 Team Reports |
Indian Food and CultureDan Baird — Toronto, ON I’ll never forget their excitement. How proud Murray would have been to see those kids’ smiles, laughter, joy amidst their real poverty — a day to ease their pain. Most could not carry the huge bedkits and were ably helped by older boys and girls or their parents. We were in the state of Tamil Nadu at the southern tip of India. Chennai is the capital city. People in Tamil Nadu are 70% of the Hindu religion of which 50% are strict vegetarians. Their diet consists mainly of rice, wheat, ragi, beans, carrots, onions, potatoes, yams, raw bananas, cucumber, fruit, milk products, coffee and tea, hot chocolate, and water. Forty per cent do not consume any alcohol. They believe in God in a number of different forms, including Brahma, the God of Creation; Vishnu, the God of Life; Shiva, the God of Destruction; and Ganesha, the God to whom they pray to remove obstacles in their lives. They also pray to the second son of Shiva. The final God is a ‘general’ God, and his name is Muruga. The religious leader of the Hindu faith is a Guru who has a team of disciples under his authority. The two main religious ceremonies are Pongal, a harvest ceremony that begins January 15, and Diwali, the festival of lights, celebrated in October and November. Six out of ten people now choose their own marriage partner but others are still arranged by parents who adhere to religious and status principles within their society. In some cases, parents use horoscopes to match up potential partners. Sports include cricket, tennis, and soccer. Crafts are pottery making, weaving, carpentry, and puppetry — puppet shows being a very popular part of their social life. Folk dances vary by region: in Kerela the dance is called the Kathakali; in Assam it is the Oddessey; and in Tamil Nadu it is called the Bharaih. Most people prefer a classical, local variety of music that uses a Carnatic form based on a seven-note ascending and descending scale. During our two weeks in Tamil Nadu we were amazed by the wide variety of food and the fascinating culture. |
This was my first SCAW distribution and when I saw the children for the first time in their new shorts, shirts and skirts I felt a sense of overwhelming pride in having been chosen to represent SCAW’s generous donors from around the world.