Namaste!
May our minds meet.
I bow to you.
If you think this is one tradition that only Indians follow, let me add that every press launch that I go to has some or the other foreigner beginning his address with a Namaste. Even while walking on Oxford street in London I have often met strangers direct a Namaste towards me. By the way, even waving is traditionally a friendly way of grabbing attention, acknowledging, or even parting the world over.
‘How about someone showing the middle finger?’ asked a friend once. I told him that even this is a universally understood traditional gesture of every emotion between disgust and rejection. Traditions aren’t always supposed to be chromosomally gentlemen, if I may say so. They can be funny, may trigger anger, and could simply pass by unnoticed.
Traditions are woven intrinsically with culture, religion, and local perceptions.
When we travel we discover new traditions.
Traditions are forever evolving.
Traditions are constantly disappearing.
Just as we have the tradition of throwing both wet and dry colour during Holi, people in Poland and Ukraine have ?migus-dyngus as their own Easter Monday for literally blasting each other with water. Songkran is the Thai water festival on their new year that is on 13 April and they have effectively converted it into an event that people from the world over come to see, participate, and enjoy.
New Year can be a boisterous tradition in some countries but in the UK people leave a coin outside their door at night and pick it up the next morning. To them this coin symbolises prosperity throughout the year. Bali celebrates Nyepi which means a 24 hour period of silence with no fires being lit, no travel, and definitely no talking.
For us in India the concept of a joint family is a tradition and not something that is unwillingly thrust upon us. This is probably what brings in a calm and cohesive life together. Fasting, we all know is another tradition in our country. Of course, we have plenty of days for vrats or upvas and have a choice of going along with our selection. This is one tradition that strengthens resolve within us besides awakening a feeling of gratitude for the good things that life comes with. We also have the Holy Ganga and our Holy Cow with their own set of stories and relevance.
Visiting a place of worship is a tradition that comes with its own benefits. I read somewhere that most temples are designed to be along magnetic lines of the earth to help positive energy converge. If you know this, you will also know that under the main idol is buried a copper plate and it is called the garbhagriha… and this also has everything to do with energy being spread far and wide. These are traditions that those build temples and other places of worship simply to usurp public land do not bother about… and so we are living in times when energy levels are abysmally low. India is full of ancient traditions hidden in symbols. The swastika is an example that represents the four constellations and the four vedas. But traditions are going for a six. Just look at what advertisement has done to atithi devo bhava and you’ll know what I mean. Even the swastika has become nothing better than a mere tattoo for selfies to be shared on Instagram. Anyway, this isn’t the point that I’m trying to make. What I am saying is that traditions need to be understood and read about and maybe given a contemporary story to make them relevant enough to the new gen.
Giving traditions a contemporary relevance is what a lot of people all over the world strive to do. We all know the way the tradition of releasing rice-paper lanterns has reached every corner of the world. Cheese chasing on Spring Bank holiday near Gloucester is a tradition that travel enthusiasts do not want to miss. Travelers want to go to Tuscany and Umbria to see the natives throw wooden cylinders and they say they are playing Ruzzola! Jarping in North-East England is when one attempts to crack someone else’s boiled egg without cracking his own… and they have turned this tradition into a championship now. Finland has wife-carrying championships… and I guess the climax in Dum Laga Ke Haisha. We in India are intent upon keeping alive the traditions that are followed in other countries… and assume that our own home-brewed cultural nuances are better kept aside. This isn’t right.
The truth is that the world is still moving ahead riding traditions. I remember my grandfather coming back to have another half-cup of tea if someone sneezed as he was leaving home. I guess this simply gave him some more time to recollect what he wanted to tell us all before leaving for the day and he was transforming a tradition into an opportunity. By the way, even in Ukraine people sit down together before leaving for a trip as they believe that this brings luck.
To me, every tradition is an opportunity to get involved in… come on, this is the only way we remain together in a world where the dichotomies introduced by literacy, jobs, and economy matrices have entered like villains.
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This article is a part of SuperBloggerChallenge2019 conducted by Healthwealthbridge.com, Allaboutthewoman.com and should not be repurposed, republished or used otherwise. The content herein is owned by the blogger. SuperBloggerChallenge2019 is not responsible for any kind of infringement caused.
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Arvind Passey
26 February 2019
16 comments
vidhya thakkar says:
Feb 26, 2019
an interesting post! loved the topicc
Arvind Passey says:
Mar 3, 2019
Thanks, Vidhya. Do visit my blog again. 🙂
Anurag Singh says:
Feb 26, 2019
Bang on
Intresting topic
Love the post
Overall a good package to read
Arvind Passey says:
Mar 3, 2019
Ah! Nice to read your opinion, Anurag. Do visit my blog again. 🙂
Aritro Chattopadhyay says:
Feb 26, 2019
Such an interesting article. I loved it thoroughly. I never shy away from my traditions and love to embrace it.
Arvind Passey says:
Mar 3, 2019
Yes, Aritro, none of us really ever have to stay away from traditions. It is enough to give them a contemporary interpretation. 🙂
Sindhu Vinod Narayan says:
Feb 26, 2019
Tthats an interesting read. Great work.
Arvind Passey says:
Mar 3, 2019
Thank you, Sindhu. Do visit my blog again. 🙂
Pragnya Mishra says:
Feb 27, 2019
Another thought-provoking post, Arvind Ji. True, in the name of traditions people are getting fashion, tattoos, and whatnot. But the essence of tradition goes missing.
Arvind Passey says:
Mar 3, 2019
Traditions are fine and are still working for us… look at the travel industry that employs them and reaps the benefits. 🙂
kanu says:
Feb 27, 2019
such a wonderful take on Tradition.I loved reading it
Arvind Passey says:
Mar 3, 2019
Thank you, Kanu. Do visit my blog again. 🙂
anupriya says:
Feb 27, 2019
From somebody, who had no inkling about traditions before marriage to one who owns her traditions now, I too like to keep the contemporary relevance of traditions. There is no points in doing something for the sake of it if it doesn’t bring in joy, help resolve some problem, or bring in new opportunities for self or family. So I am now hanging somewhere in the middle trying to figure things out and not impose traditions mindlessly on my kids.
Arvind Passey says:
Mar 3, 2019
Yes, Anupriya, imposing anything on anyone else isn’t the right thing to do. Traditions, I believe, are smart and have introduced themselves to getting a contemporary meaning and are enjoying all the new found attention. 🙂
Aritra Chakrabarty says:
Feb 27, 2019
Great choice of topic. I believe in taking traditions ahead, well not all, but most of them. They make our country unique & interesting.
#superbloggerchallenge
Arvind Passey says:
Mar 3, 2019
Thanks a lot, Aritra… do visit my blog again. 🙂