(I had bought this beautiful mask of Sri Varalakshmi from Malleswarm (Bangalore) where one can get beautiful varieties of this Goddess decorated in the most beautiful way one can imagine.)
Today all over South India, many Hindus would be praying to the Goddess Sri Varamahalakshmi, for good health, prosperity and happiness in the family.
(Before we didn't have this mask so Mary was using the same Goddess made in dark wood, which has been with us for many years. I had bought it in Thirupati. So this year, she decorated both the goddesses and did the puja.)
We are not religious and we don't celebrate any of the festivals. However, for the last 14 years or so we have a maid who likes to celebrate both Hindu and Christian festivals.
Her name is Mary, and she is very sincere and devoted and loves to pray to both Hindu and Christian Gods. She is married to a Hindu, and her husband never objects to her visiting Churches. She seems to know all the rituals associated with the Hindu pujas.
She would herself bring flowers etc. during any festival season, light the lamps, draw beautiful Rangolis all over our house. We never objected to any of this as we felt she was happy. So from Diwali, Navaratri, pongal and so on she would celebrate each and every festival in her own simple and quiet way. She somehow likes us and our house so much, that she almost thinks of us as her extended family and the house as her "Big House ".
We are really lucky to have her working for us, and we too treat her as one among us.
Mary would get so excited when some festival comes, like Ganesh Chaturthi and Diwali.
She also knows, that although we don't really believe in doing all these things, yet she also knows that we will not object to her doing it in our house.
I am sure whatever, she is always blessed by all the various Gods of both Hindu and Christian faith.
Come Christmas, she would buy Christmas cake and some Kala kal and bring it for us. She has to go to church every friday after her work here. She would also wear the orange saree and go for the Novino near her house.
She doesn't live with us and has her own home and family.
Mary is very efficient in all the work she does, and the beauty is she does it with love and commitment, wthout anything being said by us.
So today I show you her handiwork in our house:
(Can you see two dolls dressed as as a newly wedded couple?
I also bought this pair of newly wedded wooden dolls, in Malleswaram ( these dolls ar made in dark wood, and they are very special, they are called Marai Patcthi Bomais. I also kept them here for they signify happy married life, and basicallly women pray for that during this Varalakshmi Puja.)
Our two doggies were also very excited and they were supervising everything done by Mary, wagging their tails, and very sweetly got their bindis put on their foreheadand happily ate one small Banana each as Prasad..
Loki
Let The Blessings of Varalakshmi Flow Abundantly To All!!!
She sounds like a very kind and spiritual person, blessed with a loving soul. So good that you have such a great and special relationship. Blessings to you and yours also.
ReplyDeleteThank you John. Yes, we thank our stars in getting a good help, for getting one with whom we can have no problems is so rare. We do appreciate her help.
DeleteHappy Varamahalakshmi day, Rama! She seems to be a nice person, a very happy person!
ReplyDeleteGood alangaram for Lakshmi. Finding a good maid is hard, I heard. Good that your maid is like a family and enjoying celebrating these festivals with you.
ReplyDeleteshe is definitely a good human being .. please do extend my regards to her
ReplyDeleteBikram's
So nice the face looks... and the decoration...
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing!