This picture was taken at the sangam -- the meeting of three rivers -- in Allahabad.
The pujaris often jumped from one boat to the other because of the demand to perform rituals. There was also a good deal of exchange; if one sadhu ran short of coconuts or flowers, then hands were extended to borrow from another.
The pujari (uninvited) on my boat at one point wanted to leave because I was more interested in the sights than in him.
"Gotra kya hai?" he asked.
He wanted to know my specific designated caste.
I don't have any, or none I would want to know about or be associated with.
So, in right royal fashion, I announced, "Raj vansh".
Surprisingly, he did not object to my claims of blue blood.
He took his vengeance when he did not give me my share of prasad.
PS: Please note my aesthetic sense as I match the font colour of this write-up with the photograph!!
2 comments:
How Indian a story it is. Insert something about a 'syncretic culture' right about here. So we have a parsi blogger from Mumbai interacting with hindu astrologers, freely adlibbing her own gotra.. This free mixing of identities without politics would be great if only it were true beyond the confines of the educated and 'westernized'..(and I mean that hopefully)
Hi arin:
I suppose a 'syncretic culture' has little choice. I am less hopeful than you are...often those in confined spaces let their minds wander; 'free souls' sometimes are chained.
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