Go with/against wind

I had a wish to write in the blog since a year. But could not do it and I just kept on postponing. The reason is, idea flows in my mind to write stays for only few minutes, sounds funny but true. It initially started when I saw Rang De Basanti(The blockbuster movie of this year) the moment I came out of the theatre I told my friend "This movie really inspired me and I will write about it in my blog...and its almost a year after release and I am still thinking about writing :-)

But this time, more interestingly another thing inspired me and in fact made me to sit and write before the feeling of writing evaporated from me. The thing that inspired me may sound a bit weird for our generation people, but that is a truth. Ok, let me not keep you guessing as what it could be, It is WALKING ON HOT CHARCOAL (In my mother tongue its called Kenda Seve).

Before elaborating on the matter let me tell u about myself. I am a kind of person who takes life as it comes, or goes along with the direction of wind. So positive thing about me is accept and adapt to reality early and negative thing is never takes risk by going against :-)

In my country India, whose culture is marked by a high degree of syncretism* ; it has managed to preserve established traditions whilst absorbing new customs, traditions, and ideas from invaders and immigrants. Ironically, current situation is absorbing more of western culture even though they are not invading us! And as I said earlier, the old tradition still exists. Me, who is a CD (Confused Desi) not able follow either of them, as both are like north and south pole, and I feel, I am standing on equator!! The things from both cultures, which need to be followed according my dear ones (from different generations) are, boozing and walking on hot charcoal, two extreme things ah!! Boozing for today’s generation is not a big thing, irrespective of gender. Similarly, walking on hot charcoal is not a big thing for our older generation. In boozing as the experienced say, initially it tastes bitter but later you start enjoying. On walking on hot charcoal the experienced say it will not burn your feet, as god will protect you.

Walking on charcoal is a tradition where in a woman serves her prayer to God. It starts after you get married. Newly wedded bride should keep the fast for whole day and in the night at temple she should walk on hot charcoal!!!!

Basically I am software engineer who sit in front of a computer in my country and access the server (computer) in another country to work for a client in yet another country. In this tech-savvy-era when I first heard that I am supposed to do this, I felt "am I in which era??” When I was a kid, I had seen people walking on charcoal, but nobody told me that one day I should also do that and it is a tradition that is there since ages. I am supposed to do it next month and as the days are getting near by I am getting nervous!!! Now the question in my mind is...should I go with OR against the direction of wind?????


*Syncretism is the attempt to reconcile disparate, even opposing, beliefs and to meld practices of various schools of thought