My Religious Enlightenment !

The place where I was born was a Christian dominated area(especially Latin Catholics). There were only 2-3 Hindu families and 2-3 Muslim families. While the Hindu families were related to each other , the Muslim families were also the same. My mom's and her sister's classmates used to be from Christian and Muslim families. Amma's best friends were Margaret aunty and Thahira aunty who lived just opposite our home. I didn't realize the advantage of being in such a mixed society, till I stopped living there and started living in a more confined one.

 

There were a lot of churches and chapels in that area. (like in Ireland, there are 6 churches within 5 kms of our home) . The only temple we had was our family temple, which was inside our compound,on the south corner. So mom used to take us to the churches near by. Mostly she took us to St.Joseph's and St.Andrew's. But the most famous one was 'Madre De Deus' Church, Vettukad  . On Fridays there were special masses, in that church(even today its one of the most popular pilgrim centers in Kerala). As we were not used to drawing Holy cross, we used to pray in the Hindu way, by joining our two palms together, inside the church.

 

In fact I didn't know which religion I belong to, till I was in third standard. My parents didn't told me the necessity of it too. In our convent school, we had catechism(Bible) class, and one day teacher asked us who all go to church. I stood up, cos I knew what church meant. And I was taken to catechism class. But catechism teacher told me that I was not supposed to be there, cos I was a Hindu. I told her, that I go to church,so I can. But she didn't allow me, to sit there. That evening I told this to amma and asked her, in what religion I was. In fact my exact question was "what was religion?". Now what she answered didn't make any sense to me at all. I was still puzzled, cos of my teacher's odd behavior. That day I asked every member of my family, their religion. Surprisingly, everybody was from the same,one. I asked amma, why its so. Again,I didn't understand, what she told.

 

On Christmas, we used to put Christmas star in our house and used to make Christmas tree. And our near by Christian families would  give us lots of cakes and bottles of wine so that our fridge used to be completely stacked for weeks.  Almost all family gave us these items so much that, we used to pack off some to my dad's home which was some 40 miles away. And on Ramzan, we would get biriyani, from Thahira aunty. We used to wait for this cos, mom didn't make biriyani, at our home.

 

Later when I grew up, after 5th standard, I knew what religion meant. But still I couldn't stop myself from going to church, until one day, when I was 19, my hostel-warden snapped at me "why do u go to church, being a Hindu?". I didn't know why it offended her so much(she was a Hindu). So I stopped my ritual.

 

Later in convent hostels, I started my ritual again. I had immense peace when I went and sat on the big hall, in the polished wooden benches, which echoed even the slightest sound. I only went  there , when church was completely empty and when there was pin-drop silence. It gave me a peaceful feeling of being alone with God. But, now my home is in a Hindu dominated area. Last Christmas, I asked dad for a Christmas star and what he told me is "swathi, this is not ur mom's place. Here if u put star, tomorrow ppl will ask u, why u put it!".

 

My cousin, who is still in my mom's home, sent me cakes and wine bottles. She said she had put the star, even on 20th of December. I wished if I too could, do it...how I loved it...

 

What relieves me is that I can go to churches again,in Ireland. But I am scared of one question . What if someone ask my religion,again??

 

web hit counter