So No Beef?

INDIAN MAN WITH COWS FROM THE ECONOMIC.COM

Fun fact about Indian culture: most Indians don’t eat beef. Why?

Here’s a quick rundown.

Since more than 80% of India’s population consists of Hindus, most of India’s traditions are centered around Hindu beliefs.

In Hinduism, the cow is portrayed alongside several gods and goddesses, so slaughtering a cow and eating their meat is seen as being disrespectful towards the gods who prance around with their cow friends. It’s kind of the equivalent to eating a dog when you know your friend has a golden retriever. Awkward, right?

depiction of lord krishna with his cows from iskconeducationalservices.org

For example, Lord Krishna, who in Indian mythology grew up as a cow herder, is most often depicted with a bunch of cows around him (sometimes, if you search for long enough, you’ll find pictures of him playing the flute while they dance around). In South India, lots of people address Lord Krishna as ‘Gopala’ or ‘Govinda’ which translates to ‘friend and protector of the cows.” When he’s so heavily associated with the animal, it’s only fair they’re respected just as much as he is.

(They’re cute, after all.)

With their close relationship to the gods, cows are considered auspicious and are known to be bringers of blessings and happiness to those who honour them.

Indians honouring a cow from verso.com

Many cows are dressed in garlands and marigold flowers, with bright stone necklaces and embroidered blankets; similar to the way the statues of Hindu gods and goddesses are dressed when they are being honoured and prayed to. On special occasions, cows are smeared with colourful face and body paint to make them look all dolled up and pretty.

In many parts of India, the cow holds so much religious significance that slaying one is seen as a sin and is punishable by law. To some, killing a cow is seen as the equivalent of killing a family member!

But that’s not the only reason cows are so heavily regarded in Indian culture—it’s also because Indians find the cow to be the most resourceful animal on Earth. They provide milk, butter, cheese, manure, fuel, leather, and many other things.

Since cows have all these great uses, Indians consider them to be gifts from the Gods and often hail them as a depiction of Mother Earth— a creature who provides nourishment to all. 

Eating Mother Earth is probably not the best idea.

So, what’s the short answer when it comes to why Indians don’t eat beef?

COWS ROAMING THE STREETS IN INDIA FROM THEHINDU.COM

It’s simple: Indians love cows.

Cows are allowed to wander wherever they want, and some places in rural India even have “retirement homes” for lonely and aging cows.

That’s why when you’re in India (especially the south) you’ll more often see cows roaming the streets than you do birds or squirrels.

But don’t be scared if you see one dressed in human clothes while wearing face paint—he’s just escaping his birthday party. 

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Anusha Nimalaranjan is a second-year wannabe writer at Algonquin College. She is inept at small talk and is a side character in her dog’s life. Her talents include doing the bare minimum, putting too much salt in her food, and staying up at 3AM being haunted by her past life as a fanfiction author.

Why Indian Brides Stun in Red

Have you ever seen an Indian woman wearing a bright red gown on her wedding day and wondered why? Spoiler alert: it’s not only for fashion purposes!

Indian wedding photos from cnn.com

Like western cultures where a white dress is considered traditional, a red wedding gown holds a large amount of symbolism in Indian-Hindu culture. They are often considered to be an important factor in the union of two people and the staple of Indian marriages.

Red has always been an auspicious colour in India. It’s seen often in Hindu deity celebrations and was the colour adorned by Indian monks back in the third millennium B.C.E. Indian brides adopted this colour into their wedding ceremonies in the early 16th century, the “Mughal Era,” out of respect for such traditions. It’s been the norm ever since.

But those aren’t the only reasons brides choose to wear red on their big day.

One of the most common and well-known connotations behind the red dress is that of good luck. In India, red symbolizes prosperity, new beginnings, and passion. In this case, a bride wearing red on her wedding day is supposed to bring fortune and love to the new beginning of married life between her and her hubby.

The colour red is also known for representing the Hindu goddess Durga, who is hailed as a depiction of feminine power. In Indian and Hindu folklore, Durga brings peace and harmony to the world after slaying a powerful beast named Mahishasura. By wearing red, an Indian bride is paying homage to this legend and is believed to be channeling Durga’s energy- a way of bringing peace and stability to the couple’s relationship.

“MARS” from space.com

A much lesser-known reason behind the dashing red bridal gown is Hinduism’s ties to astrology. In India, astrology is extremely prevalent and is closely connected to the Hindu religion. More often than not, Indians and Hindus will consult astrologers before making big life decisions- including marriage!

In the case of astrological readings, the planet Mars, also known as the Red Planet, is the planet that rules over marriage. Mars is said to bring happiness and understanding to the union and is a sign of strong bonds. An Indian bride adorning a gown the colour of said planet is a symbol of believing in astrology’s ability to strengthen her marriage.

Despite the difference in symbolism between the red Indian dress and the traditional western white dress, there is one thing they have in common. They’re only for the bride to wear!

DEPICTION OF TRADITIONAL INDIAN WEDDING FROM MANHATTANBRIDE.COM

Because Indian culture calls for women to leave their house to live with the groom and his family, a bride’s sacrifice for the marriage is seen as being far larger. It’s only fair she be the one getting the most attention by wearing a dazzling red dress.

Of course, it’s not necessarily mandatory for the guests to wear anything other than red. If a guest chooses, they can also stun in red during the ceremony from their seat in the gallery.

That doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll leave without getting slapped by a newlywed, feisty Indian woman.

Happy wife, happy life, right?

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Anusha Nimalaranjan is a second-year wannabe writer at Algonquin College. She is inept at small talk and is a side character in her dog’s life. Her talents include doing the bare minimum, putting too much salt in her food, and staying up at 3AM being haunted by her past life as a fanfiction author.

Navaratri- The Celebration of Hinduism’s Coolest Female

navaratri festival in india, by hubpages.com

Folklores, parties, basking in feminism. With the wrap-up of September and the entry of October, you may notice many Hindus missing class and going off to party all dressed up in formal clothes. That’s because Navaratri is underway.

It’s a celebration honoring one of the main goddesses in Hinduism- the goddess of power, motherhood and war- Durga. The festivities last a complete nine days and nine nights, where families get together to dance, pray, sing, and of course, eat!

But what is Navaratri really celebrating?

DEPICTION OF Lord brahma bestowing immortality on mahishasura, from herzindagi.com

The story goes like this- a long time ago, an almighty God, Lord Brahma, decided to give his loyal subject Mahishasura a gift for his years of devotion. It was the gift of immortality. Of course, with every gift a God gives, there must be some kind of catch- and Lord Brahma’s was a single exception to Mahishasura’s immortality. The only way for Mahishasura to die would be at the hands of a woman.

Well, back in the day, all men were sexist, so Mahishasura decided he could kick his feet up and enjoy his immortality to the fullest, because, well, what woman would be able to beat him?

So off he went with his other, kind of evil, friends, attacking people for fun and wreaking havoc. All was fine and dandy until the days went on, and Mahishasura became stronger and stronger, basking in his immortality and doing evil. The lower Gods all tried to fight and tame him to no avail. He was too powerful.

Depiction of Durga from thegoddessgarden.com

Eventually, Lord Brahma who gave him the gift, decided something had to be done. Him and the other two almighty Hindu Gods, Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva, came together to create a powerful goddess who would be tasked with destroying Mahishasura.

That goddess was Durga.

She had eight arms, and each held a weapon given to her by the three Lords. Her means of transportation was riding on the back of her sidekick- a giant, wide-toothed tiger. Pretty cool, huh?

Durga and her tiger headed into battle with Mahishasura, who assumed the appearance of an enormous buffalo (strange, but he was immortal, so, why not?).

Depiction of durga’s battle against mahishasura, by artist kevin sidharta

The battle was intense. With her armament and tiger, Durga fought against Mahishasura’s rage and power, and the battle lasted a whole nine days and nine nights. On the last day, Durga’s powerful spear managed to behead the evil buffalo Mahishasura. He was defeated for good.

Navaratri is a celebration of Durga’s victory- a tale that demonstrates the triumph of good against evil. It is also seen as a celebration of women- celebrating their strength and wisdom as a way of honouring them.

Just like Durga’s battle against Mahishasura, Navaratri lasts for over a week. Durga worshipers get together to dance and sing in her name, staying up to sunrise and enjoying many kinds of traditional foods. Some Hindus will also fast during the nine days, only drinking milk and water until after midnight.

In India, Navaratri is serious business. It’s held as one of the most important and large festivals of the year. If you decide to visit India during Navaratri, be ready to see lots of colours and hear lots of incomprehensible screaming.

All in all, I think it’s safe to say that Durga is one of the coolest goddesses in Hindu folklore. Nine days and nights may seem like a lot, but hey, she deserves it. What would we be doing if that buffalo Mahishasura was still roaming around the streets? Probably dying.

So, thanks Durga. Happy Navratri!

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Anusha Nimalaranjan is a second-year wannabe writer at Algonquin College. She is inept at small talk and is a side character in her dog’s life. Her talents include doing the bare minimum, putting too much hot sauce in her food, and staying up at 3AM being haunted by her past life as a fanfiction author.