Pooja offering in Villages

Hi, Friends sorry for late updates from my end.

Like every year this year also I went to my village for Holi celebrations. Holi is the festival of colors, and in the villages very year people celebrates the festival and make special pooja for their ideal deity  or I can say every family has one traditional deity which family has been offering pooja for generation to generation.

There is one strange tradition for making pooja offering goat sacrifice.and this pooja takes place two times in a year, so every year more than 40 goats sacrificed. I asked personally with locals and this is what tradition has been following for long time and by seeing this new generation adopt this.

But what I notice there that young people are not very much interested while goats were being sacrificed they moved out from there, because they could barely see this.

I talked to the older persons of my village regarding stopping this tradition and they replied me by saying that their deities are like this they want blood in offerings,which can not be stopped.

Hindi Lessons

Shalom and Rachael they are husband and wife from  Mexico.They were traveling India for four months so they decided to learn Hindi before they start traveling in India.

They got my contact Information while browsing in internet and wrote me email requesting for Hindi class.I responded them and then wrote me back for conforming the class.

They were doing very intensive Hindi course three hours of lessons each day in two sessions.Rachael was originally from India so she picked up faster than her husband.

One day I asked them why they decided to learn Hindi with me their respond was they wrote emails to few people but my respond was fast enough and they continued  for two weeks.

My visit to Sarnath

Two weeks ago I went to visit Sarnath with one of my friend to see jeevan dip school.It is a social organization working for blind girls for their uplift in the society.

I did not know about this school however I have been several times to sarnath. but one of my elder brother and friend Dr.Alok took me there. I was very much excited to see the girls how they study!

Actually when I was under my high school i studied about the script of Blind they learn but I really did not understand how did  it used to work? when one of employee  took on the tour of the school.we visited from class nursery to 6th.Girls stood up to welcome us and they recited some poems and reading of the lesson and what ever they have been taught on that particular day.

I was so surprised to see them how nicely they can study and learn the things through this script.

After that he took us to computer room where students learn how to operate computer without seeing .Computer Instructor sowed us using computer through voice.It’s make sound what ever command they press.

I am so happy to visit this school who soever go to visit Sarnath must try to get chance to visit this project.

Hindi Lesson

Molly was the student of AIIS programme of Jaipour.her field study was allotted in Varanasi there for she was here.She was working on Muslim rituals at mosque .

She was very much focused on two type of Muslims shiya and shuni. what are the difference ways of praying in the mosque.

She came to know about me through one of the student of Wisconsin programe as I was working for her as research assistant.

Molly also wanted to improve her Hindi in conversation so she started class but meanwhile she went to krishnamurti foundation at Rajghat so it was difficult for her to come at assi everyday .

we decided to meet three days in a week because she used to come to interview some Muslim in shivala area.She had already learnt  grammar she needs to to speak.

we were mostly making conversation class and she was translating interview for the class

भारतीय संस्कृती और परंपरा

नमस्कार । भारतीय संस्कृती में मृत्यु के बाद क्या किया जाता है और इसके क्या तरीके हैं ? इसके बारे में WHERE THERE BE DRAGONS के विद्यार्थियों ने डोम परिवार के एक आदमी से सवाल पूछा और मैने इस बात-चित का अनुवाद किया

विद्यार्थी: – How long have you been working at cremation ghats

आदमी:- He started at the age of eight years working at cremation ghat with his grand parents as this is his traditionally livelihood.

विद्यार्थी: – How does he feel about doing this job and does he feel discrimination in social life?

आदमी:-:-No,there is no discrimination in society he sits with respected Brahamn and have a chai together.second respected cast “Kshatriya” also talk with him and the social life is not disrespectful.

विद्यार्थी: -What do you think about you child’s future?

आदमी:-:- I am sending the kids in english medium school .we don’t want our kids to do same profession as we get effected from burning dead body at cremation ghats.because different kinds of person die with different disease so our body get effected and sometime we get sick

विद्यार्थी:-How do you get your turn for working at ghats?

आदमी:-:-There are ten thousands Dom working in varansi and these people are not only from varanasi .they come from different parts of the U.P. so every one gets a day for working at ghats and this decided by the king of the Dom.

विद्यार्थी:-Why the mankarnika is much more busy than this one?

आदमी:-:-Both burning ghats have region and marnkarnika cover much more longer part than harschnadra ghats.suppose if a deady body belonging to B.H.U.are or surrounding then it can not be cremated at Manikarnika ghtas.that is why mankarnika is much more busy.

विद्यार्थी:-In Hinduism who are not cremated ?

आदमी:- Five people are not cremated .these are great saint ,One who has leprosy,snake biting,one who died of chiken pax,follower of vaishnow(the kind of sadhu who holds tridandi and wear saffron colors)

विद्यार्थी:-what are rituals while cremating body at ghats? and how long does it take to burn whole body?

आदमी:-First of all when body get to the ghats .it has to be Beth in ganges and meanwhile the person who has to give the fire (in Hindu rituals mostly eldest son has to give first fire) will get saved his head and will wear a white dhoti.and “Dom” will make wooden chita on which body will be kept and the one who is giving the fire will ask for the fire with “Dom” and he will make circle and other friends and relative will also give the last piece of wood and make circle
Normally a healthy body take three to three and half hour but if body contain water or some medical treatment then some time it takes much time.
Regarding the rituals when body is almost burnt some boy hit at the head of the body it symbolize that body has completely burnt and “Dom ” gives rest of the flesh to man to offer in Ganges..In Hinduism it is said that if person pass away his ashes is offered to the Ganges and he gets out of his all bad karma.and get salvation.
After that the man get fill water port and pour at the place where body was cremated and last port of water he keeps on his left solider and throw at the place and he writes there 9 + 4:= 13 so there are 13 days rituals has to be performed at home.

विद्यार्थी:-How is electric crematorium different from wooden cremation?

आदमी:- Rituals is the same this is much more cheaper and it is Government project to stop the pollution but and unknown dead body and poor people are mostly cremated but rituals is the same.

विद्यार्थी:- what are the average number of Dead body cremated each day?

आदमी:- Including all three it around one hundred twenty five body are cremated everyday.

Hindi class

Ruth is a student from Minnesota From United States of America .Now she is in India for studying Development of Indian Economy.

She came in contact with me through the internet recommendation.she wanted to learn Hindi in Varanasi intensively as she did not have time .

How ever she was able to speak basic phrase because she is staying Rohatak in Hariyan with one o Indian family.she was interested in taking two hrs class each day.she continued for one and half week later on she went to kolkata.

Usually i give my teaching package to the students she completed my first teaching material within that period of time.

Now there is good news for those learner who wants to learn through skype class so now you can pay me through paypal account as she helped me in getting my paypal account because she is also going to learn Hindi when she gets back in America.

Now learner do not have to pay extra amount through western union and it is very easy and simple.

Hindi Class on Skype

Marion found my blog online for learning Hindi via skype.She is from Vienna Austria but currently she is living in Italy.

She is former student of Indology and Ethnology from University of Vienna but she could not finish her study from there.her passion for learning Hindi is still with her so she tried to find online hindi class via skype.

According to Marion her job and duties never permit for making journey to India for learning Hindi so she thought to start through skype.
She called on my skype account and we talked for long time regarding the class ,Time differences ,how many hours per week and mode of payment and so on

We decided to meet for four hrs per week at the weekends as she has the much more better for her and for me as well.On the first lesson the Skype was horrible that day we called each other almost four to five times but it was slow.she was loosing her Patience saying that is it usual for Skype like this ? I said no this is your luck after some it worked nicely and we had wonderful class .

This way she is improving her Hindi and Now she could communicate in Hindi with couple of daily useful phrase .This time she is England and she will be back for Hindi on 11th of April on skype .

Hindi class and Indian Culture

Namaste friends ! These days I am teaching hindi to two students from Germany .these two students are students of Berlin University ,Germany.they are students of south asian study programme .

They came to know about me through internet.theirs name are Carolin and Shabina. however they know some  Hindi .Shabina could speak better than Carolin.

As they are here just for two week so they want to learn as much as possible.mostly we are talking during the class.during our conversation they are very much interested in knowing about Indian culture such as cremation rituals and its performance.they also wanted to know how a “”DOM”” ( a cast who cremate body at the ghats) is important for Hindus rituals.

They are learning two hours per day and in this class they are reading and translating story book.some time they are also doing exercise for practice

They need a certificate for showing in the university so that they may obtain credits.I will be writing the details of hours they learnt and their performance during the class

Hindi Lesson

Darrin Commerford is a photographer from U.S.A currently taking picture around varanasi and also he likes to visit untapped place surrounding Varanasi.

He has started learning Hindi two or three weeks ago .he works basically on dally conversation and phrase .and also he likes to try to have the test of Indian chart (a very spicy with different kind of ingredients) he wanted to learn how to say i want one more sweet one as he likes to eat pani puri.

These days he is travelling to Rajasthan so in the last class he wrote couple of phrase which he can use during his travel in Rajasthan.such as how to say is this vegetable clean before it was made. and so on

He will be back after one week then he will continue his learning.

Australian Hindi Student

Margaret wrote me mail in the month of November telling that she is interested in joining my Hindi course.as she said she got my information from wiki travel.I wrote her back that i will be available for her to teach Hindi.She is not beginner as she was learning in evening class in Sydney.she told me that she is very much interested in Indian culture.

Finally she arrived in Varanasi on first of January and I called in the hotel Ganges View if she can meet me for the lesson.at time varanasi was almost freezing so it was very difficult for her to have class in such cold.she told me that she want to take rest for few days.

On the fifth of January she called and wanted to have class.I went to hotel and I asked with prakash ji one of employee of Hotel Ganges View.She was standing at the reception when he said this is your Hindi teacher .having seen me she kept watching my face I don’t know why.I think my age seems to her too young to be Hindi teacher.I greeted her by saying Namaste and I said this is Binit as we had email conversation but we did not see each one.she said hello to me once she heard my name.

It was my first lesson with her she asked me how do i teach and what is my method.she told me that she has already finished chapter 8 of teach your self in Sydney.but she can’t speak.her big confusion was “want ,want to and should ” construction .she often get confused with “mujhe chai chahiye, or mai chai pina chahti hu,mujhe chai pina chahiye” .I explained her chahiye and should is “ko” construction and it will be used with oblique pronoun and want to is tense from of present habitual tense.

After getting the explanation she was very happy and particularly she was not confidence enough to make conversation.we were mostly talking on daily basis conversation.Besides this she was talking about village life how do people get work form local government,how a village get develop so on.but i did not know why she was asking about my village,what kind of my village is.Later on she told me that she is helping a family in Devaria district and that family was her auto rickshaw driver family.

She learned until 14th of February between this time she went to Devariya to see that family .she went to Jaipur to visit her family but she is still taking classes with Skype.