Cleanse D Mind With Positive Actions.....n Chant SHUCHI-Mantra!

5 Feb 2010     Friends, in India we all know that there is an additional season to d usual 3 seasons of Mother-Nature....     n it is called a 'wedding season'!     Once this season starts, an average Indian family     has to attend two weddings a day!!     sometimes even three...!     Then d F'ly members R compelled to share their so-called-Responsibilities of attending these weddings.... Not-together but separately!     D no of 'Wedding-Invitations' will be depending     on so many facts...     It directly depends on d number of relatives V have......     or d size of OUR circle of social network....     how big or small is that!     or on the size of our residential complex....     In olden days, all d so-called-neighbours would     positively get an 'invite'.....     There are very few auspicious  "Muhuratas" suitable for wedding... So every prospective couple want to tie     d knot, only on those days...     Now V R in Feb,2010! Even this day n age,     the number of wedding- venues R very     limited in metro cities!!     By priority,every bridegroom gets the first choice     to select the venue...     Generally he n his F'ly members would prefer     d one nearer to his residence,     if he is from a "middle class family"...     D venue can be a 3-star-hotel, nearer to his residence if,     he is from (economically) slightly upper-middle-class-family....     D venue can be a 4-star-hotel if,     he from economically-upper-class-family...     It can be a 5-star-hotel if,     he is from an economically well-off family....     And it can be a 7-star-hotel or a yacht or an entire-island-as-a-venue... if,     he is from a celebrity-status family...     Celebrity could be from Bollywood's A-listers...     actors, directors, producer etc.     He could be from d corporate world...     He could be from an A-listed Big-Industrialist's family....     He could be from a famous political family....     He could be from a ruling-Party's-minister's family...     The possibilities are innumerable...     Friends,recently i was at d wedding of     very first category...     A wedding of a middle class girl from my native-place!     The venue was luckily very near to my residence.     It was on a week-end...the Muhurat was conveniently     at 12.30 pm....     D girl's F'ly had emphasised on all above points     n insisted that me n my F'ly should attend it     n they would look forward to see me n my-sons at d wedding-venue....     D moment they left, both d sons made it amply clear     to me that they R Not attending d "Boring wedding"     n wished me 'lot of Good-luck' to face d boredom!     Reluctantly, i got ready to attend d wedding!     Bcoz, in India,it is taken in very 'bad-taste'     if No one attends d function in-spite of a personal     'visit' to UR house by d Hosts!     There were very limited number of heads from     bridegroom's F'ly,     who was from Chandigad....     It was an inter-caste-marriage between Punjabi-boy n a Gujju-Girl!     though both families were from middle-class background,     there was lot of mis-understanding n chaos in general....     There were say, 100 odd people from d girl's side....     more than half of d people present at d venue,     were from d residential complex of d girl!     And there were only 15 to 20 close relatives     from the girl's side..     Entire program was in a fast-forward-mode.     Everybody was in a rush...     The so-called attenders like me, were amusingly     watching the Non-show!     No Yadnya...No oaths / Vows     Total absence of seven 'Phere'...No Mangal-sutra, No teasing-no rituals...     Only exchange of flower-garlands called jay-mala or var-mala, between the bride and the bridegroom... Exactly on the dot of the Muhurta!     Once that was over... the guests who were present     at the venue,     were eying their wrist-watches every now and then!     Everybody's attention was at the announcement.....     about d food-parlor to open for Self-Service......     Although it was Saturday, everyone was in a hurry     to have food....     Probably bcoz,there was nothing else to do......     At last d awaited announcement happened....     It was Buffet-Lunch.     The usual Indian menu was on spread....     Everybody formed groups to chit chat while gobbling food....     Nobody was really interested...Neither in d food nor in d conversation....     but d motto was,d Show-of-'Pretention'-must-go-on!     Everybody was pretending about how greatly     he/she was enjoying the gathering.....     The wedding...The food.. n     soo-very-interesting-conversation!     After d lunch, everyone rushed to the stage,     where the newly weds were standing to receive compliments/blessings etc..     "The invite" which was given to the guests     only 2 days prior to the wedding, clearly-read,     "gifts in the form of your blessings only"....     But from d past experiences, almost every guest     was carrying     in his/her pockets/ purses,     an envelope-sealed-with-cash-in-it....     Just in case the newly weds start accepting gifts on stage....     It was just a precautionary-measure, from probable-embarrassment!     Like disciplined-school-students, d guests formed a queue     n one-by-one, went and greeted the newly weds,     who were in new set of clothes-n-ornaments n stage-make-up!     Though they were smiling big-n-wide,     couldn't hide d faint-glint-of-bored-look...     From their faces, all the same!     Like a ritual they went through d     entire episode of 'introduction' of each guest....     n then everyone dispersed....exactly d way ants do,     d moment "insect-repellent" is spread....     After my informal trip to d stage,i pushed off abruptly...     since i had to attend one more function, but thankfully     it was not 'another wedding'.....!     During d drive, i was just brooding.....     After all What is a marriage?     Why do V Indians, stick to such Life-less formats....     As V change other aspects of life-patterns,     why can't V think n act differently......     Why do parents compel their sons/ daughters     to go through "this-Circus-called-wedding"!     why don't our New-generations,     raise their hands in protest!     If they R keeping mum, only out of respect     for their elders'-feelings,     Then there is a GREATER responsibility on d so-called-elders.....     A good amount of money is spent.....     almost half-day is wasted     of every guest who 'attend' this circus!     Parents of d bride n other close relatives,     waste at least 1-full-month in arrangements,     preparations n wot-not for d circus!     Very close relatives R flown from abroad...     Such a sheer waste of Time-money-n-energy!     Instead if parents n elders of d F'ly of both,     Bride n d Bride-groom,     Give Full-freedom of 'CHOICE' to them.....     Since this is 'd-most-IMP-event-of their lives!     Let them decide jointly, about it....     Let them implement their own ideas about it...     Let them take a decision on d simple or elaborate event...     They could hand-pick d list-of-important-likable-persons,     whose "presence" or attendance "really matters"     to them.....n hopefully vice-a-versa!     D function would be very 'personal'.....     No formalities....     No fixed rituals....     No 'rigid format'......     D money will be 'well-spent' since           ONLY "interested" people would be involved in d event!     N if some money IS saved, doubled up with good & pricey personalized-gifts     n blessings to d Newly-weds,          They would SURELY do some 'Real-Good'          to start a new home of their-own!     Friends, don't U think that V all need to 'cleanse'     our-mind-sets to welcome reforms.....     V need to prove that V R 'changed-n-enlightened' people.....     N d best way to do this is,     WITH OUR POSITIVE ATTITUDE N ACTIONS.......     Shlok of d day- Since V R cleansing our minds, let us chant this "Shuchi-mantra" :                 OM Tad Vishnoho Param Padam                          Sada Pashyanti Suryaaha |                  Diveev Chakshuraananam ||     Tip of d day- To enhance d Resistance-Power, Do this in d morning,                                               Wash and chew 7 nos of fresh-leaves of Tulasi                            Keeping it for long in d mouth. When totally                powdered n mixed with saliva, swallow it.                                This is Tilottama signing off from Mumbai-Meri-Jaan.......