O Brother, Where Art Thou?
August 29, 2007 4:02 AM Subscribe
Hey, I never got one of these from my sister! I knew she didn't love me!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 4:36 AM on August 29, 2007
posted by flapjax at midnite at 4:36 AM on August 29, 2007
This is one "thread" that I cannot follow!
(rim shot)
posted by zerobyproxy at 5:21 AM on August 29, 2007
(rim shot)
posted by zerobyproxy at 5:21 AM on August 29, 2007
I confused Raksha with Rakshasa for a second there. A Rakshasa festival might've been cooler though, like a day of the dead.
posted by BrotherCaine at 5:56 AM on August 29, 2007
posted by BrotherCaine at 5:56 AM on August 29, 2007
I am woefully ignorant about this. Thanks for the link, this is interesting stuff. I'm getting edumuhcated!
posted by misha at 6:44 AM on August 29, 2007
posted by misha at 6:44 AM on August 29, 2007
ohno! was that the kartika purnima last night? my sisters were out of town. damned inconvenient funeral things!
on the bright side, now i don't have to protect those bitches, at least, not for the next year.
posted by UbuRoivas at 6:58 AM on August 29, 2007
on the bright side, now i don't have to protect those bitches, at least, not for the next year.
posted by UbuRoivas at 6:58 AM on August 29, 2007
Kajari Purnima. coupla consonants off, and slightly rearranged.
posted by UbuRoivas at 7:02 AM on August 29, 2007
posted by UbuRoivas at 7:02 AM on August 29, 2007
I lived in Malaysia for a year as an exchange student, and at the end of the year I was joined by a group of short-term exchange students from all over the world, including India. On one of the last nights of our time together, the Indians did a ceremony for the group of us where we all lined up, the men touched the women's feet, and then tied a thread around our wrists, effectively declaring us their sisters. I haven't been in touch with my Indian "brother" in years, but I still think fondly on him and hold a special place for him in my heart. I should send him an email right now.
posted by arcticwoman at 8:32 AM on August 29, 2007
posted by arcticwoman at 8:32 AM on August 29, 2007
Sending you a psychic Rakhi dear hadjiboy! Hugs from your American sister.
posted by nickyskye at 10:05 AM on August 29, 2007
posted by nickyskye at 10:05 AM on August 29, 2007
UbuRoivas: Also, shravana pourNima, the full-moon day in the fifth lunisolar month of the Amanta (new-moon-based) calendar. :-) Didn't know it was called Kajari Purnima in the north.
(You'd be forgiven, of course, for confusing it with kaartika, which is another month in the lunisolar calendar. There is indeed a kaartika purnima, but that's much later.)
BroCaine, Burhanistan: As with any other festival, there are, of course, rakshasas involved here as well. :-)
In addition, thought I'd mention that this day has a Vedic significance of sorts. Tradition has it that Vaidiki (ie, Veda-studying) kids wear a sacred thread, the yagnoopaveetam, when they ritualistically leave their houses to start studying with their gurus. You're expected to start your Vedic lessons ('vedaabhyaasana') on this day. Additionally, if you've already been presented a yagnoopaveetam, you're expected to change it with a new one on this day.
The unstated point here is, of course, that these kids _will_ be unmarried Brahmin boys, if you want to be clear about castes, for all Vedas-studying kids were traditionally young male Brahmins. That is to say, the yagnopaveetam and its associated ritualistic paraphernalia is usually held as a representation of Brahmin sub-culture; in fact, the wearing of the sacred thread is often compared to other coming-of-age ceremonies such as the Jewish B'nai Mitzvah.
While it is, perhaps, impossible to seperate the yagnopaveetam from its patrimonial caste-baggage, I'd like to assert that SraavaNa pourNima is all about the studying the Vedas, whether by Brahmins or not. In that sense, it is more about being astika or not.
posted by the cydonian at 10:42 AM on August 29, 2007
(You'd be forgiven, of course, for confusing it with kaartika, which is another month in the lunisolar calendar. There is indeed a kaartika purnima, but that's much later.)
BroCaine, Burhanistan: As with any other festival, there are, of course, rakshasas involved here as well. :-)
In addition, thought I'd mention that this day has a Vedic significance of sorts. Tradition has it that Vaidiki (ie, Veda-studying) kids wear a sacred thread, the yagnoopaveetam, when they ritualistically leave their houses to start studying with their gurus. You're expected to start your Vedic lessons ('vedaabhyaasana') on this day. Additionally, if you've already been presented a yagnoopaveetam, you're expected to change it with a new one on this day.
The unstated point here is, of course, that these kids _will_ be unmarried Brahmin boys, if you want to be clear about castes, for all Vedas-studying kids were traditionally young male Brahmins. That is to say, the yagnopaveetam and its associated ritualistic paraphernalia is usually held as a representation of Brahmin sub-culture; in fact, the wearing of the sacred thread is often compared to other coming-of-age ceremonies such as the Jewish B'nai Mitzvah.
While it is, perhaps, impossible to seperate the yagnopaveetam from its patrimonial caste-baggage, I'd like to assert that SraavaNa pourNima is all about the studying the Vedas, whether by Brahmins or not. In that sense, it is more about being astika or not.
posted by the cydonian at 10:42 AM on August 29, 2007
Whenever I hear about this seemingly innocent custom, I can't help but wonder why the rakhis were not exchanged between siblings (rather than sisters tying them around their brothers) and find it reminiscent of brothers being privileged over their sisters in Indian/South Asian culture ... which leads to despicably high levels of female foeticide.
posted by Azaadistani at 4:13 PM on August 29, 2007
posted by Azaadistani at 4:13 PM on August 29, 2007
it is probably related, Azaadistani, although female infanticide is probably more closely linked with the dowry system than with this particular practice. i would guess that part of the idea is that traditionally the brothers would assume responsibility for their sisters, should anything happen to the father of the household (and if there were no others in the extended family capable of taking over that role).
posted by UbuRoivas at 4:26 PM on August 29, 2007
posted by UbuRoivas at 4:26 PM on August 29, 2007
I confused Raksha with Rakshasa for a second there. A Rakshasa festival might've been cooler though, like a day of the dead.
posted by BrotherCaine at 5:56 AM
Or Raksasa! A parade of Godzillas!
posted by Xere at 8:15 PM on August 29, 2007
posted by BrotherCaine at 5:56 AM
Or Raksasa! A parade of Godzillas!
posted by Xere at 8:15 PM on August 29, 2007
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posted by hadjiboy at 4:06 AM on August 29, 2007