know their routine life.

Every morning, the poojary bathes the idol in water and then in milk. This is known as abhishek. In Tamilnadu, abhishek in various other media like a mixture of honey, plantain, etc. are also common. Shiva is fond of abhishek with tender coconut water. He is always hot and abhishek is the best way to please Him.

After the morning bath, they are fed. This is pooja. In Keralam, red rice (unpolished) is common. Milk pudding, appam, ada etc. are also offered. The pooja is done at noon and  in the evening also.

When free, gods give darshan (audience) to the devotees.

During ten days of festival season, the deity is taken out by the poojary, and paraded outside the temple on the back of the elephant, in surrounding villages. Any family can offer a large measure of paddy, filled in a para (a measuring vessel made of wood, cylindrical in shape, which was in use during feudal days), in the court yard or on the road itself, purified by smearing cow dung and in front of the lighted oil lamp. This is a good source of income and is now carried in a small truck or cart.

Normally the image is fixed to a semicircular wooden plank, decorated with brass pieces, plated with gold and the poojary has to hold it during the sojourn, sometimes for hours together (even six to ten hours, as the deity cannot be placed anywhere except in a temple). He can drink water, but how does he piss? I put this question to a tantry who said they have to hold it all the while.

At some point during the journey, the villagers arrange pooram. During pooram, the elephant carrying the deity, will be in the centre, with equal number of elephants on either side, so that the total number will remain odd. There will be drum beating for about three hours and fire works in the end.

After that, the deity will be bathed by the poojary in the open, either in a pond or in a river, when all devotees, irrespective of caste, are allowed to dip in the water, at the same time as the poojary dips himself, along with the deity. For this purpose, a small one is used, as the original image is permanently installed in the sanctum of the temple. This mass bathing is called aarattu.

When a pooja is done outside the temple, it is called irakipooja. Only a few families are allowed to do this. During irakipooja, the poojary can refresh himself.

Ammathiruvady (Mahalakshmi of Oorakam ) has only one irakipooja, at my ancestral home, the day before Arattupuzha pooram, this time on 28-3-1o