Marriage of the Gods

"Beautiful" is not a common word used to describe my commute home... but it was exactly that last night, with dozens of candles lined up in front of houses and fireworks happening through the night.

The occasion? The marriage anniversary of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi. It's considered by Hindus to be a very auspicious day. As my co-worker explains: "Devotees celebrate this day and do pooja (religious ceremony), and it is considered that whatever we wish, it would be granted."

The "everyday" lives of gods here never ceases to fascinate me. Gods "wake up" and bathe in the morning (e.g. their statues are washed by devotees), celebrate anniversaries, and even have their own bank accounts! People naturally have "favorite" gods.

Tyler and I joke about the temple in Delhi that was built on the side of a highway... people do "drive-by" prayers, where they turn, bow to the god and give praise... ALL while still driving their motorcycles along the insanely busy road!!

And people say Americans multi-task??