The Life Cycle--Birth Through Marriage
This small image was carved (and then carefully outlined in red ) on an exterior temple wall in Almora town. Hindu culture affirms sexuality as an important element in human life; the family is the foundational social unit, and thus marital sexuality an essential element in the pursuit of dharma (religious duty). Yet Hindus also affirm kama ("desire," and especially sexual desire) as a legitimate human goal, which is to be pursued and enjoyed in its own right.
Birth and death are biological events; birth and death rituals are religious and cultural events. Rishaan (in white) had his namakaran ("name-giving") ceremony at four months, performed by the family priest (in red). The priest chanted from memory for at least two hours, pausing every now and then to direct the parents to make various offerings, and concluded with a second round of chanting around a sacred fire in the courtyard.
This is my "niece" Vashudha (1989). Her head had just been completely shaved her mundan ("tonsure"), the final Hindu childbirth ceremony. . Hindus consider all bodily fluids impure--which connotes no moral lapse, but merely contamination--and since most Indian babies are born with hair, the infant's hair is seen as retaining residual childbirth impurity (from the birth fluids) which mundan removes. Since this hair is connected with the child's birth, "some people" believe it can be used to work black magic against the child; even though her parents claimed not to believe such things, the shorn hair was nevertheless scrupulously gathered and disposed of.
Here is Vasudha with her mother and her daughter, who was born in late 2022, taken at the daughter's namakaran ceremony in early March 2023. One of the blessings of being old and having gone to India for a long time is the opportunity to know families over generations.
A "coming-of-age" ceremony for some young men is the "second birth" in which they are invested with a sacred thread as a sign of their adult status. At the ceremony's climax the priest (here speaking under a cloth for secrecy) whispers the Gayatri Mantra into the boy's right ear, which he should repeat during his morning and evening worship from that day. The mantra itself is well-known, but this aural ritual transmission is believed to present it an "activated" form with greater power. Brahmins tend to care the most deeply for this rite, since it upholds their position of prestige in the traditional social system.
For a boy the sacred thread ceremony is a pivotal moment in his life, second in importance only to his wedding, and thus all precautions are taken to ensure its success. It will be celebrated on an astrologically auspicious date and time, with protective rituals beforehand. Here he is getting a turmeric bath from his married female relatives. The dotted head cloth was worn by his aunts during their weddings, so in anointing him they are transferring their auspicious energy as happily married women to him--not to mention showing their communal support, and having some light-hearted fun too! This same protective ritual is done for a bride and a groom before their wedding.
This is a barat, the procession of a groom's (male) friends and relatives that conveys him to the wedding venue. They are usually led by a brass band, with frenzied dancing in the streets--a public celebration of joy. Here groom is dressed like a prince--most commonly riding a white mare--with his dancing companions his royal retinue The young relative riding behind him is another protective strategy, here to to absorb any potential bad luck arising from the "evil eye" (caused by envy at the groom's good fortune). Since the groom is at a pivotal moment in his life he is seen as far more vulnerable to such evil forces, whereas his young relative can absorb them with no danger.
Here's an updated version of the white mare--a garlanded car. It is also a more practical transport option for the Himalayas, where this picture was taken, since the bride's village could be 20 miles away. Many Indian marriages are still arranged, though the bride and groom are usually consulted on the matter; brides are traditionally married "out" of the village and reside with the their husband's family. Indians in general consider families the foundation of society, and one's marriage--which continues an established family as well as creating a new one--is one of the most important events in one's life.
Here the bride and groom have exchanged garlands. a pivotal wedding moment. Her red sari, glass bangles, and hennaed hands are traditionally bridal attire, as is his turban (princely imagery). Indian marriages unite families as well as people, and many are still arranged by the families. The groom's parents began by taking out a matrimonial ad, but when none of the 80 respondents were deemed satisfactory, a family friend contacted them regarding her granddaughter. They readily agreed, since the families had known each other for generations. There was no dowry as a condition for the marriage (though there were plenty of gifts).
Every society has its evils, and in India the custom of dowry (wealth transfer from the bride's family to the groom's at marriage) creates all sorts of abusive possibilities. Here a social reformer named Shri Nath carries anti-dowry signs in an unrelated religious procession.
The yellow overhead sign identifies dowry as a social evil, but the signs around his neck are far more pointed--the lower says that giving or taking dowry is a great sin, and the upper one calls those who take it "dogs."
Hardwar, March 1998.