The reason I wanted to fast was mostly because I wanted to take part in something that is so important to the culture I am living in. The fast started on Sunday and I went to a temple for the Goddess Shiva with some Indian friends. First, we all sat in a circle around the shrine, which was a cobra with a large suspended pot above it. At the base of the shrine we placed a green leaf that had a symbol made from a red powder. Onto the leaf we placed a flower, a nut, a coin and next to the leaf we placed a banana. Then we poured three spoonfuls of water and milk over it all. After that we sprinkled an array of colorful powders on our growing pile. To that, we added more flowers, more water, and more milk. On top of that, we placed loops of thread. Onto the head of the cobra we placed flowers and sprinkled powder. We then lit the candles on our platter and stood, moving it in a circular motion in front of the cobra. To conclude the ceremony we moved out into the open worship area and sat in a circle while we listened to someone read from a book and then a priest tied a red string on our wrists, which I must wear until it falls off.
The rules for the fast differ among the castes and the religions, and I followed the rules that our cook laid out for me. I wasn’t allowed to eat any salt and during the day I was only allowed to eat fruits and nuts. At dinner I was allowed to eat a kind of flat bread made from wheat, but I had to consume everything while sitting at the table without getting up. If I got up in the middle of the meal I wasn’t able to eat anymore. It was hard to follow all the rules and after two days of fasting I was very tired and felt lightheaded. Many girls were absent from my classes because they were also feeling the effects of the fast.
My resolve was really tested when Kirsten and I were invited to Ruckshaben’s (one of my co-teachers) house for dinner. Knowing that I was fasting she prepared a plate of nuts and fruits and a cup of tea for me as an after school snack. As we sat chatting her brother stopped by for a visit and brought a fish for dinner. She also decided to make chicken that night. I was so sad! This was my first chance at eating non-veg in India and I was fasting! To make matters worse I had to sit at a separate table in the kitchen with my plate of flat bread while Kirsten and Ruckshaben dined happily on delicious protein that I was so desperately craving. To top it all off the table was very short and I felt very much like a child being punished.
At school this week there were many activities going on and they all seemed to coincide with the fast. The first competition was a mendhi (henna) competition. Hundreds of girls from all grades gathered in the assembly hall to apply mendhi on a friend, or in a couple cases, to themselves. I started looking at the mendhi of the younger girls in 7th and 8th grade. The designs were simple, but still impressive. As I moved on to view the other participants I was taken aback with the amount of detail and beauty of their designs. I couldn’t imagine trying to judge them because to me they were all amazing.
A girl from my 8th grade class did mendhi on my hands and feet and went on to win the competition. The darker your mendhi is, the more your husband will love you, or so they say. My mendhi was very dark which excited my students. The other competitions were a hairstyle competition (which I was a judge for) a bridal dress competition, and an aarti competition where the students made offering platters used in ceremonies at temples. I was impressed by the creativity of the students and took many pictures.
Finally, the fast ended and I was permitted to eat all the foods I had been craving. My first meal was very flavorful and salt never tasted so good. Overall, I’m glad I took part in the fast and it really seemed to work because I am engaged!
Just kidding.
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