Week 10 Storytelling: Satya-Narayan-Vrat

Here continues the story of three sisters: Mary, Sarah and Ally. As usual, Mary will be sharing a story using the Mickey and Minnie cartoon characters.

As Sarah and Ally were being prepared to listen to a bedtime story, Mary said, “Wouldn’t that be awesome if one of you be a story teller for today.” 

Sarah and Ally both shouted at the same time, “NOO.”

Then Ally continued in her innocent voice, “I do not know how to create great stories like you do, 

Mary. But I can try to tell a story about Cinderella, which I watched last night.”

Rudely Sarah said, “No thanks, Ally.”

As always, Mary continued, “Today’s story will be concentrating on Hindus rituals and their way of life. However, our story will be based on Mickey and Minnie as our characters, who will be following those rituals. So, sounds good girls?”

Ally replied, “Yes, great! That will be a new and interesting story, Mary.”

It is a story of newlywed couple, Mickey and Minnie. As in Hindu culture, there is not a huge concept of love marriages. So, Mickey and Minnie got married with the choice of their elders, mostly the decision was made by their parents. A couple has to follow some rituals for a successful happy married life. For the desire for a happy life manifests in many rituals called Vrats, which Mickey and Minnie had to follow. They were encouraged to perform Satya-Narayan-Vrat as their first household ritual. However, Satya- Narayan-Vrat can be performed any day, but by a married couple. So, Mickey and Minnie’s family wanted them to begin their married life by performing Satya-Narayan-Vrat. The purpose of the Vrat was to bring happiness, good luck and health into the household. Satya-Narayan-Vrat cannot be done without a priest. The reason between performing Satya-Narayan-Vrat was that Satya-Narayan is seen as Vishnu. Its purpose is to resolve household issues and problems which is performed by household or housewives by praying front of Vishnu. During the Satya-Narayan-Vrat, the couple chants thousand names of Vishnu, while at each name offering him a sprig of tulsi. Through chanting and the determination of the couple the God pleased to fulfil the wishes of the couple.

The rituals are to express one’s desire to the deities through fasting, hearing tales, singing songs, staying awake through the night and visiting holy places. That helps in seeking blessing from god and goddess for a happy and successful life. After performing the Satya-Narayan-Vrat, the family elder also gave their blessing to Mickey and Minnie and wished them all the best for their future.

 Satya-Narayan

Author's Note: My retell story was based on Hindu’s rituals. Which were discussed in Brahma’s secret part 2 video. The story is written with all true facts about Hinduism. Since I wanted to make it a story out of it, I decided to Mickey and Minnie as newly married couple who are performing the rituals for their good life.

Bibliography: "Public Domain Edition of the Seven Secrets from Hindu Calendar Art." by Pattanaik.Website: Image library for MLLL-4993, Epics of Ancient India

Week 10 Reading Diary, continued: Seven Secrets of Hindu Calendar Art

Title: 7 Secrets from Hindu Calendar Art
Author: Devdutt Pattanaik
Link:http://iereadingguides.blogspot.com/search/label/Guide%3A%20Pattanaik.%20Calendar%20Art

Vishnu's secret part 2: Ram is a only form to worship as king. He leads the move from nature to culture. The goddess sits on his lap because she feels secure and comfortable in his arm. The money Hanuman sits at his feet. I found these facts interesting that wife sits with his husband most of the time.  The entire story of Ram is written in the Ramayana. Which we read in the beginning of the course. It was interesting the comparison between Ram and Krishna how these two are different from one another.

Brahma's secret part 1: It was an unique fact that Hindu do not worship Brahma. Brahma's daughter turned it a cow and then Brahma later turned into a bull was very interesting facts. He kept changing into the male form of his daughter's female form because he was very onto controlling her. She was a great delusion of life. Since Brahma was chasing the material worlds rather then trying to understand himself, so no one worships him one such as Brahma. The fifth head shows the ego, the part of the mind that controls the material reality. Shiva is everything Brahma is not. Shiva destroy what Brahma creates. 

Brahma and his Vahana

Week 10 and Review

From daily announcements, I found the fact about the sugar how the word is from French sucre and medieval Latin succarum. It is great how we make our own words by using the words from other languages. Arabic came up with sukkar from Europe and Persian. It is nice to know that because I was unfamiliar with this sugar fact.

Different kind of  sugars

Tech Tip Theme

For the redesign of the website, I wanted to make it look colorful because I love colors. So, I added some colors to and font design as well to make it look nice and interesting. Here is the link: googleSiteWebsite.

Week 10 Reading Diary: Seven Secrets of Hindu Calendar Art

Title: 7 Secrets from Hindu Calendar Art
Author: Devdutt Pattanaik

Link:http://iereadingguides.blogspot.com/search/label/Guide%3A%20Pattanaik.%20Calendar%20Art

For this reading diary post, I am watching videos by Pattanaik titled "Seven Secrets of Hindu Calendar Art - Gods and Goddesses."

The first video is about Devi's Secret, she is desire and destiny create life. Kanyakumari, the virgin goddess and her temple is located in southern tip of India. She wanted to marry Shiva and plus their marriage was fixed and Shiva had to come from the north on one night before he could reach the gods made a rooster crow and Shiva assumed that it was a day break and his missed the hour of their marriage. So, he went back. It was sad that the bride waited and waited and the groom never came. The bride got really mad and kicked the pots and pans and wiped her makeup and for that reason the southern tip of India is so multicolored. Since she never married, she was gifted with raw power to destroy demons. If married the goddess energy is channelised to provide  for a home if not then the energy is channelised for protection.

The second video is about Vishnu Secret: Detached Engagement Brings order part 1. It was interesting how Hindus praise cows. Go Pala the care taker of the earth's cow. That is why the Vishnu is the preserver and the sustainer. Vishnu also enjoys the milk of the cow. It was interesting how in the video they did compare and constrast between Shiva and Vishnu.

(Kamadhenu:The mother of cows:Source:Wikipedia)