I’m in India, in my city. The weather is perfect at this time of the year- pleasantly cool with short bursts of rainshowers, cool breeze and a gentle sun. It’s the kind of weather that lets you stay outdoors all day without sweating. I’ve been enjoying my walks since I got here. It’s all the more nicer since my older daughter is here with me.
I’ve been feeling immensely grateful since I got here- for the weather, my daughter’s presence and the home we’ve set up here for when we come to Bangalore. It’s in a lovely community with a lot of green around. With no buildings blocking our view, I’m thankful for a clear view of the sky. There’s something about Bangalore’s sky- it’s a pristine blue with fluffy white clouds which are constantly on the move. ‘The sky and the clouds here are like we coloured them when we were little,’ my younger daughter said, when I showed it to her on camera. I can’t agree more.
The ease of making payments ( you literally need to only have a phone with an internet connection, assuming you have a bank account and have downloaded the app to make payments on your phone) – this includes making payments to roadside, uneducated vendors selling their ware on the pavement (the unorganized sector); the opportunity to order items online ( the grocery is delivered within 10 minutes from the time the order is placed); availability of fresh fruits and vegetables at reasonable prices; and most importantly the freedom, choice and ability to go where I please, wearing what I like without worrying about what others looking or judging feels like a breath of fresh air. Having experienced a rather restrictive life in Dhaka, it’s hard to take any of it for granted. So, while my heart is bursting with gratitude I have to share it with the world. So, here I am.
Now, coming to this week’s Tanka Tuesday. I’ve tried my hand at a butterfly cinquain. It seems ideal in this lovely weather. ‘Butterfly cinquain is a nine-line syllabic titled form with the pattern 2-4-6-8-2-8-6-4-2.’ Refer this link to read more. I used ‘Monsoons’ as my kigo word which is the rainy season in India.
White clouds
Glide across blue
silken sheet; uncover,
cover the sun, a light and dark show
at home
Travel
light; dropping rain
on the go. Gusts of wind
blow. Inform the arrival of
Monsoons*
This week, I’m also taking part in Thursday doors challenge hosted by Dan Antion. My sister visited Japan in early April and sent pictures of doors to me. I couldn’t share it earlier due to NaPoWriMo (the Poetry writing month).
The below door is the entrance to the Inari Shrine in Kyoto, Japan. It’s an important Shinto shrine. Shinto is a major religion practised in Japan, alongside Buddhism. These shrines are the home of kami Gods. ‘Kami are sacred spirits which take the form of things and concepts important to life, such as wind, rain, mountains, trees, rivers and fertility’ (www.japan-guide.com). It sounds similar to Hinduism which involves the worship of nature.
What I found interesting about Shinto, is the belief that everybody is good and evil is caused by evil spirits. And therefore, evil spirits should be warded off through purification, prayers and offerings to Kami. You can read more about this here.
Here’s another shrine door. This is the door to a shrine in Kobe. I’m not sure if this is the Ikuta Jinja Shrine. There are around 80,000 shrines across Japan!
Did you notice the broom over the temple door? I found it surprising. Well, it is to keep away evil spirits. ‘Broom have been associated with cleansing and purification of spaces.’ It’s made of bamboo leaf.
Trivia
It reminded me of something my domestic help told me when I was in Mumbai. She would ask me to buy a broom on Dhanteras (one of the days during the 5-day Diwali festival). It’s believed that if you purchase a broom on Dhanteras, (when people generally buy gold or invest in some new asset), it pleases Goddess Laxmi (the Goddess of wealth).
I end this post with a flower of the day. I found this flower during my morning walk. As per Google, its a poppy. Is it?
Here’s a video of my walking space
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