Monday 24 March 2014

The culture concoction

Earlier this year during Chinese New Year celebrations, much to my surprise, a visit to one of the neighbourhood Chinese temples opened a new chapter in my life's understanding.
 

 
The temple on the eve of the Chinese New Year celebrations
 
While I was in India mingling with Chinese was not much of an option. The monthly visits to salons would get you to hire services comprising of mostly north-east Indians whose features were Chinese look-alike. Chinese take away was in name only. In India Chinatown in the eastern state of Kolkata was once home to tens of thousands of ethnic Chinese working in a nearby tannery but the population have now dropped to few thousands. 
 
So it was rather inquisitiveness compounded by the presence of a proportionate Chinese demography in the city which I presently call my 'home'  I decided to visit a popular Chinese temple on the auspicious evening of 2014 - the Chinese Year of the Horse.

The temple, sitting on top of a hill and dedicated to goddess Thean Hou (The Heavenly Mother), is a religious and philosophical conglomeration of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism reflected in the temple architecture and activity. It was well lit throughout festooned with red hanging Chinese lanterns and its posts and pillars sheathed in red. Monks continuously chanted Buddhist hymns. The ambience created - joss sticks and colourful candles burning, tiny little red paper flags blowing in the mild wind, fresh fruits offered to the gods, children and adults dressed in red milling in the crowd, artefacts sold and road side lunch wagons doing brisk business  - was reinvigorating to the senses.

Not only people of Chinese origin but also other nationalities visited the temple on the New Year eve. A good confluence of culture and enthusiasm ascended the temple premises.

The land of China is fortified to such an extreme that the whole world is overtly interested in finding out what is happening on the other side of the Great Wall. Evidently we believe people from the land of China to be so. What I found here was a festival much like ours - city folks, dressed in their best attire, accompanied by family and friends - paying reverence to god. I am not religious, however, the thriving fealty made me  happy to follow in the footsteps of the human chain offering candles and joss sticks and even donation to the temple fund. I was guided by temple usherette to the rituals, its history and architecture.

The temple premises carpeted in red hanging lanterns

The multitude of mankind weaving a tapestry is an exquisite bodhi I wholeheartedly embraced - so peaceful and rich in colour. The essence of spirituality was so deep in the air that evening I was simply bowled over by the gracefulness of a race, floating in tandem, with whom a mere association raises many eyebrows back home.

What force helps us to bind together on such occasions? In wilderness wild flowers growing unkempt emanates a strong heady smell that draws many a butterflies, birds and bears. They all love the pollen of the flowering plants. Does majority affect our thoughts and tribulations? Or is it something in the evening hill air or the rhythmic chants? Is life a celebration of itself latent somewhere deep within our reflexes exuding warmth and harmony unobserved?

A festival is always an interesting soiree. Bonhomie of rich heritage and architecture, flavours and fireworks, history and habitats, arts and intensely hued performances all bear a compelling testimony to vintage 'time'. An age-old tradition does not transcend period unless there is a connect with  community and engagement. The transcultural diffusion, practised as tangible and intangible heritage, acts as a catalyst educating and enlightening generations.

“Without culture, and the relative freedom it implies, society, even when perfect, is but a jungle. This is why any authentic creation is a gift to the future.” - Albert Camus. To me on that enchanting evening the place was magical and the people, even after bitterness among the neighbouring nations, were friendly. The wisdom of physical bonding permeates our limitless thoughts opening windows to nurture and nourish. Indeed a great way to celebrate culture - toast to that!  

No comments:

Post a Comment