Sindhara

सिंधारा, celebrated on the second day of the Shukla Paksha (waxing phase of moon) of Shravan, is essentially a women's festival. I know not, exactly, the rituals and ceremonies that go with it- mehendi, new clothes, swinging on झूला s, and gifts of fruit and corn and a token amount of money.


To me and jiji, it brings back memories of... oh, when we were little girls, the evening of the festival, दादीमा would sit us on the rocking chair ('twas a difficult task, to be sure, getting us both to sit still), sing us a lovely song--we couldn't make out the words, but she had a beautiful voice, and the song wrapped itself around us, notes hanging in the air in perfect pitch and no melody at all, just rhythm of her breathing... oh, I do believe I make no sense at all--while rocking the chair back and forth, and give us a rupee (or two, or five, as the years went by) each. We'd run off to the shop as soon as she was done to buy eclairs. 


We did not realize it then, but, you see, this was our world- mine, jiji's and dadima's: free spirits, indulgence, and a beautiful song. 'tis sindhara tomorrow: to me, it is simply another reason to go back to that little world, for a while... to feel my dadi's presence- warm, rich, and loving- wrapping itself around me.