Ayudha Pooja

It's Ayudha Pooja. Yet another public holiday.
This is a day of worshiping the tools that you would use for your livelihood.
Andrew experienced this ceremony at work when when they blessed the plant to keep it a safe work place.
Victor wanted to bless our car, so we thought it would be a great way of experiencing some Indian culture. It is said that if you make this puja for your tools you will have a good year ahead in your work place. We saw lots of different pooja's on cars, the local Tailor on the corner had blessed his sewing machine and most businesses had been pooja'd. Victor suggested I make a pooja for my scissors, but I thought maybe I didn't need to encourage my hairdressing too much. (I am enjoying a break).
So off we went to Pondi Bazzar to buy all the bits and pieces to make our offering. And it was so much fun. Lots of people everywhere and all trying to sell us foreigners something. Flowers, drums, peacock feathers, toys, fruit, puffed rice, maps, toy helicopters, the list is endless. Thank goodness for Victor and Margaret who did all the bargaining.




Making the offering. A banana leaf is placed on the ground and apples, quinces, bananas, puffed rice, coconut and pumpkin are layed on top.

They light a piece of camphor and place it on the top of a lemon and coconut, this is an offering to bless the car. They then walk around the car 3 times and smash the coconut.

Now comes the time to make an offering with the pumpkin, they place coins into the top of the pumpkin, light a piece of camphor and walk around the car 3 times. Then they smash the pumpkin and rub kunkuma powder into it. When you drive through the streets you see these smashed everywhere, it looks alot like watermelon.

The guard then put a bindi, made of turmeric paste and kunkuma on each of the wheels of the car, mirrors, bonnet and back window. He also placed a lemon under each of the wheels that when run over would signify removing the evil eye.



I thought the kids would run a mile when it was their turn to have a Bindi put on the foreheads, but after some stern words from Mum they stood still and did what they where told. Mac was having no part of this..

It was our turn to get adorned with these beautiful garlands, I had no idea that we also we be bleesed as part of the pooja.

The family photo along with our merry band of helpers. Guard, one of the other drivers, Victor and us. (Margaret taking the photo)

At the end of the whole ceremony we had to all get in the car and go for a drive around the block. Goodness knows how Victor could see around the huge leaves.

The ceremony ended with us giving out pooja gifts. They where bags filled with the puffed rice. fruit and Indian sweets. We had 7 to give out, Victor, Margaret, 2 guards, gardening lady, other driver and one that I had to give to someone out side of the apartment building. So off I went in search of the very young Mum who lives next door. She always looks so sad, this bag of goodies certainly put a smile on her face.

It was great to feel part of the Indian culture and our helpers got a real kick out of sharing this with us.