I thinks myths are all true!
My name is Anita and I have read about you last week in Indian Newspaper and it was really inspiring to see your trip to taj with BIG chefs. Please let me know if you need any volunteers in India. I will do anything to make it a success.

Tell me about myths, walking under the ladder one is the most popular with me
I think they all have avery strong reasoning behind their existence
I would'nt be defiant and go out of my way to ignore them
What harm could come by just going along with them

hi!vikas, the living pyramids is very impressive, keep it up!
And above all u are extremely handsome, ur face reminds me of a saint....

I agree, he really is

It sounds like you were having one of those days!
hmmm...
smell
the fresh baked bread
rip it apart
taste
the warmth
isn't your mouth watering
just thinking about it?!

a spiritually satisfying experience!

I'm going to have to check out "The Spice Story of India."
Love those tiny threads of saffron~

Hi Vikas!
Let me tell u here that ur "Dates & basil pulao " is just too good and so easy to make. Thanks for the recipe. :)
Could u pls tell me what gravy would go best with it? I would like to make the most of it next time. :)
Thanks in anticipation.
Love & God bless!

I think all myths evolve from some incidents. I am so sorry for you hand, please take care of them as they are extremely precious, which feed the world. I love your post

One myth says that never eat curd with fish and then restaurants serve fish in curd sauce. I get confused

Dear Vikas,
Hi. I don't know about the myth about putting the first piece of dough to the fire. But astrologically, Mars and Saturn are in very close proximity to each other in the celestial skies right now. And both of them are the staunchest of enemies. Whenever they come together, accidents/conflicts even calamities sometimes (God forbid) are bound to happen. So, just be careful till the mid of July.

The last couple of weeks have seen a major crash in the stock/commodity markets. I myself had an accident with the treadmill today and hurt my left knee.

Cheers!
Navin

The problem with all this myth business is that the more you believe the stronger the possibility of it taking over your life
Sometimes its necessary to let go of these superstions
Its all in the mind
Free your thinking

I agree navin, but i feel sometimes that this is all old school. we make our own co-incidences and make connections. most of it is waste os energy and time. In India we never give a gift in whole digits, I mean rs.100, we will always give rs.101 > thsi makes no sense in the west. in India we have our own beliefs with rituals and Vikas is right, to how much extent they are correct and man-made.

Hi Vikas - If you let this spook you, you're in serious trouble.

From what I've figured out, the efficacy of rituals lies in the performance of the act, and not in any meaning or significance of the act itself. Rituals help develop discipline. But you have to know when it is okay to skip them, when to stop, when to pick them up again, etc. If you notice, Indians tend to be rather ritualistic in their daily life - in how they eat, drink bathe etc. These habits and disciplines probably got inculcated in us through the performance of rituals.

In any case, take care not to fall into a dark pit of superstition. Keeping up traditions is great in itself. Looking for meaning and explanation actually takes away from it.

Hi Vitas,
Let me ask you one question:
Why most of Indian restaurant do not mention that most of the curries are very very greasy, spicy and hot on their menu?
Do they assume that when somebody walks in to Indian restaurant they are ready for greasy, spicy and hot food?
with all due respect, they should at least mention on their menu that this item will be spicy, hot and greasy so that somebody will not have really hard time next morning when they go for restroom.
This Question may be out of the context however your are in to this business So i thought I should ask question to you.

JD

I don't think Vikas really beleives all this,
I think Iknow where he is coming from
When you hear about these superstitions your whole life, they become a habit

Hi Divya,

If you don't mind my asking, what part of India are you or your family from?
I hear what you are saying... but I have noticed differences in how families 'adhere' to ritualistic practices depending on which part of the country they are from. It also goes back to the caste system in part... brahmin families tend to conserve the ritualistic practices more.. etc etc. Superstitious beliefs are different, more linked to our obsessive compulsive nature I think! A restless mind will always find something to think or obsess about. And we are constantly seeking explanations to justify evets/circumstances... gives us a sense of control... much easier than accepting situations. We all do it some degree.

I just find the whole anthropological aspect of the cultural evolution of Indian culture really fascinating... especially since we are in such a huge wave of change/growth right now. A lot of practices/ beliefs are starting to be challenged with the current generation. I have always inquired about the "why" and not always been satisfied with the answers. Explanations also differ between sub-cultures. It is interesting to reflect on how distinctions and definitions got confused. When were things lost in translation or mis-communicated/ mis-understood?

Anyway, just thinking out loud... anyone else have thoughts on the matter?

Sumiti

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I found out about voodoo dolls thru Archie comics when I was a child
I have always wondered about them....its scary actually

Interesting Vikas.

My mum always tells me, that if a black cat crosses your path it is bad luck(especially at the start of the journey)!And sure when one does cross my path,I have to wait for a while minutes, pray and leave the house (especially when going for something important as interviews)!!

I tell myself dont heed this, but I have never tried otherwise - I am scared that it might bring me bad luck...I am sure this is going to be passed down to my kids (if and when I have them)!!! I told this to one of friends(she is a kiwi), initially she had a good laugh, later she confessed, that she herself follows my supertition -Oh my God what have I done?? :)

Who reckons I should try otherwise? :) By the way, what about all those people who have a black cat as their pet?!! Hmmm........

Does anyone follow this one?

Rad

I am sorry Malika, last post is the "corrected version" - sorry I must have hit post instead of preview for the 1st two. Apologies :)

Rad

The myths can contain levels of meaning not readily apparent.

You can infuse the myths with meaning, depending on how you approach them.

If they are done mechanically, or simply by rote, or because of the threat of punishment if you don't do them, then they lose their beauty.

There may be many layers to the tandoori procedure. On one level, perhaps it insures that you properly warm up the ovens.

It also provides an opportunity to slow things down for a moment, so that thoughts can be coomposed and intention can be freed from distractions. So that when baking bread, your attention is not distracted.

It also adds a reverential element to the baking of bread - so that you are reminded that the bread, the clay oven, the fire, all deserve respect and to be treated with care.

Finally, it connects the elements of the oven and bread baking to a spiritual source. So even as you do a daily task, it too becomes a form of acknowledgement of Spirit in everything.

But if you are taught it from a young age, and grow up never realizing these things about it, then it becomes some meaningless, time-wasting chore your parents are making you do.

They are two different approaches to the same activity.

If you, as a chef, believe that the level of care and good intentions you have as you cook affects the food, then perhaps the ritual is worth exploring to see what levels of meaning are there.

believing is seeing!!!

Hi Sumiti – I’m actually mixed. My dad was from UP but he died very young and there was no influence from his side of the family. My mom’s Kashmiri but since my grandparents fled from Kashmir, my parents’ generation does not speak the language. Since we lived in Delhi, we didn’t really have any specific regional influence that seeps into most people. So unfortunately I don’t have any sense of community in the typical way that most Gujjus, or Bongs or Mallus or Maharashtrians or any of the other ethnicities in India do. I’m just a generic sort of Indian.

People adhere to their practices to the extent they are orthodox or conservative or liberal. So you’re right, there are different practices depending not only which part of the country you’re from, but even within each region. I was trying to tell Vikas that it’s fine to even just go through the motions because the benefits of rituals are actually in the act. Take raksha bandhan or karwa chauth for example. These are just days set aside to honor a particular relationship. Most of us just go through the motions. Some of us get all intellectual and feminist about it. I used to be that way but now I don’t question anything the way I used to. I appreciate the disciple required by some of the rituals – like keeping a fast, or the humility, or simply a sense of commitment that they generate. I’ve just started reading a book on Vedic rituals and it is totally fascinating. Most people (the educated set specially) shun rituals and elevate the Upanishads. But this book points out that rituals pave the way to being able to get an insight into the wisdom of the Upanishads. If a person is not trained in restraint, how can they all of a sudden sit down and take up Upanishadic practices like meditation?

The down side of rituals is definitely the superstitiousness that they can degenerate into. This has been a problem since the vedic age it seems. Every once in a while a Buddha or an Aurobindo comes along and reminds people not go nuts about rituals. But I suppose fear gets the better of most of us. It’s one thing believing stuff about black cats (I did at one time) but quite another when the same syndrome begins to apply to rituals.

Interesting coincidence Divya... my dad is also from UP and my mom Kashmiri, and the families settled in Delhi many years ago.

Anyway, I get what you're saying. I used to shun vedic rituals till they were explained to me at this temple in the US, only a couple of years ago. Unique place, very authentic... in my opinion anyway. Oh well, I hope I may some day understand the depth of all this!

Dear Vikas...glad no one was hurt badly, hope your arm heals well. I'm sure when you look at the mark it left...something will come to mind.

In Spirit,
Cinda

Great Post Vikas,
I am truly inspired by your work and your legacies to the world. I am proud to be of the same skin as you are. My forefathers had immigrated to Trinadad and we moved to the US when I was 10. So one generation to other, we moved away from "INDIA".....Thank God for that as being of Indian origin gives me shivers of hipocracry and lies. I think its the most ungodly society of all. I have always hated being an Indian, because the truth about India is the way a common man lives in your country. This is not a MYTH of this saintly country, but a reality.
The worst of the lot are the politician and new age gurus....They have exploited every Myth and superstition of India for $$$$$$$
They are the biggest MYTH and live only for themselves.
I am sure my post will be deleted and I do not mind, because the biggest Myth of India is a lie.
If you read this post, please do not take any offense aginst you. I truly admire you like thousands around the world and want to be like you someday.
Anuj Ramadan

Great Post Vikas,
I am truly inspired by your work and your legacies to the world. I am proud to be of the same skin as you are. My forefathers had immigrated to Trinadad and we moved to the US when I was 10. So one generation to other, we moved away from "INDIA".....Thank God for that as being of Indian origin gives me shivers of hipocracry and lies. I think its the most ungodly society of all. I have always hated being an Indian, because the truth about India is the way a common man lives in your country. This is not a MYTH of this saintly country, but a reality.
The worst of the lot are the politician and new age gurus....They have exploited every Myth and superstition of India for $$$$$$$
They are the biggest MYTH and live only for themselves.
I am sure my post will be deleted and I do not mind, because the biggest Myth of India is a lie.
If you read this post, please do not take any offense aginst you. I truly admire you like thousands around the world and want to be like you someday.
Anuj Ramadan

Vikas please do not take this post personally.

Dear Sumiti,

Its sad that the vedic rituals were explained to you somewhere in the US in not in India. Sad but true, you have people following rituals blindly without trying to even know how they originated. It would make a huge difference if the significance of the act done was known.

Myths exist all over us. They are seeped within us and therefore take the form of superstitions. Myths become what they are not supposed to and may be somewhere down the line we also subscribe to them to suit our needs.