Reenita's Wisdom

Today is Narak Chaturdasi or Choti Dipawali, the second day of Diwali that falls on the fourteenth day of Krishna Paksh.Today is all about killing your inner demons with the power of light.

It is also about remembering our ancestors. According to Hindu mythology our ancestors expect something from us today even though they might have left us years ago. If they did not play their Karma game right, our ancestors might not have reached the doors of Heaven just yet. Since, light helps us see the path to God, we can help them in their journey by placing a row of diyas or clay lamps outside the entrance to our homes tonight.

My kids look forward to lighting the token 21 diyas tonight, 7 for our prayer altar and 14 to be strategically placed at doors and windows.

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Diwali, India’s Festival of Light – A Story For Kids on National Geographic Kids

I am convinced that Dhanteras might be the best thing about Diwali. Think about it…what a great excuse to go shopping. Not that I need an excuse to go shopping, but in this economy, I need definitely need an excuse to go shopping at Williams-Sonoma.

What is Dhanteras?

For those of you who do not know already, Dhanteras marks the first day of the Diwali celebrations. Dhan means money or wealth in Hindi and Teras signifies the thirteenth day of the Krishna Paksh, the dark aspect of the Lunar Month Kartik.

People worship Laxmi, the Goddess of Wealth on Dhanteras. The story goes that if you purchase valuable products like ornaments, gemstones, and metal household products then you are effectively bringing Lakshmi or wealth into your home. So the year following will bring prosperity to your home and your life. The Indian business community always celebrates Dhanteras by purchasing something valuable which can be kept throughout the year.

A Celebration of Dhanwantari

Dhanteras also celebrates Dhanwantari, the Ayurvedic Physician of the Gods. legend tells us that on this day, Dhanwantari emerged from Lord Vishnu’s Samudra Manthan or churning of the ocean with a pot of life-giving nectar. Like many of my South Indian friends, my personal celebration includes having the customary Ayurveda Abhyanga Snana treatment on this day. My kids thoroughly enjoy getting into the bathtub to smear themselves with fragrant oils and sandalwood. To them the notion of ’spring cleaning’ themselves to prepare for the arrival of Lakshmi has become an essential Diwali custom.

Related Stories:

Diwali, India’s Festival of Light – A Story For Kids on National Geographic Kids

Diwali, or Dipawali, is India’s biggest and most important holiday of the year. The festival gets its name from the row (avali) of clay lamps (or deepa) that Indians light outside their homes to symbolize the inner light that protects us from spiritual darkness. This festival is as important to Hindus as the Christmas holiday is to Christians.

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Story excerpted from Kids.NationalGeographic.Com

Image Credit: www.trekearth.com

Bringing kids to an understanding of prayer and spirituality has got to be one of the more difficult aspects of parenting. As a Hindu living outside of India, I find myself particularly challenged in this area.

Learning Religion Through Osmosis

Growing up in Bombay, religion was ‘learned’ through osmosis. The mere fact that it happened around me on a day to day basis led me to accept what others later defined as ‘religious abnormalities,’ such as the family pundit (the priest)’s quick response to personal calls on his cell phone in the midst of a puja ceremony. As far as I was concerned, religion was always in plentiful supply, with more festivals and holidays than one could ever keep track of. So I figured it was okay to cut the pundit some slack. He had a pretty busy job, after all. Besides, he and I had a tacit agreement — as long as I showed up from time to time, I had full flexibility to take as much (or as little) as I wanted to out of whatever was being offered up that month.

Raising Hindu Kids in the West

Raising Hindu kids in the West is a whole different ballgame. I find myself preparing spiritual lesson-plans for my kids in much the same manner that a professor might prepare to teach a university level course. The end result of this is that the children analyze God down to a tee, asking questions that makes me as parent really grapple for the right (read politically correct) answers:
“Mummy, if Parshuram wields an axe, Krishna a discus, and they are both considered to be incarnations of Lord Vishnu, then why do people say that God is not violent? How come it’s okay for Draupadi to have five husbands and King Dashratha to have three wives? If Lord Ganesha can have a mouse with him everywhere he goes, then why do we get pest control every few months?”

The Gods are our Super Heroes

Thanks to a recent stream of animated movies that bring to light practically every aspect of Hindu mythology my kids have become obsessed with religion. My son Arya, especially has become such an ardent follower of the pantheon of Hindu Gods (in his eyes they are superheroes just like Batman and the Power Rangers), so much so that his daily habits are increasingly influenced by the values that God stands for. Arya will seize a bow and arrow at every given opportunity, because he wants to be prepared to destroy any evil that might come his way. That too with a single bow, like Rama the epic hero of the Ramayana. And at dinnertime, he will re-arrange everyone’s forks to face down into the plate. According to him it’s rude to point the stabbing ends of your fork to God!

I was particularly struck by a conversation that I overheard him having with a friend during a recent play date. Given that we were about to leave for dinner in a nearby restaurant, I asked the boys to go to the toilet. “Neale!’ came Arya’s earnest voice from the bathroom. “I am trying so hard but absolutely nothing is coming out.”
“Don’t worry Arya,” answered Neale reassuringly. “Just focus your mind and pray to Lord Ganesha. He will remove all obstacles that come in the way of your doing potty!” (For those of you who do not know this already Lord Ganesha is considered to be the remover of obstacles).

It turns out that I was not the only eavesdropping on the conversation. My inquisitive daughter rolled her eyes in her usual know-it-all way, expounding Ayurvedic wisdom that always makes me swell with pride yet shudder at the thought of a self created Mini Me. “The fact that he is constipated, means that his tummy is filled with dry wind,” she retorted. “Ganesha can’t fix that stuff, he should focus on Hanuman instead. He’s the one Super Hero who can after all fly faster than the wind, so if anyone can beat wind issues, Hanuman can!”