India in general and Kerala in particular has always been famous for being the home to a multitude of cultures, festivals and religions, which has only accented the richness and vibrancy of our social fabric . Though divisive forces and religious fanaticism have wrecked havoc all over the world, Kerala can take pride in being successful in upholding its secular credentials.
This heartening incident that happened in Cochin last week , should be an eye opener for all those who try to break the strong bonds of brotherhood and amity.
Scene 1: A well attended religious procession from a famous temple is underway and the streets get jam packed with curious onlookers and devotees as the many colorful ‘kavadis’ ( Richly decked up arches,some as tall as four feet or more; with confetti and glitter which is carried on the shoulders of the male devotees as a mark of respect to the presiding deity of Lord Muruka) take to the streets. Well complimented by the fast beats of percussion instruments, soon the religious fervor and frenzy hits its crescendo as the devotees with the towering kavadis on their shoulders and some with their cheeks pierced with the sharp tridents as a mark of penance, dance and swirl in a trance. As the procession enters the residential areas, people staying in houses on either side of the road welcome the procession with lighted lamps and floral garlands irrespective of their caste or religion. The procession grows in size as more people join it at the rear, making it a swarming sea of humanity. Nobody seems to bother about the religion of the person standing next to him; on the other hand everyone was making the most of the festive spirit in the air.
Scene 2: A few minutes later, a church procession in connection with its annual festival hits the main roads. The decorated deity was taken out in procession and there were band sets and people carrying religious flags and colorful parasols to add to the pomp and glitter of the whole occasion. Both the processions meet at a junction down the road and I could see people of both the processions exchanging pleasantries as they moved forward.
Igniting religious enmity is not in people’s agenda anyway and those who are behind it should have their own evil designs and motives for sure!
[...] 8, 2010 by tessajk Drummers beating away! Reading through the blog “Unity in Diversity“, I was reminded of the church festival, I recently attended. Unlike most of the other [...]