Jagdish Chanting

It seems everything I’ve heard and read about India is true.  Cows, bulls and donkeys roam freely along the streets.  I saw a huge cow standing in the doorway of a house the other night.  It seems night is their favorite time to hang out in front of the Jain Temple.  Maybe they like the chanting.  I liked it, too. 

We went there tonight and at first I felt a little sheepish, not being a J or knowing most of the many, many gods or any of the prayers they were chanting.  The men formed one part of the circle and the women and children another.  We were greeted by curious looks and some warm smiles.  Sam and I went to sit on the stairs in one of the corners.  I covered my hair with my pashima and tried to be as unobtrusive as possible, but some of the women waved me over to sit in the circle with them.  

The temple was a simple, stone room with doors opening onto a shrine for Vishnu.  Vishnu was carved from black marble and surrounded by two other gods, known as vehicles for Vishnu, who were covered in shiny, colorful materials.  There were demons at the foot of the shrine.  To ward off their evil, each person approaching the shrine would touch their right hand to the demon and then place it over their heart.

Beggar at temple

Jadisch Temple

From time to time, the drum was passed from one man to another and different men took turns calling out the chants. A very handsome and unusually tall young man stood and approached the center of the circle.  As the other men drummed and clapped what looked like Tibetan bells together and the women and children joined in the chanting with great enthusiasm , he swirled around and around, waving his arms and dancing as gracefully as any ballet dancer I have ever seen.  Earlier in the day I had seen him and the man who now had the drum sitting outside a shop together with their arms around each other’s waists.  Was it my imagination or was he flirting with the drummer, who at one point lowered and shook his head and smiled?  It made me wonder how same sex relationships are viewed by Jains or Indians, for that matter. Understandably, no photos were allowed.