“The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.”
There is always some kind of festival or holiday going on here in Nepal. For the last month, a few of the children at Hopeful Home have been reading out of a Hindu book, something they apparently do for a month every year. I was raised to believe that during prayer it was important to be silently respectful, but apparently that isn’t the case here or in the rest of Nepal for that matter. After dinner a few children would gather around the burning candle and book, while the others in the same small room would be dancing, singing, and doing homework. Even those listening would often talk or get up, making the whole prayer deal very informal and almost a joke.
Yesterday was the last day of the month, and the last day of reading out of the book. Two of the girls stayed home and fasted (though they only lasted until eleven, a very short fast) and read the last few pages of the book. They then gave each others (and me) a tica, the red mark on the forehead, before eating a few pieces of fruit. I asked them what this ritual was for, but like most rituals, the answer I got was along the lines of “just because we are suppose to do it.”
It is interesting to me just how many rituals there are, and how random they seem. For instance, before reading out of the book, we had to collect three different types of flowers to put on the cover once we were finished. Why? That’s a good question. There is no question of religion here, you are born Hindu, into a caste where you stay, and it is very rare for someone here to think anything more about it. It is less of a religion in my opinion than a culturally imposed way of life, something interesting for an outsider like myself to see.
Here is the shrine which many houses, including hopeful home, have.
