I was invited to a neighbour's house to celebrate the Jhulan festival. This was the first time I had heard of the festival.
Jhulan Festival is celebrated by the followers of Radha and Krishna. It is a festival celebrated in the Shravan month, the monsoon season. Idols of Krishna (one of the most practical Indian Gods, easy to follow, in my opinion!) and his friend Radha (again, I love the openmindedness associated with this relationship, though as a wife I do have mixed feelings in regards to the experiences of Rukmini, Satyabhama and others, but that is a separate chain of thoughts and I need to learn more!) ................ anyway the idols are placed on a swing decorated beautifully with flowers and fabrics and even gold and/or silver. The idols are adorned in beautiful clothes and ornaments. Offerings of flowers, music and sweetmeats are made to complete the celebration.
I heard the ISKCON story for the first time yesterday and how it was established. Interesting! The hymns that followed had a lovely Bengali flavour in the instruments and beats. There were a number of devotees and a number of people who had attended this for the first time. We all got turns to swing the idols of Radha and Krishna. I must say that offering the flowers and getting to swing the idols for a minute was a lovely experience. For a brief moment I could imagine how it would feel like meditation were someone to do it all by himself or herself in a quiet room.
The celebration once again has parallels to celebrations from other cultures. Celebrations inspire creativity and are expressions of shared beliefs, modified as they pass through generations.
Glad to have been a part of the Jhulan festival. Thanks Anu and family!
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