Rituals

41 days of Ayyappa Sabrimala fasting has finished. The Sabrimala temple is closed for 3 days while the authorities work out how to get rid of thousands of tons of rubbish, and then the temple opens again until late January. I think poor Lord Ayyappa also needs a rest!!
So here in Aranmula the end of season was celebrated with 2 days of non stop loud loud loud music being broadcast from the temple all around the village. All night. No sleep. Silence at last after 2 days, but in late January when it is the temple festival, the same thing will happen for 10 days non-stop. I won't be here (this is the one and only reason I can say "Thank God I won't be here"). Last time I left just before this happened, but some of my friends who are reading this blog (Nancy, Jaxan) were here 3 years ago for that 10 day hell and only just survived to tell the tale.
Another end of season celebration was much more beautiful. Not far from the temple some Aranmula citizens set up a beautiful puja. After 6pm there were literally thousands of small oil lamps lining a laneway - lamps in the middle of the pathway and on either side of the path. Also there were many jars of incense so that a walk down the laneway was a magical journey through beautiful lights and mist / aroma of incense. I can't describe how beautiful it looked, and even a photo would not do it justice. Down the lane, towards the river, this trail of light went, to a place near the riverside which is used for special events as a small temple. Here the local people gathered for puja. At the climax of the puja, the door to the holy of holies is opened and the faithful can see the idol inside. At the moment that this happened, there was a gigantic round of explosions from fireworks, and at the same time, hundreds of piles of parafin pellets were lit to create small fires dotted amongst all of the oil lamps. It was breathtaking and such an amazing visual and aural announcement that the god is here amongst the believers. Maybe people get blaze about this when they've grown up with it, in the same way that Catholics can get bored by their rituals. But I found it exciting and moving to watch it and see the effect on the believers. I love the opportunty to witness and be welcomed into rituals like this. It reminds me how important communal ritual is.