Herath mubarak to you all !!
Yes, this is how we Kashmiri’s pandits would greet each other on this auspicious day. With celebrative mood and expanse of exotic food, we recreate the marriage of Lord shiva and parvati at home.
As ancient as it can be, we still keep it this way, the walnuts play a great role in our prayers. Infact Puja is done of walnuts dipped in round pots full of water, milk,curd. Do you know walnuts represent the form of our brain and it may be linked to perhaps our mind play. These pots represent the deities and are adorned and decorated with flowers. The puja is done today after Sandhya mostly and it can go on till midnight, the feasty meal prepared for this auspicious occasion is offered first to deities and then to family members.
The best part in our childhood days was to play haar ( sea shells Small sized )games. There are rules of the games to play with. The money was driving force in these games. This no longer is played now in the Kashmiri households.
The next day following, the Kashmiri’s would greet each other with ‘Salaam mubarak’!! Mostly Kashmiri Muslim friends would come and greet pandits at their homes. This too no longer bears any stand now.
The Herath Kharcha , some money was given to all young ones by elders of the family, mainly head of the family. We still do it.
The whole decorum would end on following amvasya. The walnuts along with freshly baked Kashmiri rotis is distributed to all families and to the neighbourhood.
Happy Shivratri and Salaam mubarak once again to my families, and to all friends !!
This year 2020, has been different, some have lost their dear ones and are in consolation mood. My heart pours for all of them but as we say the show must go on. Our rituals do stay with them with less form and fervour.
With warmth, love and blessings for all good times.
Amen
Rajni
10/3/2021