| The festival of Hoyi is observed on the eighth day (ashtami) of the Kartik month of the Hindu calendar. The festival is observed mainly in North India. Mothers observe fast for the well being of their kids. |
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| How is it celebrated Traditionally the fast is kept for sons only. Mothers don’t eat or drink anything the whole day. In the evening around sunset, they dress up in auspicious colors like red, pink, yellow and green and prepare a pooja thali. Thali contains a small clay lamp, Roli, rice, 14 Poode (a sweet made of wheat flour and sugar), a gift for mother in law and a small pitcher with water. The Hindu Swastika is drawn on the pitcher with the help of the Roli paste. The sacred thread, Kalava is tied around the pitcher and around Hoyi Devi (with the help of the soft insides of a Pooda). A few seasonal vegetables and fruits are kept in front of Hoyi, like radish, water chestnut etc. Fourteen Poode are prepared and kept in the thali and the lamp is lit. They take a couple of Poodas in the hand and then listen to the Hoyi story (see below) in front of the Hoyi picture. The story can be told by anyone in the family or they can recite it themselves. Once the story is finished, the Roli paste and the water is sprinkled around the pooja thali three times. If their mother in law is around, they touch their feet and give them the gift and the Poode. The gift and Poode together are also called Bayana. Then they go out and see a star, sprinkle Roli paste and poode pieces towards the star three times and pray for their sons to become as glorious as the stars. Then the pitcher water is offered to the star and the fast is broken with pakka khana (Puri/Kachori and a couple of curries). |
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| Philosophy In olden days, men were the sole bread winner of the household, so most of the fasts were to pray for their well being. In the modern times, women play equally important role in the family, so now mothers should not differentiate between the sons and the daughters and pray for both. It’s interesting to note that on Karva Chauth women break their fast after seeing the moon and on Hoyi they break their fast after seeing a star. The reason is that moon is only one, just like a husband and kids may be many, just like the stars. |
| The Story Once upon a time, there lived a woman in a village. She had seven sons. One day she went to the forest to bring soil for the renovation and painting of her home on the eighth day of the month of kartik just before the Hindu festival Deepawali. She started digging the soil and wounded the children of the worms in the soil unknowingly. The woman felt bad but couldn’t do anything and came back with the soil. |
| As time passed by, all her seven sons died within a year. She was devastated. One day she narrated her woes to the old ladies in her village and they suggested that the woman should pray to the Ahoyi Devi by sketching the face of the worm. So the next Kartik Ashtami, the woman kept the fast of Ahoyi Devi and prayed for her to return her sons. Devi was happy and brought her sons back to life. Since then, all mothers started praying to Ahoyi Mata for the well being of their sons on the Ashtami of the Kartik Month. |
Hoyi (Ahoyi Ashtami)
Written By: Ruchi
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Oct•
27•13
The Rooh Afza Story
Written By: Ruchi
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Oct•
24•13
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This is a funny story from a long time ago. I moved to Delhi after I got married. It was summer time. My husband’s 2 younger brothers used to live with him at that time. These guys used to drink tea in the evening. I on the other hand was used to drinking something cold. I was also a little shy so I didn’t ask these guys to get me my favorite orange squash bottle. I looked around in the kitchen and found a Rooh Afza bottle. At that time, I used to hate Rooh Afza because I found it to be too sweet but ‘marti kya na karti’ I thought at least I can have something cold. So I started drinking Rooh Afza. |
| The routine continued for a few days and the bottle was almost empty. I thought that when it finishes, we will go and get an orange squash bottle because by now these guys were well aware that I like cold drinks. I was patiently waiting for it to finish when something unexpected happened. One day my husband came back from the office and handed me a new bottle of Rooh Afza. He noticed that the bottle was almost over so he bought another one before it got over. I was speechless. I did not know what to do, be happy that my husband is so caring or be upset that now I have to drink that same stupid thing for another month or so? |
| I couldn’t bear the thought of drinking another bottle of Rooh Afza so I told him that I absolutely hated it. He was surprised but understood when I explained. Anyways, we went back and exchanged it for an orange squash bottle. It was soooooo funny. |
Dussehra
Written By: Ruchi
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Oct•
15•13
| Dussehra is one of the most important festivals celebrated in India. Dussehra is derived from the Sanskrit words Dasha and Hara, meaning remover of the bad fate. This day is celebrated as the victory of Lord Rama over the demon king Ravana. Dussehra is also known as Vijay Dashmi, which means victory on the tenth day. In Bengal this day marks the victory of Goddess Durga over the demons. |
| When Dussehra is celebrated on the tenth day of the Hindu autumn lunar month of Ashvin, which falls in September or October of the Western calendar. The first nine days are celebrated as Sharad Navratri meaning nine nights that culminate on the tenth day as Dussehra. |
| How is it celebrated Following items are needed for the Dussehra pooja: Rice kheer, lauki raita, two rotis, water chetnuts, radish, sugarcane, cow dung, sweets, a notebook, a small bowl of steamed rice, a handful of wheat grains, barley saplings, an earthen lamp with ghee, kalava and incense sticks. On the first day of Sharad Navratri, barley seeds are sown and watered every day except on the eighth day. By Dussehra the seeds grow in 6 inch saplings. |
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| Ten small balls of cow dung are made. One can even use the dry balls by making them in advance and drying them in sun for a few days. |
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| On Dussehra, all the preparations are done after taking bath and without eating anything. A caricature of devi is made with wheat flour in east west direction. The cow dung balls are kept in two columns on the side if devi caricature. Some new seasonal vegetables like water chestnuts, radish and sugarcane are kept in the middle of these two rows. In a big plate barley saplings are kept along with roli, dry rice, work instruments and sweets. Kheer is poured in 10 small bowls and kept next to the cow dung balls. In a separate plate two rotis, steamed rice and lauki raita are kept to be given away. A small bowl of water is also kept on the side. |
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| Incense sticks are lit along with earthen lamp. Satiya is made on the bowl of water with the help of roli and water. Kalava is tied on everybody’s wrist. Head of the family writes down the date and with whom they are celebrating Dussehra. They also write down the prices of some common day to day items in the notebook, whatever is applicable to them. Then the barley saplings are kept on the notebook and roli mixed with water is sprinkled on the notebook and the cow dung balls. |
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| Sisters do Tilak to their brothers with roli and rice. They also put barley saplings on one of the ears of their brothers. Then everyone eats the kheer and the sweets. |
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| In the evening the effigy of demon king Ravana is burnt in public places, which signifies burning the ten vices. |
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| Significance Dussehra is the victory of the soul over 10 vices – kaam (any kind of desire), krodh (anger), lobh (greed), moh (attachment), ahankara (ego), irshaya (jealousy), dwesh (revenge), chal (lying), hath (stubbornness) and aalasya (laziness). In the beginning of the Dwapar Yug, when the state of the souls was declining, authors wrote the stories of Lord Rama winning over demon king Ravana, where Ravana had ten heads. Ravana means the 10 vices, each head symbolizing one vice. Sita means the soul, captivated by Ravana (vices). Rama means God or the Supreme Soul, who kills Ravana (vices) and frees Sita (the soul) by hurting the naval of Ravana (the body consciousness). So Dussehra tells us to worship the Supreme Soul and become soul conscious to win over our vices and to free up the soul. |
| Dussehra is also the celebration of the onset of the new season. In olden times, most of the people used to be farmers so sowing the barley seeds and seeing the strength of the saplings was the test of the quality of seeds for the coming season. Traders noted down the prices of the day to day items to see the market trends year over year. Other workers worshiped their instruments because those instruments were the source of the bread and butter for their family. |
| Knowing all this, it is up to the individuals to decide exactly how they want to follow these customs in today’s context. |
My 1 year report card
Written By: Ruchi
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Sep•
03•13
| It’s been a year that we moved back to India and here are how things stand (in the decreasing order of importance): |
| Health |  |
I fall sick more often |
| Family |  |
Have rest of the family but miss Tushar |
| Job |  |
Exciting |
| Fun Activities | |
Delhi is a happening place |
| Weather | |
Nothing can beat bay area weather |
| Time For Yourself | |
Too busy |
| Infrastructure | |
Very frustrating |
Rakshabandhan
Written By: Ruchi
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Aug•
21•13
| Raksha Bandhan is a celebration of the affection between brothers and sisters. Sisters tie the silk thread called Rakhi on their brothers’ wrists and pray for their well being and brothers promise to take care of their sisters. |
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| When
The festival falls on the Shravan Purnima, which generally falls in the month of August. |
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| Significance
Raksha means protection and Bandhan means bond. On this auspicious day, brothers make a promise to their sisters to protect them from all harms and troubles and the sisters pray to God to protect their brothers from all evil. |
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| Rituals
It is customary to draw religious figures on the walls of the homes and worship them with offerings of vermilion and Seviyan. |
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| Seviyan |
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| Sisters apply tilak on their brothers’ forehead using roli and rice. |
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| Then they tie the auspicious Rakhi thread on their brothers’ wrists and pray for their happiness and long lives. Sisters also offer sweets to their brothers. |
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| Brothers promise their sisters to protect them from every hardship of their lives and show their affection and thankfulness for their love. Sisters are pampered with Rakhi gifts. The gifts can be anything like dress, jewelry, soft toys or even cash. If brothers-sisters stay away from each other, the sisters send Rakhi to brothers by mail and brothers tie it on their wrists on the Raksha Bandhan day. |
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| Philosophy
In olden days, the Brahmins used to go to each house and tie Rakhi thread on everyone’s wrist – men or women. This symbolized the bond with Supreme Soul (Parmatma) to get his protection. Once a person has a bond with the Supreme Soul, he asks the person to vow for purity in thoughts, words and actions. Purity means becoming soul conscious, meaning treating everyone as a pure soul. Once people are soul conscious, they have no ego, so nothing hurts them, which means they are protected from everything. As people became body conscious, brothers started taking responsibility of the physical well being of their sisters, which is what we see in the modern world. |
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