Diksha: A Form of Consecration or a Commitment

“Do all the good you can while you still have the opportunity.” ― Lailah Gifty Akita

It was a new dawn, a  scenic morning when people welcomed the year, according to the Hindu Calendar. In Maharashtra there were celebrations correlated to Gudi Padwa, while in Andhra Pradesh it was festivities associated with Ugadi. The Konkanis were going to celebrate their new year, while the people of Karnataka too were carousing.

Having my roots in Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and having lived in Maharashtra for more than two decades, I felt the best way to celebrate was through an early morning visit to the  Swami Ayyappa temple at Dehu Road. The temple is amidst the sprawling greenery tucked away in the Sahayadri mountains of the western ghats  extending from Lonavala to the cantonment area in Dehu. With the development, we find a few hills, some of them called the Shasta hills that are holy with the Shrine of  Swami Ayyappa. The trek on the Sasta hills was breathtaking. We saw a great number of morning walkers, but a greater number climbed to seek God’s consecration for a peaceful and prosperous new year.

On reaching the temple we found the doorway of the main temple closed. There was a huge line of devotees who sang in the chorus as the mridangam(drum) was being played to match the chorus. The doorway, finally opened and we could see the beautifully lit Ayyappa swami amongst several lit lamps. The women and men sang with fervor. Each one wanted God 's grace for the coming year. I kept looking at. The spirituality engulfed all of us. We all felt close to God as we thanked the peace that drove away thoughts of endless demands, leading us to gratitude.

 While returning back we saw many white clothed ladies trekking on the Mumbai Pune highway. They were barefooted and carried bundles of their belongings wrapped in a white cloth on their shoulder. They  had  white coloured masks on their faces covering their nose and mouth.  Their heads were shaven, feet tired with blisters yet they kept walking. I had read about them. They believe that the mask prevents them from killing the germs. Perhaps  they  believed that  living in stringent conditions teaches lessons of compassion and leads one closer to God.

As I looked at them  memories deluged, chucking me into the past.  It was more than two decades back. I was newly married, young and vibrant.  I wanted to see every place in the lanes near Lodha Heritage at Nallasopara near Vasai. The housing society had thousands of flats that bordered the hills, and edged a small lake. It was an upcoming suburb, and we looked forward knowing people.

As we walked across a large newly constructed road, we saw people dancing and drumming. It had the crowd of a wedding, perhaps more. I saw a young thirteen year old girl mounted on a horse. She was dressed like a princess. Her long hair had been braided and decorated with flowers of jasmine. She was dressed in a silk Saree and adorned an amulet.  A waistband with gold held her long saree and pallav. Her neck glistened with gold choker and necklace.  Her ears gleamed with the diamond studded jewellery, and other precious stones. She looked no less than a princess.

The central huge ground in the area was well covered with people. The festivities were on. Music blared in the background. There were loud chirpy noises. The old rested and looked on, while the young danced. There were a huge number of monks dressed in white. I wondered what it was. Was it a child marriage? I could not see the groom. The girl proudly picked a handful of chocolates and lentils and threw it backwards. Little children rushed to pick it. The girls mother looked on with moist eyes. I now began asking others. They said the little girl was undergoing a Diksha Ceremony. I wondered what it was.

Diksa (Sanskrit: दीक्षा in Devanagari, dīkṣā, Tamil: தீட்சை) also spelled deeksha or deeksa in common usage, translated as a "preparation or consecration for a religious ceremony",[1] is giving of a mantra or an initiation by the guru in Indian religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.

The girl was subjected to a ceremony where her beautiful clothes were replaced by white and each strand of her hair was plucked out by a few more women in white clothes. The beautiful face lost her smile and her mother paled out.

For days I was under a state of shock. I wondered whether God would appreciate his creation to be subjected to pain and misery. Does the consecration deserve, giving up all the small wishes of a young girl. Can’t  one reach a state of spirituality through kindness and compassion. Would the girl ever feel compassionate towards others due her own abject misery?

I prayed God to give us the rationality of understanding the path of consecration as one filled with goodness rather than one of blind faith and superstitions.

“We are the essence of what we DO! The part we each play in the cosmos. Doing good deeds for others is leaving our signature on the world.” ― Angie Karan