Women in the form of mothers are at her epitome of
power. That, is my belief entirely. No wonder "Shakti" is the worship
of the supreme power. The power of womanhood was being manifested in
front of me. The power she uses to mold the life and lives around her for
others. She does not need to be a birthing mother, she is a nurturer and a
reformer for many and that makes her a mother in the real sense. Want to share
a picture of a mother I met on my last visit home. She was from a lower middle
class and a mother of girl. A girl, who survived after losing many children at birth,
was with her. She was young and healthy, but her eyes carried the burden of
those dead souls she carried in her womb at one time.
My ma had taken us to a place called "Boro Kachari", a Shiv Mandir of
sorts in the interiors from where we lived. The Shiv Lingum was placed under a
huge tree and surrounded with a circular veranda. There were tiny little notes
to God, asking for some kind of boom, and a offering in return. I and my boys
were enchanted with this, and we did our little note tying to the rails.
My young boys were very eager to visit this place, because my Ma had told
them stories about it. She had narrated to them about the Shiv over there
that grants wishes, if you tie a note to the porch of the temple.
On arrival, we bought some of the "puja"
materials and washed our hands and and feet at the pond. A winding
pathway led us to the little circular porch surround the Shiv Ling. Could
instantly hear the soft rustle of paper. Tiny bits of paper tied with red
string hung from every visible railing there were. Little notes of
wishes, prayers, needs, and wants. Heart strings of whispered prayers
were all rustling in the breeze and sending it heavenwards.
Our puja was short, and then I stood out in the patio,
looking and explaining to my older son the meaning of different things depicted
over there. What arrested me to the spot for next half an hour, was a
mother who was doing "dondi".
She had promised an offering of some number of "dondi" (laying
on the floor and moving in circles around the temple area, while making circles
with her hand), if her next child was alive. The little girl of hers was about
2 years old. She sat on her mother's back, and her mother rose up, then lay
down and swung her arms in a full circle above her head. Then she rose to that
point and continued. Her co-sister helped by splashing "ganga jal"
around her. The mother was soaking wet, as she had taken a dip in the pond to
purify her, just before she began. The mother did not look breathless, neither
was she worried who was looking. Her only concentration was to keep the child
on her back and do what she had promised to God.
I stood there not sure if this made sense to me. I was
questioning the validity of her action. But, she was one woman I could not say
was wasting time. She was giving, what she thought she can give for her child.
Mothers all around the world have done it, and will do it again in a heartbeat.
This I can say for sure. Our own way of making things happen for the people we
care about. Happy mothering ladies to each and every one, to all those souls
you took care of.
Anumita C. Roy
