Christmas 2006
Happy Christmas everyone! It has definitely not been a very typical Christmas for me. The Christmas celebration was supposed to begin with a trip to Neeraj’s parents’ place in Lodhardaga (a town about 2 hours NW of Ranchi) on Dec 23. However, we were delayed by a day and a half because of the illness of Puna (2 yrs), from which I’m pleased to say he has now recovered and is back to his active self! Since I am just learning a few Hindi words these days, Puna has been the best teacher as he repeats key words over and over and over again. The two new words that I learned this Christmas were ‘panee’= water and ‘hagu’= poop! I guess when you are not feeling well, these words come in handy!
We did arrive in Neeraj’s hometown before the Christmas Eve service. The Ekka’s have a huge house (complex) where Neeraj’s 4 brothers, a sister, and several of their families all stayed along with his parents and the 6 of us! The picture is of his bro, mom and dad, kids, and a couple nieces). It was decorated so nicely and the first thing to do was to buy fireworks to begin the festivities. Other than that, Christmas Eve itself was not as big of a deal as was Christmas Day. We were quite late to the service and the weather was very cool, so everyone’s fancy clothes were covered by jackets shawls and blankets. The pastor was also new in that church, so he dismissed everyone with the blessing before they could actually do all the singing they usually do on Christmas Eve.
However, Christmas Day was the exciting time. Neeraj preached at the service and Nijhar, Maani, and I sang Joy to the World. Nijhar translated the sermon, so I got something out of it, and the singing that had been missed the previous night happened that day. After the service, drums and dancing continued f
or quite some time outside. This is also a day for visiting friends and family nearby. We got to see how elaborate the decorations had become for the occasion in several Christian homes in the area. Even late at night, we were awakened by the youth coming to the house and dancing and singing with the drums just inside the gate. I cannot tell you how incredible I think this caroling tradition is here. I experienced it also in Hyderabad, and although each region and church probably does it differently, I would love to see it happen in some form in the U.S. too.
The 26th was spent
mostly with Neeraj’s nephews and nieces as we visited their farmland. There is a small pond there and several vegetables being grown there. We enjoyed picking pea pods and playing in the water which was being pumped from the pond into one of the vegetable plots (see photo). It was a beautiful day and I not only soaked up some sun, but also the whole environment – watching women carry large piles of hay on their heads, and the cows and goats feeding on the dried up paddy fields. After that, we also went to a river bank where we saw fisherman catch small fish in their nets. It was a communal process and provided much entertainment!
Before I go on with the events of the week, I should tell you that Nijhar and Neeraj have been back here in their home are for just over a year after living in the States for quite some time. They are quite proud of their tribal heritage (which is extremely low status by Indian standards) and thrilled to share with an ever eager Sara about their traditions and culture. Sometimes they are amazed at the changes which have taken place in the time they’ve been away, and other times, they get to share traditions that have remained strong. They are wonderful interpreters and know my interest in this area very well. Tribal communities are very unique, and I was able to appreciate their special hospitality in a very meaningful way because of Nijhar and Neeraj.
We drove even further into the countryside on the 27th to attend a wedding celebration. It was so peaceful and beautiful and I learned my next Hindi word, "jungle" which is synonymous with ‘forest’ for me. I would have been content to enjoy the scenery around me on the drive to Gumla, but it was even more special to take part in the wonderful traditions of the
wedding. In particular, I enjoyed the welcoming of the groom and his family at the bride’s house, the foot washing, the mahindi (henna design on my hand - see photo of my hand and Maani's too), the blessing with mango leaves and water, the great food, the singing and dancing, and the gifts brought to the couple. I can’t go into too much detail, but it was an event filled with meaningful traditions in which the whole community felt a part.
I need to take a moment to highlight the importance music continues to make in my understanding of culture and just cultural expression in general. I actually have wondered if I should look into Ethnomusicology a little more… but for now, it’s just something I’m noticing. In both the caroling and in the wedding dance, I saw teens who would be so shy to speak individually come alive and sing at the top of their lungs during the celebration. I have seen people singing their joys or their woes as they walk down the street – just as an expression of their lived experience, and I also saw one of the circular platforms that evidently is present in most tribal communities here – where anyone can just bring their drum, start playing, and soon many of the villagers will join him/her for a spontaneous time of dancing and singing. I certainly enjoyed taking part in the wedding dance, where boys and girls join hands and form a circle around the drummers as they enjoy the moment together. I imagined my friend Robin at this wedding dance, drumming away and looking as natural and as out of place as me as I danced and sang in that setting!
Now, we are back in Ranchi, settling into life here. I am appreciating the ease of being with old friends who know me well, with language and food familiarity, and even a place where I can walk (or jog if the stray dogs don’t get too worked up and start barking at me). Wishing you all a fun New Year’s celebration!
-Sara
We did arrive in Neeraj’s hometown before the Christmas Eve service. The Ekka’s have a huge house (complex) where Neeraj’s 4 brothers, a sister, and several of their families all stayed along with his parents and the 6 of us! The picture is of his bro, mom and dad, kids, and a couple nieces). It was decorated so nicely and the first thing to do was to buy fireworks to begin the festivities. Other than that, Christmas Eve itself was not as big of a deal as was Christmas Day. We were quite late to the service and the weather was very cool, so everyone’s fancy clothes were covered by jackets shawls and blankets. The pastor was also new in that church, so he dismissed everyone with the blessing before they could actually do all the singing they usually do on Christmas Eve.
However, Christmas Day was the exciting time. Neeraj preached at the service and Nijhar, Maani, and I sang Joy to the World. Nijhar translated the sermon, so I got something out of it, and the singing that had been missed the previous night happened that day. After the service, drums and dancing continued f
or quite some time outside. This is also a day for visiting friends and family nearby. We got to see how elaborate the decorations had become for the occasion in several Christian homes in the area. Even late at night, we were awakened by the youth coming to the house and dancing and singing with the drums just inside the gate. I cannot tell you how incredible I think this caroling tradition is here. I experienced it also in Hyderabad, and although each region and church probably does it differently, I would love to see it happen in some form in the U.S. too.The 26th was spent
mostly with Neeraj’s nephews and nieces as we visited their farmland. There is a small pond there and several vegetables being grown there. We enjoyed picking pea pods and playing in the water which was being pumped from the pond into one of the vegetable plots (see photo). It was a beautiful day and I not only soaked up some sun, but also the whole environment – watching women carry large piles of hay on their heads, and the cows and goats feeding on the dried up paddy fields. After that, we also went to a river bank where we saw fisherman catch small fish in their nets. It was a communal process and provided much entertainment!Before I go on with the events of the week, I should tell you that Nijhar and Neeraj have been back here in their home are for just over a year after living in the States for quite some time. They are quite proud of their tribal heritage (which is extremely low status by Indian standards) and thrilled to share with an ever eager Sara about their traditions and culture. Sometimes they are amazed at the changes which have taken place in the time they’ve been away, and other times, they get to share traditions that have remained strong. They are wonderful interpreters and know my interest in this area very well. Tribal communities are very unique, and I was able to appreciate their special hospitality in a very meaningful way because of Nijhar and Neeraj.
We drove even further into the countryside on the 27th to attend a wedding celebration. It was so peaceful and beautiful and I learned my next Hindi word, "jungle" which is synonymous with ‘forest’ for me. I would have been content to enjoy the scenery around me on the drive to Gumla, but it was even more special to take part in the wonderful traditions of the
wedding. In particular, I enjoyed the welcoming of the groom and his family at the bride’s house, the foot washing, the mahindi (henna design on my hand - see photo of my hand and Maani's too), the blessing with mango leaves and water, the great food, the singing and dancing, and the gifts brought to the couple. I can’t go into too much detail, but it was an event filled with meaningful traditions in which the whole community felt a part.I need to take a moment to highlight the importance music continues to make in my understanding of culture and just cultural expression in general. I actually have wondered if I should look into Ethnomusicology a little more… but for now, it’s just something I’m noticing. In both the caroling and in the wedding dance, I saw teens who would be so shy to speak individually come alive and sing at the top of their lungs during the celebration. I have seen people singing their joys or their woes as they walk down the street – just as an expression of their lived experience, and I also saw one of the circular platforms that evidently is present in most tribal communities here – where anyone can just bring their drum, start playing, and soon many of the villagers will join him/her for a spontaneous time of dancing and singing. I certainly enjoyed taking part in the wedding dance, where boys and girls join hands and form a circle around the drummers as they enjoy the moment together. I imagined my friend Robin at this wedding dance, drumming away and looking as natural and as out of place as me as I danced and sang in that setting!
Now, we are back in Ranchi, settling into life here. I am appreciating the ease of being with old friends who know me well, with language and food familiarity, and even a place where I can walk (or jog if the stray dogs don’t get too worked up and start barking at me). Wishing you all a fun New Year’s celebration!
-Sara
posted by Namasday | 11:55 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home