Sunday Reading: Bonfire(Holi ka Dahan)

 Just on 28th of March, we had holi in India. The festival of holi perceived in India as 'victory of good over evil spirits'. Where the shops, public places as well as homes are displayed with fireworks. A large and controlled fire is burnt sturdy, after its extinguishing, it is conceived as all ill omen from life, is purged in fire and now, the entire country, idea, person, people, culture are rejuvenated. Which has inspired them to look forward towards all the auspicious coming things, that would flexibly remain till the completion of the current year, from the initiation of celebration. Similar to this, there are many events as such, happening at variety of months and dates. In a way those events denotes; although victory of good over evil, rescuing from further devastation (the 1605 incident of gunpowder, where one of the members, involved in was caught. Who guarded the explosives, buried under the house of Lords in London and intending to kill King James I),  utilizing for farms and gardening, by taking its remnants of burnt ashes to restructure the soil, to reestablished fertility of-soil, crop as well as animals.

There are many countries that celebrates, holi festival but in one way or the other, it isn't much but slight differentiated in its approach.

In Canada already two entities; Irish and English are fused in. Where one can recall the incident of 1605, Samhatian and also 17 protestants were burnt alive as guilty of committing heresy(thus the sin committer is punished on this day, the reason must be of publicity though specification isn't ascribed but assumed thus). Furthermore noone can forget that this took place under observation of queens and kings, during 16-17 century in UK. It doesn't directly say anything but by its description, it says many unconveyed things, that extract out the idea of 'favorable' and 'infavourable'. Thus it entails tha idea called 'favourism'.

Like this many countries are involved; for example Australia, Japan, Iran(Sadeh Festival), Iraq, Czech Republic, Fukuoka etc.

In Autralia legislation regarding celebration of festival considered with discrimination between classes, areas, positions. Japan emphasizes on light, engulfing the entire ship, the leader of the ship considered as an auspicious guider with some guidance. The entire ship engulfed with lights all around.

Sadeh Festival celebrated in Iran, especially for the welfare of people and the king's perceivance that as this day is reminiscent for killing the snake as it seems to be happened accidentally with mere flinting of two stones altogether. This day must be celebrated(good won over evil).

It is also considered as magic day, since the solstice and equinox come together on the full moon day. Thus it is considered to be the rebirth of the deadened things as well as celebrating the arrival of spring(autumn followed by spring).

It can be deciphered from this lines, that anything exists in contradiction. Nothing can be void or considered unimportant as everything has it's own area of existence following own norms(ending and beginning are often altered, as the cycles).

While in other countries though emphasizing on light, it is also related with transference of light, with some space between each lightened objects, considering its diagram and well measured meterical distance.

If talking in context of Indian myth, associated with Holi. There is the myth of 'Holika'. According to which Holika is the sister of the king, named Hiranyakashyapu. Who has a son called Prahlada(a staunch devotee of Lord Krishna). After many unsuccessful attempts to downplay the faith of lord vishnu from  Prahalada's heart, the king tricks against Holika, by placing Prahalada into Holika's lap(who had boon of Lord Brahma on her and a shawl that can protect her from all mishappenings of life). When the fire is intensely burning and spreading its flaws, Prahalada is chanting for Lord Krishna and the only shawl comes to rescue him, from the claws of his own father.

As seen in the video, the event of Chandra, including kanya rashi hadn't ever happened than in 1521. The festival is mostly celebrated at the night of Poonam, followed by the next day, of dhuleti.

Moreover bornfire is also given prominent emphasization in Industries, household chores, to sustain environmental cleanliness. While the manner and ways of firing are adopted, considering the current weather and the nature of disposing materials.

Works Cited

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonfire

https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-travel-picks-firefestivals/top-10-fire-festivals-around-the-world-idUKLNE8A101N20121102

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonfire_Night

https://www.divyabhaskar.co.in/dharm-darshan/dharm/video/holi-can-be-worshiped-from-640-pm-to-0855-pm-today-in-a-grand-coincidence-499-years-later-128367001.html?utm_campaign=128367001&utm_medium=sharing&_branch_match_id=865999162697533063

Arundhati Subramaniam: A Sahitya Academy Awardee for(When God is a Traveller-2014)

 Arundhati Subramaniam, a sahitya academy awardee was an Indian writer, critic, curator, journalist and is being famous for receiving many awards and fellowships throughout her entire career. As here we are concerned with the aforementioned poem, we will discuss this in detail.

Explanation on the poem

The poem emphasizes on placing trust on someone else, who is being name as God in the poem, which is addressed by an outsider and to whom it is addressed is also unknown to the readers. The entire poem is describing such qualities of God. As God is such, who has always empathised with entire humanity, who have experienced ups and downs in life, besides this he can't think of betraying anyone else but this time wants to change his point of view towards seeing life and that the poem gradually opens up, that one isn't any other, but the one to whom the entire poem is addressing and that is "you".

Interpretation 

As the explanation is mentioned above, one can understand what should be the crux of this poem.  Someone is there named "you". Who is probably not trusting someone who is God/can say something has happened in his/her life that comes through there, that now he/she can't trust and so he/she is doing away with. While on the other side, the outsider who is evidently witnessing the entire scene, doesn't want to let it happen and insisting upon, giving a second chance to life. According to him/her perhaps is better to choose, rather than just doubting on anything constantly.

"Suspicion Mars you many times, while confrontation only for once."

Perhaps on this aspect the outsider is emphasizing on. The outsider isn't only considering the God but also a persona named "you" and his/her characteristics of being abundant, auspicious, battle-scared and live and in light of this, the outsider is able to see many resilient qualities in God and so he/she is concluding that, the "you" would be well understood by God rather than anyone else, as he comprises all characteristics of God(being omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient).

This can be seen as a human, who has God-like qualities, who has a sudden comeback from where, isn't mentioned.

Literary Elements

The poems seems to be direct in tone, opposite to Manippean satire(where it is indirect in tone) that is easily decipherable in the poem, who is addressing whom and with what intentions and that is with convincing tone. So the matter, pregnant in the poem, can be resolved.

The poem comprises; alliteration, repetition, personification and written in irregular form of the structure, doesn't follow any specific pattern. This can be read otherwise, if placed an ordinary person at the place of God. The ordinary man has to struggle a lot to come to the position of God. While it is altogether a different matter, where everything is easily made available to some people. Aiding with this they can rule over the world as they want to. Which we had seen in many controversial cases of babas in India.

Personal Impression

The poem emphasizes on the qualities of God as well as "you" and the third person, who is narrating the poem, deals with convincing tone.

Real life approach: it gives me some ideas on how to be resilient in confrontation and real life situations.

Contradiction: When you had seen enough pains and struggles of others, you can be grateful of what today you are.

Believe in evolution rather than staticality.

Conclusion

As mentioned above, the poem is appropriate in describing the qualities of God. A person at such position only can function as God and can be trusted, thay seems to be denoting the spiritual approach towards life. It is through such operating operations in life; wanted, unwanted, a person can grow himself/herself with enough endurance. 

It is through this, a person encounters the life of immortality. Which is different from what Faustus says in Dr. Faustus, while it can be in some way get connected with Mobydick, the huge albino whale.

The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown

 The Da Vinci Code, published in 2003 by Dan Brown is primary based on the symbolic reading. How a murder of Jacques Sauneire has occurred in Louvre, which was actually committed by Silas an Albino Monk but Robert Langdon, a professor of symbology is tried to entrapped by Bezu Fache, policeman. Having sensed if Langdon would be really entrapped then, he is thwarted by Sophie Neuve and both the protagonists are eloped away from the Louvre.

From here the journey of solving various symbols is started and the entire story of the novel is exposed through these many various symbols and lastly also ended at the scene, where the symbol of Sarcophagus(Mary Magdalene) is confronted by Robert Langdon, perhaps giving some scope to explore more on.

1. Brown states on his website that his books are not anti-Christian, though he is on a 'constant spiritual journey' himself, and says that his book The Da Vinci Code is simply "an entertaining story that promotes spiritual discussion and debate" and suggests that the book may be used "as a positive catalyst for introspection and exploration of our faith."

Yes in a way, it doesn't suggest anything as such that Brown is anti-Christian or talking in favour of Christianity. But it seems from the novel and the revelation  of mystery that it is giving a free space for exploration, actually what spirituality is/how one can explore a human journey by not reaching on destination but just keeping on travelling through the journey. Where it will engulf many debates, encounters and discussions as these and through this only a new theory can be invented.

Although it is obvious that much of what Brown presented in his novel as absolutely true and accurate is neither of those, some of that material is of course essential to the intrigue, and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman has retained the novel's core, the Grail-related material: the sacred feminine, Mary Magdalene's marriage, the Priory of Sion, certain aspects of Leonardo's art, and so on[1].” How far do you agree with this observation of Norris J. Lacy?

1. (If)You have studied ‘Genesis’ (The Bible), ‘The Paradise Lost’ (John Milton) and ‘The Da Vinci Code’ (Dan Brown). Which of the narrative/s seem/s to be truthful? Whose narrative is convincing to the contemporary young mind?

Three of these are fictionalized, it can't be retained as something based on reality. John Milton has portrayed "God" in this novel as a human so another human can be given room to investigate upon God, actually what is there that constitutes an embodiment like God. Therefore here Eve is given that space.

1. What harm has been done to humanity by the biblical narration or that of Milton’s in The Paradise Lose? What sort of damage does narrative like ‘The Vinci Code’ do to humanity?

In Milton's Paradise lost, the story of Adam, Eve, Satan and God is narrated, which seems to be the descend of genesis. In this novel, Adam portrayed as an obedient Son of the God, while on the contrary as Eve shows her curiosity towards unknown things, she is portrayed as a fallen woman. As she is portrayed so, she and Adam are forced to leave the garden of Eden.Therefore in this way, event after event takes place in the novel.

From the very beginning, one is to see, how the differences regarding gender identity is created. Noone knows what actually was going into the mind of God. If he was literally discriminating/by discriminating trying to establish an entire new frame-work for existence of men-women together on Earth(can be seen through interdependancy/Yin-yang like concepts, where the existence of anything is seen through halves, and thus halves make any incomplete thing, a whole, that is of man & woman both. Where Osho's Hindi poem can also be taken as an example: Ardhnaarishwara, where similar characteristics regarding interdependancy are emphasized).

This is one point, thought by the God. But how it is imbibed by humanbeings that one can't see literally, only can see such impacts through human actions on society, that is from men's side as well as women's side. If given reaction through the former identity, one will consider/observe with shock, frightening and wonder as the submissive identity is further being suppressed and it is her very naturality that she can't speak up/voice against any mishappenings. Thus someone who is altogether a competent personality would appear as a Messiah, and probably be providing her a voice, that is where 'the theory of subalternity-Gayatri Spivak' comes to rescue of unvoiced humanbeings. But are these approaches really potential in providing them voices? It can't be said, it can only be observed.

One can probably conclude that it is treatment to any prospect of the society, contributing in creating an entire seen and we humans are so immersed in our own problems, that we can't see clearly a variety of aspects encircling one idea, thus becoming subjective we may be living our entire life.

In this way, through binaries one can see one's entire life. If suppose binaries aren't existing, what would be the life having to offer, 'all happiness'? No.(Then probably the society would be an anarchist one{doing as one like-Mathew Arnold: Culture & Anarchy}) There may be some different struggle, awaited for a humanbeing and in real manner, noone can escape from struggles of life. One has to confront and gradually overcome.

Therefore what is given by the life, one should accept. Be as 'true to life' rather than comparing, envying on others.

1. What difference do you see in the portrayal of 'Ophelia' (Kate Winslet) in Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet, 'Elizabeth' (Helena Bonham CN) in Kenneth Branagh's Mary Shelley's Frankenstein or 'Hester Prynne' (Demi Moore) in Roland Joffé's The Scarlet Letter' or David Yates's 'Harmione Granger' (Emma Watson) in last four Harry Potter films - and 'Sophie Neuve' (Audrey Tautau) in Ron Howard's The Da Vinci Code? How would justify your answer?
2. Do novel / film lead us into critical (deconstructive) thinking about your religion? Can we think of such conspiracy theory about Hindu religious symbols / myths?
3. Have you come across any similar book/movie, which tries to deconstruct accepted notions about Hindu religion or culture and by dismantling it, attempts to reconstruct another possible interpretation of truth?
4. When we do traditional reading of the novel ‘The Da Vinci Code’, Robert Langdon, Professor of Religious Symbology, Harvard University emerges as protagonist and Sir Leigh Teabing, a British Historian as antagonist. Who will claim the position of protagonist if we do atheist reading of the novel?
5. Explain Ann Gray’s three propositions on ‘knowability’ with illustrations from the novel ‘The Da Vinci Code’.

a.       1) Identifying what is knowable 
b.      2) identifying and acknowledging the relationship of the knower and the known
c.      3) What is the procedure for ‘knowing’?