Friday, January 14, 2011

Bhogi Bogey

Today is Bhogi, the first day of the four-day Pongal festival in Tamil Nadu. Growing up in South Bombay, a completely urban creature, I can only tell you that I hear people make a bonfire of old, broken things--and agricultural waste, I presume--on this day. I have no idea.

The smoke in the air this morning got me thinking of 'Bonfire of Vanities,' a movie I haven't seen. I wondered, what if we made a bonfire of our negativities today? Would such a bonfire, made with mine, consume the universe in mythical mode?

Almost as if summoned, I could feel them all rise within me, from the corners to which they had been expelled in the last three relatively restful weeks. Acquisitiveness. Anger. Pride. Delusion. Envy. Fear. Ego. A poornaahuti on this day.

That's probably what it's meant to be. But can I do it? I don't know. Or am I too attached to my negativities to part with them so easily? Tough question.

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