The Last Puja

Yesterday evening was jam-packed with activity! It all started at about 4:30 p.m. when my host mother, host brother and I left for Mahesh's friend's house. Her friend's name was Lalita, and they have been close ever since they were in Kindergarten! I got to meet lots of her friends, and we spent the evening at the shrine set up in Lalita's house. The shrine was amazing! The decoration and color that are used here in daily life are just amazing- the flowers that the women wear in their hair, the paintings, the sculptures, and not to mention the Sari's!
This particular shrine was set up for Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. When we arrived there were incense burning, and the table outside the shrine room was laden with offerings- things like lotus flowers, Jasmine flowers, a basket of fruit, a plate filled with bangles, and many other things.
When the puja began, the women that were there gathered around the door of the room to watch as a man from the temple chanted over Lakshmi and presented her with the offerings. Then, one by one, we would all approach the shrine, take a handful of flowers from a basket, and offer them by tossing them at the statue's feet.
The chanting continued for about two hours, and when the ceremony ended, the bangles were handed out, and my host mother tied two orange flowers in my hair. We then spent a little while chatting, and I spent some time playing with a new friend- Amu. Amu is a two month old baby girl that had been sleeping throughout the puja- when she woke up I was all too glad to hold her and watch her tiny little face contort into a small smile for me!
After the puja, my host mother, host brother and I left for town. My host mother needed to finish up some work on the computer so we went to what is called "A Browsing Center." A browsing center is a place where you can go and pay to use the computer for an amount of time. It was a small blue room in the upstairs part of a building full of businesses- everything from Sari's to cell phones!
We spent about twenty minutes there, and then left to go to dinner with some friends of my host parents. My host brother Surya is happily awaiting his departure for an exchange in Oregon tomorrow, and for the past few days, the schedule has been packed with events in preparation to send him off!
We ate at a vegetarian hotel- it was great food! Everyone shares all of the dishes here, so I tried a little of everything. My favorites were the paneer (a spicy sauce with cheese), the nan, and American chopsuey that Surya ordered! I'm really starting to love the food here!
(The photo above is of the shrine for Lakshmi at the puja).