THE SHIVRATRI SPIRIT

Crow, crow,
crow of Battas,
my childhood crow,
my khichidi-eating crow!
Crow, crow,
my cawing crow;
my daring crow;
come, to our new house,
come to the roof above,
come to the eaves below,
come to the windowsill
come and eat your heart’s fill.
Come, fresh from a dip in Gangabal,
the sacred thread round your neck,
a saffron mark on your forehead,
your body smeared with brown clay;
come, flying across the valleys, pray!
Come to my right,
and come to my left.
To the right is the green grapevine,
to the left the pomegranate and the pine;
come, it is time for bonhomie,
come, let us eat a full belly.
Crow, crow,
my friendly crow,
my lucky crow;
come to my house,
come with your babes,
come with your spouse,
come one, come all,
come, there is a windfall.

The infectious spirit catches everybody fast in a mood of joy and generosity and the blossoming of the dormant urges and aspirations. Though the earth is yet covered with snow, the thaw has started and the spring smells waft in the air as the count down on Shivratri starts on the first day of Phagun following on the heels of Kaw Poornima. Children get into their act on the very first day of the dark fortnight of Phagun (Jan-Feb) by their non-sense count-down rhymes to which grown ups readily lend their voice

“Akh tu akh Khodaya….”
One, the very first, is God
Two is a bundle of fire-wood
Three a trio of walnuts
Four a perfect square
Five the Pandava brothers
Six the six Rishis
Seven the seventh wonder
Eight the cleansing Ashtami
Nine the 9th day of Chitra
Ten the ladies’ homecoming
Eleven the day of fish
Twelve of the Wagoor (filling of the pots and pans)
Thirteen the Hea`ret (Shivratri)
Fourteenth the farewell (Salam)
15th the grand finale (Dooni Mavas)

It is during this fortnight that the ghosts of winter are driven away from the houses which are dusted, swept and cleaned and mud-washed or white-washed and [people go shopping for new utensils and new dresses. Parvati, the bride, gets her ceremonial bath on Devgon preceded by the Mehndiraat (the night of the henna) on the Ashtami and the tempo rises as all married women of the house, young and aged, return home on the 10th day of the fortnight after having paid a visit to their parents, and bringing in loads of gifts -foot wears, firepots (Kangri) and packets of salt; mittens, mufflers and socks; candy, cowry and cash.

The joyous spirit does not escape anybody. Kids play with cowry and other sea shells, young boys and girls take shovels in hand and clear their backyards of snow to pave the ground for cricket and other games, lovers arrange rendezvous to renew their pledges, the orthodox start visiting the temples, the devotees go for morning parikrama (rounds) of the Pantheon of gods at Hari Parbat complex. The sixteen temples on the shores of Vitasta in Srinagar come alive with the devotional chanting of hymns and songs, the ringing of the bells and the sound of conchs. The high-water mark of the season is the Salaam, the day after the night of wedding, when, in a spirit of bonhomie and intense social interaction; people go visiting their friends and relatives. Elders give away ‘Heart Kharach’ (pocket money) to youngsters who come to pay their respects and receive blessings.

And the grand finale comes a day after on the fifteenth day of the fortnight, the Dooni Mavas (the walnut Amavasya) when the ‘Vatuk’ filled with walnuts is taken to the river bank where a ritual ceremony, with walnuts and rice being fed to sacred Vitasta, is held. The man of the house returns with the ‘Vatuk’ and knocks the door of the house as the housewife, waiting behind the closed door, asks:

Knock, knock
‘Who is there?’
‘Rambroor’
‘What have you got?’
‘A lot of gifts for everyone.’
‘Speak out.
‘Food and riches, work and wisdom, health and wealth,’

And the door is opened and the ‘prasad’ of walnuts and fresh-baked rice-bread are distributed to the household, the neighbors, relatives, and friends.

There is this unique rhythm to Shivratri. So much of rich traditions are packed in the festival that seeking a meaning to all the nuances and rituals would not only rob it of its mystic charm but also throw one off the beautiful track which the devotees take blind-folded to reach their goal of righteousness. Shivrattri is not a mere event; it is a series of social and religious events following each other in tandem. It is a season of goodwill and of reunion. It is good bye to the freezing winter and welcome to a rejuvenating, refreshing spring, the ‘Veerikyun’ and ‘Tekibatni’ peeping in their full yellow and saffron glory from under the melting snow, the red-tongued willow buds unfolding to fledgling green, the first of narcissus hidden behind a bush, the early blossoming pansy eyeing you with a blush and the song of birds in their passage back home. Shivratri wakes you up from the sloth and slumber of winter and fills you with a new zeal and vigour, stirring new hopes and setting new goals. It is not just the marriage of Shiva to Parvati but a process of renewal and rebirth, a reaffirmation of the strength of faith, a reassertion of the continuing cycle of life, a reiteration of the essence of religious tradition, a season of sharing and caring, of living and loving and home-coming.

(This article is made possible by inputs from my revered mother, Dhanvati, who helped me recall the rhymes we used to sing during this season in our childhood. I dedicate it to her abiding presence, her love and guidance).