because of limited access to Internet in this small village where we are staying, further posts will come once we return home. We have many more photos, videos, music, and musings, to post.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
heading for Attakul Pongala festival
long time no posts...! We have been sticking to our required rest during our Ayurvedic treatments for the last several weeks, and so, no running around to cyber-cafes, etc.
Now we are preparing to head south to Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala, for the annual women's sacred festival of "Attakul Pongala", to be celebrated on Feb. 19th. We will be joining my teacher Prof. Dianne Jenett, whose doctoral thesis was centered on Attakul Pongala; she will meet us there and with her and several others (including Pranita, from my Graduate cohort at ITP --Institute of Transpersonal Pyschology, California). Together we will participate in the ritual of cooking "pongal" or sweet rice pudding, in honor of the goddess. There is a nice blog about this ritual: http://attukalpongala.blogspot.com
We will be in the company of around 3 MILLION other women, as this has become one of the largest gathering of women together in one place on earth! in short (from the blog) :
Last year more than 30 lakh women participated in the Attukal Pongala festival. It has also entered the Guinness Book of World Records twice as the largest gathering of women in the world.
Now we are preparing to head south to Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala, for the annual women's sacred festival of "Attakul Pongala", to be celebrated on Feb. 19th. We will be joining my teacher Prof. Dianne Jenett, whose doctoral thesis was centered on Attakul Pongala; she will meet us there and with her and several others (including Pranita, from my Graduate cohort at ITP --Institute of Transpersonal Pyschology, California). Together we will participate in the ritual of cooking "pongal" or sweet rice pudding, in honor of the goddess. There is a nice blog about this ritual: http://attukalpongala.blogspot.com
We will be in the company of around 3 MILLION other women, as this has become one of the largest gathering of women together in one place on earth! in short (from the blog) :
ATTUKAL PONGALA
Attukal Pongala is an annual congregation of women to offer Pongala - an offering of boiled rice in earthern pot - during the Malayalam month of Kumbham (February-March). Attukal Pongala has become a symbol of devotion and dedication to Devi, the Mother goddess and above all a celebration of womanhood. Pongala explores the inner chemistry of the body, mind and soul; recharging the devotee with a sublime happiness and make her spiritually and mentally equipped to face the challenges of the future.Last year more than 30 lakh women participated in the Attukal Pongala festival. It has also entered the Guinness Book of World Records twice as the largest gathering of women in the world.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Kathakali performance in Trissur, near Krishna Temple: the story of the woodcutter who dug a tunnel for the Pandavas to escape from
This actor/dancer (unfortunately did not get his name) performed a powerful and also hilarious version of the woodcutter who digs a tunnel and encounters numerous animals and stinging bugs along the way in the forest.
Oils, bitter herbs and other delights of Ayurvedic treatment
Guggulu Tiktakam Kashayam, Guggulu Tiktakam Ghritam, Dasamoola Hareetaki, Yogaraja Guggulu, Balarishtam....these are just a few of our prescribed Ayurvedic herbal preparations which we must consume 3-4 times per day, before meals, and beginning at 6 am in the morning. "Tik-tak-tam"....I like the sound of these Kerala Ayurvedic medicines! On the other hand, the taste ranges from extremely bitter to barely palatable.
But Assunta and I are savoring our daily treatments (we are now into day 4) at the Kerala Ayurveda Samajam Shoranur : http://www.samajam.org/ It may or may not be the world's first Ayurveda Center (not sure about that claim), but it is definitely rooted in a deep tradition, and has much to offer--tho it definitely does not cater to foreigners in any way; methods are very basic and traditional, without any effort to appeal to aesthetics. This is a hospital, and treatments are matter-of-fact.
That said, I look forward to my daily slathering, melting, molding, drenching oil bath and massage, with two young women on either side of me, in rhythmic unison, sliding their palms up and down my legs, arms and torso, massaging at times more deeply, at other times gently. In-between the actual massaging, the just-perfectly heated dark brown oil is poured repeatedly over every part of my body (head excepted, in this case), enveloping me like a baby in a womb-like liquid universe.
I am lying on a heavy ancient-looking wooden bench-cum-boat-like 'table'. The oil drips down off my body and is caught by the raised sides of the table, where it is gathered and regathered by another woman at the foot of the table, to be re-heated, and reapplied, repeatedly, for one hour. This is abhyanga. I will have seven days of this, followed by further treatments, to be determined.
Assunta is having similar but different treatments, some of which involve the application of a special paste to the body, and oil massage of the head. Our treatments were determined by the head doctor of Samajam, who met with us for a preliminary consultation, talked with us individually, quite at length, and took our pulse.
During the treatments we are meant to rest alot and not run around. Our food should be without oil or spices, quite simple. Luckily our cook Lakshmi is familiar with these treatments, and is a master at making us wonderful and simple Kerala food (like steamed plantains for breakfast, aviyal --a yogurt-based vegetable dish with rice- for lunch, and steamed rice cakes, or idli, for supper.)
The heavy oil massages make one feel very relaxed and sleepy, so its pretty easy to just decide not to do too much. (my one indulgence is staying in town after massage to post on the blog--the other indulgence was taking a bus to Trissur the other night to see a fantastic Kathakali performance! ** see photos in another post)
We are grateful to be here, and to be experiencing these treatments....
more follows....
But Assunta and I are savoring our daily treatments (we are now into day 4) at the Kerala Ayurveda Samajam Shoranur : http://www.samajam.org/ It may or may not be the world's first Ayurveda Center (not sure about that claim), but it is definitely rooted in a deep tradition, and has much to offer--tho it definitely does not cater to foreigners in any way; methods are very basic and traditional, without any effort to appeal to aesthetics. This is a hospital, and treatments are matter-of-fact.
That said, I look forward to my daily slathering, melting, molding, drenching oil bath and massage, with two young women on either side of me, in rhythmic unison, sliding their palms up and down my legs, arms and torso, massaging at times more deeply, at other times gently. In-between the actual massaging, the just-perfectly heated dark brown oil is poured repeatedly over every part of my body (head excepted, in this case), enveloping me like a baby in a womb-like liquid universe.
I am lying on a heavy ancient-looking wooden bench-cum-boat-like 'table'. The oil drips down off my body and is caught by the raised sides of the table, where it is gathered and regathered by another woman at the foot of the table, to be re-heated, and reapplied, repeatedly, for one hour. This is abhyanga. I will have seven days of this, followed by further treatments, to be determined.
Assunta is having similar but different treatments, some of which involve the application of a special paste to the body, and oil massage of the head. Our treatments were determined by the head doctor of Samajam, who met with us for a preliminary consultation, talked with us individually, quite at length, and took our pulse.
During the treatments we are meant to rest alot and not run around. Our food should be without oil or spices, quite simple. Luckily our cook Lakshmi is familiar with these treatments, and is a master at making us wonderful and simple Kerala food (like steamed plantains for breakfast, aviyal --a yogurt-based vegetable dish with rice- for lunch, and steamed rice cakes, or idli, for supper.)
The heavy oil massages make one feel very relaxed and sleepy, so its pretty easy to just decide not to do too much. (my one indulgence is staying in town after massage to post on the blog--the other indulgence was taking a bus to Trissur the other night to see a fantastic Kathakali performance! ** see photos in another post)
We are grateful to be here, and to be experiencing these treatments....
more follows....
Kolam festival and competition, Chennai, near Kapileshwar temple, Mylapore. Early January 2011.
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kolam
This is an artform practiced by women on a daily basis in front of their homes (in a more simple form). It is considered auspicious to bless the house daily in this way,and continues to be practiced throughout South India and parts of North India.
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