Introduction to the Ritual
“This must have been a wonderful place in the past,” I thought, as I gazed at the River Ganga. The strength of the river’s current is immense. Down there, bathing in its waters, you will see men clinging to metal chains as the river’s powerful flow washes over them with holy waters. But beware! This river’s organic life flow isn’t accommodating to our western minds. Your mind must be free of biased ideas, judgments, and prejudice before you can step on the shores of India’s most famous and revered river. Ganga is in the nation’s mind, heart, and soul—a loved and respected national treasure.
A Westerner’s Perspective
The path to the shores isn’t far; in fact, it’s quite close—just a few steps down this path, as you can see. It’s confusing for a westerner like me to understand why bathing here is so pleasing to the locals. Sitting on a plastic cover sponsored by Hershey’s under scorching temperatures while wearing a kurta was uncomfortable. I was dripping sweat everywhere, especially on my back. Prisha! My baby Prisha was also wearing a kurta for this occasion. It was her mundan day. “Why do we do this?” I asked my bhabhi. “Not sure,” she answered. It all didn’t make any sense to me. If you know nothing about why the action, why do it then? Well, in this culture, there are unexplained actions they take. Only Google can help.
The Emotional Experience
Walking down to find a place to perform the ritual, everything is hot: the sounds, the water, the heat, and the man who is going to cut her hair. “Does he clean his tools?” questions popped into my head, and I asked my husband many times over. The barber was short, tanned, and skinny, with a mustache and black hair. The spot they picked for the ritual, I could see from afar, had piles of something strange in the water, like debris of some sort. Nevertheless, tons of people were bathing there. We sat down. It was starting. She must have sensed it. Bhabhi lit candles and asked me to bless the river by throwing flowers and haldi into it. Then I sat down. The man looked at me with a gesture, “hold her head.” I did. He first shaved the back of her skull. A chunk of hair came off; her head was so white. Yes, I cried because she cried. Seeing your baby cry is very emotional. But the ritual was, in my view, a rite of passage she will hold in her sweetest memory.
Reflections on Cultural Differences
In this empirical experience, I have learned to reevaluate my understanding of the world. To understand and be kinder under circumstances I am not fully knowledgeable of. To reorganize my thoughts when confronted with a difficult situation in such a different environment. “I’m not from here. I don’t share the same values and beliefs as they do. I will accept as long as it’s safe for my baby.” That’s how I behaved, and I believe it was a valid move. In the end, she performed her first Hindi ritual with much success. Baby mundan.