© 2024 Carol Cassara. All rights reserved. All content on the site is subject to intellectual property rights, contractual or other protection. The intellectual property rights are owned by Carol A. Cassara. No content may be copied, distributed, republished, uploaded, posted or transmitted in any way except with Carol A. Cassara’s express written consent. Permission is granted to send content via email for personal, non-commercial use as long as credit and a link to this website are given. Modification or use of the materials for any other purpose or in any other manner may violate intellectual property rights.
Website Design by BlueTower Technical Inc.
Hinduism is one of the richest, story laden religions on earth. I tried, in my conceptual Western mind, to make Krisha’s story a linear one, but it is not possible, and I learned to understand Vishnu and his offspring, one must flow like a river and spill down waterways deep with symbolism, letting it take you where it will.The breadth of deities and stories could not possibly be absorbed in a months time, or maybe even my lifetime. Some of my best memories of my trip took place on a mountain top, where we made a pre-dawn pilgrimage ascending 6000 marble steps( it was harder descending!) to a sprawling temple, intricately carved and containing hundreds of what westerners would call “saints”. People came from all over the country to pray for favors, leaving behind offering of marigolds, rose petals, mosaics of rice, tangerines and coins. Although monetarily poor ( the deities are bejewels with rubies, emeralds, diamonds, sapphires and never desecrated), a Hindi life brims over with riches beyond compare.
We saw saw some very primitive, by our standards, burials when we were there. BOdies set to fire with remains, ashes mostly returned to a river head. Family then goes in – yes – into the river and recovers rings, gold from teeth or other valuable effects. There were wild monkeys everywhere and we watched as one terrorized a young girls while what appeared to be her father and maybe an uncle foraged for ‘remind.’ It was beyond fascinating. There were the equivalent of shaman everywhere performing rites and rituals.
Fascinating!
I remember studying that pre-dating Christianity, there are Zoroastrian stories about the virgin birth, the son of God, and resurrection. I think there are theories that Zoroastrianism kind of ties together the pantheistic Hindusim with the monotheistic Judaism and Christianity.
And I also think I remember that Freddie Mercury of Queen was Zoroastrian and that you can hear its influence in Bohemian Rhapsody (I believe “bismillah” is an Arabic phrase, though).