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Newasa - Encountering an unique form of Vishnu, and Sant Jnaneshwar

The year was 1290 . A crowd had gathered around a clearing, where broken down pillars marked the presence of an ancient temple, now long gone. A young boy, just 14 years old, leaned against one of those pillars, deep in thought. Then, he began speaking, and the crowd fell silent, listening to his every word. He spoke without any notes, translating the Bhagavat Gita, from Sanskrit, which only the pundits knew, to the language everyone in the village knew and spoke – a variety of Prakrit which developed into the Marathi language. Even as he spoke, one of the men in the audience realized how momentous this event was, and how important this composition would be. He began writing down the words the young boy spoke, and this composition was named by its author and composer, the Bhavartha Deepika – the enlightening meaning (of the Bhagavat Gita). Now, the ancient, holy text, was no longer restricted to the pundits, but accessible to all, understood easily by them, composed as it was, in their...
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Faces in the Crowd - Women carrying firewood

She is a common sight across the country, cutting and carrying firewood home...



Dressed in a sari, the pallu tucked into the waistband, she carries the load with ease. It is mostly women who are seen carrying loads - water, wood, sometimes all the household goods, on their heads. Ever wondered why the man, who is supposed to be stronger, never does so? I wonder, if it even occurs to them to tell the menfolk to do the fetching and the carrying.! 

No matter what their reasons, I can not but help admire them - they carry such loads, and walk such long distances, in the harshest of weather, while I, travelling in the comfort of a car or bus, succumb to swelling ankles and aches, with the least bit of walking. I wish I had their resilience! 
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Comments

  1. MridulaSeptember 29, 2013 at 7:17 PM

    What to say Anu? Some practices are so ingrained and without education no change seems possible. I wonder if even education would bring about some change?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarOctober 4, 2013 at 2:05 PM

      Education seems to be our only hope,but as of now, even that doesnt seem to reach them. i wonder if it ever will

      Delete
  2. IndraniSeptember 29, 2013 at 8:40 PM

    Load on head affects the body adversely and they are unaware of it, unfortunately!

    ReplyDelete

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