Cultural Difference
The aura of many tiered ghee wick lamps
light offered to gods and goddesses
the dwindling of the tiers to the last single wick
the dark stone goddess smiling, her diamond
nose rings sparkling brighter than her ear studs,
this is the only Arathi I was aware of.
In my husband’s hometown there is a different
kind of Aalathi, a dilute red liquid in a hollow plate,
betel leaves, camphor; they said ,’go bring Aalathi.’
My sister-in-law gave me some tips, mix a little
turmeric with calcium/ lime and water and it will turn red.
As for what one had to recite,’ your father’s eye, your
mother’s eye, the eyes of relatives and neighbours
snakes ’eye, lizards’ eye, scorpions’ eye
let all evil eyes go, go ,go, vamoose. Do this thrice
clockwise, thrice anti-clockwise, as you chant this, ‘she said.
I merely conjugated my French verbs in the pluperfect.
V4V4Arathi is performed to the Gods
a plate with ghee wicks, incense
and camphor; it is there in our Vedas.
When I came to Madras I saw that
Aarathi could be done to a motorcycle
if it is new to ensure safety and auspicious tidings.
Then there is a different kind of Aalathi -
there is a dilute red liquid in a plate,
with betel leaves and a lit lamp.
I have never been able to hear
the mumbled words.
I came. to my husband’ s hometown
as a young daughter- in- law
they always asked me to do the odd small jobs.
In my college days I wore contact lenses and high heels.
Here I was asked to make Aalathi and do it
so I floundered. With a little prodding
I managed to mix turmeric, calcium and water
to make the dilute red liquid. The Aalathi plate had to be rota
ted thrice clock- wise, thrice anti- clock wise.
An incantation to ward off the evil eye
the eye of avaricious ,greedy, jealous kith and kin
and neighbours shoo, shoo, shoo ,go off, vamoose.
I conjugated French verbs in the Passé antérieur.
Cultural Difference
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