ON MY MOTHER HUGGING A BANYAN TREE!
INTRODUCTION On my WhatsApp status, I often share a lot on various topics. It’s an ambivert's way of staying in touch with those who are away, without the cognitive load. More so, it’s a space to voice my thoughts and opinions often peppered with chili and dark humor. So, a day arrived when a Hindu festival ‘Vat Savitri’ is going to get celebrated. For those, who belong to different parts of India, ‘ Vat Savitri’ is a regional festival, celebrated mostly in Bihar and Jharkhand by ‘ suhagans’ ( married woman) for the long life of their ‘suhags’( husband). A woman adorned in colorful traditional attire, covering their head in red bridal chunri visit the nearest Banyan Tree to worship and tie a sacred thread around it. It marks a ‘suhagan’s’ devotion and love for their ‘suhag’. THE DAY BEFORE Now, my mother wanted to keep it simple, but I pushed her to dress up. With age, the enthusiasm subsides, but the essential rituals of the festival are observed with all devotion in my house. A