Taking a leaf out of the Ramayana
2009 July 19
Ramayana Maasam started this Friday of Malayalam month Karkkidakam 1 (July 17) and this year an amazing tradition too started with it.
The month of rejuvenation which was observed till now by Hindus have impressed the members of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church who started the first day of the month by reading from the Holy Bible. From this year the month of Karkkidakam will acquire an additional name. It will be known as both, Ramayana Maasam and Bible Maasam.
© Solilo
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1st..? or moderation..?
me: Moderation is off and yes! you are.
Yay really 1st…
Ramayan always interested me.. due to many characters… and stories within the stories.. recently i went to a recitation of Ramayan where the Guruji very nicely explained everything so it was understandable to even the kids sittting in the hall.
The Epic was created to show how men and women should and should not behave in life.
me: Mahabharatam interests me more because of all the nicely woven stories.
oorja, you certainly are on a roll……………
coming first everywhere…………
Weekends are my lucky days… got nothing much to do…..
hehehehehe
OG you look Dhoni in this photo..why so:?
me: Vishesh! where are your glasses? Ha..ha..ha..
you mean, he looks like me
Modesty has gone from this world… completely…
ROFL!@modesty has gone from this world!
me: We need to bring him down.
Hai na… ??? Really….
Wow,thats a wonderful bit info you’ve imparted ,Solilo
me:
yay!!!!!!!!!!! me third!!!!!!!!!!!
ramayana maasam………….
lemme read mahabharatam………. 
i so love itt much more than ramayanam……….. 
me: Me too.
don sololiya, the photo is awesome… btw………
i can recognize the lamp and book, but what is in that other pot????? any food items????? LOL
me: There is no food items…you foodie!
There is just lamp, uruli and book.
you foodie!
is food all that you can see everywhere?
me: Ha..ha..ha.. I asked him the same.
It genuinely looked like prasaadam
to me 
me: You are genuinely a foodie.
Thanks for new info
me:
Hmmm never knew these things. Thanks dear
btw have somehow always loved Ram Navmi for no specific reason per se. Guess got to do with the typical North Indian upbringing 
me: There is Ram Navami in South India too. Ramayana maasam has a different logic that I explained in my previous post.
cool info Solilo…
Already you have mentioned it, right
I am going to read Mahabharata soon
me: I did and now it started so posted the picture I took.
I love Mahabharat too because it is really interesting.
Read about it.. and a good move I should say, being from the same Church..rituals alone is not enough since one ends up depending on the priest to give u insights.
Holy Books needs to be read at one’s own pace and pondered upon and not kept for luck:)
me: Personal choices are fine as long as it is not hindering in anybody’s progress or hurting others.
This news is new to me. Bible maasam. The christians try to blend with our culture. Do you know? Bible songs are sung in Karnatak classical style in Kannada and I like the tunes too! That too with swara prastaara, i.e. the stanzas are sung with the swaras (ss n d p d n)!
me: Thanks Sandhya. Nice to know. I have no clue about classical songs.
Flowers in the water, Ramayana book and diya…beautiful photograph, Solilo.
me: Thank you, Sandhya.
Wow!! That is indeed amazing! Talk about assimilation of cultures… This is the best way forward, isn’t it? If we all take the best out of every culture, religion and leave out the bad bits, instead of fighting each other to prove supremacy over each other?
Lovely picture, by the way, transported me back home.
me: Thanks Smitha.
bible masam?? thats certainly news to me!! nice to know that
beautiful pic btw… reminds one instantly of home and brings back nostalgia!
me:
So interesting…and a gesture that tries to thread all relgions in one big necklace of understanding.
But as you read below the report(on the link that you have given), there are comments on that thread that makes you revolt…why not appreciate the goodness in an act rather than delve into other matters beyond anything mentioned in the article…
Sad indeed!
me: I didn’t even read the comments below that article till you mentioned. Aah! let it be. People are always going to find negative side of anything.
I agree with Sindhu’s words.
Why do people bicker so much? And dissect each and everything?
Someone should seriously ask those who dissect as to what THEIR contribution has been to anything ‘like this.
me: Some people are always negative. You can’t do much about them. So ignore.
where are u, Solilo, long time…no post. from me it is expected…not from u!
me: Ha..ha..ha.. why? I am giving you company.
Wow!! that is a amazing… what a wonderful way to bridge culture gaps! and tht is a beautiful pic….
btw ur header pic is awesome… dunno if i already told u or not… but u resemble shefali chayya …
me: Ha..ha..ha.. she is Shefali Shah. The lady divorced Harsh Chayya long back, now married to Vipul Shah and prefers to be known as Mrs. Shah.
wow i am really impressed… these small step go a long way in making everyone live in harmony
me: Kerala has always been a place of religious harmony.
thanks for the info!
me:
Header looks great and the snap is wonderful
me: Thank you.
Never heard about ramayanam masam,nice to know that bibile masam was adopted from ramayanam masam
me: I mentioned it in my Monsoon post.
Never knew these things before
me: New profile picture.
Wow, I never knew this.
me: I learned about Ramayana maasam just 2 years back.
tht’s really nice and novel! pic has a very diwali feel
me:
Very useful info! Me too didn’t know all this!
Thanks Sol dear!!
me:
ha ha well I like this month coz my of my star birthday
me:
How was your birthday?
nice idea – a month devoted to studying the ramayana / bible. interesting concept. came across a few other posts mentioning ramayana masam. to think i didnt know about it till i started reading blogs! tch tch
me: Ha..ha..ha.. blogs are informative. Hai na?
Sol,
Missed this news.Good info.
May be you can read http://is.gd/1Ekj0
[yes,yet another MM link]
-Nikhil
me: Thanks Nikhil. I am not that fluent in Malayalam. Can’t read that well.
Nice post. That was very informative!! I hadn’t heard all of that before, so I don’t really know what to say lol. Anyway, I like your site a lot. I’ve been skimming around, and I like what I see. Nice layout too.
me: Thank you.
WoW Solilo! I learnt something new.
me:
That’s kinda weird and silly. We should be moving away from religion and not towards it.
me: Why should we? Is it even possible to remove all religions? Is it possible to just speak one language? As long as people are not forcing anything on anyone, religion, language and everything that makes us different from one another is still fine. It is the hatred that is dangerous.
What’s next? Someone saying.. “I was born in the month of Ramayana masam, Bible masam, Quran masam, Granth Sahib masam, Tanakh masam,…blah…”
me: Is that hurting you in some way? Most people didn’t even know about such a month and there are many who are still unaware. So what does that tell you? That people follow these traditions in private (the logic is explained in my Monsoon post) and doesn’t make it a big affair. As I mentioned, it is the negativity that gets me.
Final_ Transit, where we move towards only time can tell.
Can we really say??
The names of months we use (Jan, Feb et al) now were also derived in various ways. Who knows perhaps in the future it might just be Bible masam, Ramayana masam, Granth Sahib masam and the like.
And more important, Does it really matter??! If I say I was born in June or ‘Some masam’ it is all the same! A rose by any other name….
me: As long as people don’t become fanatics and live and let live..I am fine. It is the preaching and my religion is better than yours that irks me.
Wonderful to hear this. what a beautiful and enriching month this would turn out to be. We start Shraavan Maas here and will be celebrating by discussing certain topics every first Monday for the coming 4 weeks. 2 days in the week will be spent going and out and meetin people for no particular reason…just to build healthy relationships in the community.
me: You mentioned that on my other post too.
There is a reason why people do this esp. during monsoon. I like the idea so following it. No one ever told me this or forced on me.
Great!
me:
Hi,
!!!! where you have been ????
me: Me? Yaar..just busy and a short break.
please delete this comment… !!!! by mistekae…
me: What? You were not enquiring about my absence? Ha..ha..ha..
??? What’s going on ???
me: I don’t know. Hitchy, explain.
arre… was writing a chat message… dont know how it came here…
me: Ha..ha…ha.. now WP is importing chat messages too.
this is news to me… !! good news.. !
me:
Am confused as to what this means. I’d never have expected christianity [today's] to meld with anyone, with all due respect, they go door to door offering to save our souls. Now I’m not religious much, mostly spiritual…but this melding…can be both good and bad, depending on how it progresses, and that is something we cannot know yet.
me: There are many denominations of Christianity and not everyone is like that. Secondly, in Kerala Christianity and Hinduism blended in such a way that they have adopted many of our customs and we have adopted their food habits.
Man has tampered heavily with religion, making it self serving…so Final_transit is not incorrect when he says we should probably be moving away from it…or realising its true sense/essence…Not what the priests say…or the popes…they twist texts to suit themselves as they please…but ourselves.
me: Sure. Religion is a private matter. As long as it is not spreading hatred or not forced upon then it is fine because people don’t need too much to bring negativity. They find their ways.
But I agree with you on preists and other religious heads. If only we could abolish such systems and everyone could reach god the same way instead of such middle men.
Very informative.Thank you
me:
Though it doesn’t make much of a difference to me but I like what’s happening
me: Similar thoughts.
That’s wonderful… talk abt unity in diversity
Thanks Solilo for this nice piece of info
me: Thanks Swaram.
From this year the month of Karkkidakam will acquire an additional name. It will be known as both, Ramayana Maasam and Bible Maasam.
Here’s to more such developments!
We certainly could use them in India
me: Yes! we could. I hope religion is practiced silently at home like this instead of taking out processions causing road blocks and noise pollution.
I think in a multi religious country like India these developments are more than welcome
Whatever the thoughts are behind this..atleast one gets to see a beautiful harmony of two faiths atleast in name…
me:
wow….talk about assimilation….this is precisely something which is so badly needed in times of intolarance which is so prevalent in the country at the moment….
me:
Coffee Angel has a point too if one looks at today’s Christianity and for that matter any religion. For some, religion means numbers and souls while forgetting to save the soul of self.
me: Agree with you guys there.
But Churches in Kerala and specially the Orthodox Church that Solilo mentioned has always maintained the Hindu/Kerala/Indian traditions. The “minukettu” during wedding is similar to the Hindu “thali” and so also the “manthrakodi”. There are many other Indian / Hindu traditions which are still being followed in every household when the bride enters the groom’s house for the first time. The festivals too are in line with Hindu ones. In fact Christians still write their “Jathakam” or horoscope and there are Christians who continue to believe in the “Kanyan”. (The literal meaning of “Kaniyan” in the Tamil language is “to calculate.” Formerly, the Kaniyan were experts in astrology.)
me: I mentioned the similarity on Coffee’s comment.
I guess in the end, religion need not always take away the Indian in each of us.
But then don’t we many Hindus too who have thrown traditions out of their lives?
me: HK, I believe as long as we follow our religion in peace and don’t force on others, don’t preach and make it an identity issue, we should be fine but that doesn’t happen often. For me religion is a private matter.
WOW ! Thats a step in the right direction !!!!
Using religion for creating a divide among the Indians has been the practise, so far.
Now, religion unites people by making them read their holy text.
me:
I don’t know…is this a good sign or a bad one?
Christian missionaries the world over are known for their (not-so-)covert conversion tactics!
Sorry for being so pessimistic, Soli!
me: But there is no conversion in this, Pallu.
I think it starts this way…
Step 1- Ramayan maasam
Step 2- Ramayan maasam AND Bible maasam
Step 3- Bible maasam and Ramayan maasam
Step 4- Bible maasam
(An intangible Ayodhya-Babri masjid issue in the making.. something that will fructify half a century hence!)
Mebbe I am just being cynical, and I hope I am wrong!
And I agree with Kislay. Had it been the other way round, there would have been ruckus!
me: Pallu, what can I say?
this is the kind of religion i like ( and understand).. u pick from me wat u like and i pick from you wat i like!!
loved the picture, Sol.. very pretty..
me: Mandu, I love what you mentioned here.
No fanatics screaming at this ? I wonder what would have happened if it was the other way round .
Glad to know this .
me: In Kerala for long Hindus and Christians have shared traditions, customs and food habits. So this news wasn’t a big surprise for me.
Is there Mahabharata Maasam as well ?
me: Isn’t every month a Mahabharat month in our country?
It is good to know, that they have a common culture . That is when Religion ceases to be a big deal .
“Isn’t every month a Mahabharat month in our country?” How is that ?
me: w.r.t our politicians.
Thats truly a “National Integration”.
Wow!
me:
the picture is beautiful! And so is the concept. I didnt know about it until now.
me: Thanks Mish.
Is it just on my blog that everyone’s blog address just disappeared.
Is WP trying something new?
The adrs are there on mine. I just checked. Has everyone left their blogaddress?
me: Yes! they did. It was there in the morning but now it just disappeared.
It’s like someone deleted it. 
i see the same thing………… in my blog!!!!!!!!
me: Oh! on your blog too. Then it’s fine. At least I have company.
Just now Indyeah’s and your’s blog address was there and now disappeared. I see that it happens when we click to add our comments.
There are a few glitches i think with WP since yesterday… its acting a lil weird…
but i m not complaining… it will take time to accomodate vimuuuu
me: Don’t you think with the arrival of devil Vimmu, WP started acting weird?
thats what i meant… lol… !!
lol
are the old smileys back or am i seeing things ???
me: Yes! they are.
that certainly good news…
Never heard of Ramayana Masam before..isnt it why they say blogging is good. you get to know so many things
me: Yes! it is.
Nice..
I know about ramayana masam thanks to my roots tough I gotta say,Bible maasam is new knowledge.. 
thanks for sharing..
Btw,veetil vaayikkumo???
me: You mean here in US? Yes! I started last year. I don’t read entire Ramayanam as I can’t read Malayalam that well. So it is some shlokas in it which is translated for me. I heard about it just 2 years back and liked the concept. No..not in our home in Kerala though.
Take care sol..
Nikhil
Uhmmm yes…my mom reads Ramayanam regularly..i find the language very difficult though
me: Yes! it is. You still vacationing in NY?
bible masam ..now that is news to me..
happy karakidagum
cheers
yes am still around..will be leaving around 8th Aug..
me: Enjoy!
wow…that is new info…
loved the photo
me: Thank you.
Bible masam?…… even though i’m a orthodox Christian,this infmn is new 2 me…thanks 4 sharing it here….nyways in chennai,i’m missing those ramayana vayanas
me: You taking blog break too? Don’t see you much around.
yeahh an unintentional break….. had a lodzzz of work in the office plus fever……and my service provider haven’t fixed my internet connection( in home) yet
(itz down for almost 2 weeks…wht 2 do all probs came together) and next week i’m going home(kerala) 
……so will be back asap shortly after a short break 
…miss u all
me: Many of us are on short blog break. Have fun at home.
Then how you doing ……..peanut kutty enthu parayunnu
me: We are doing good. Thank you.
christians in india observe the hinduic translations .. saw the link and was curious – this was never there before …may be the christian brethren is feeling short of rituals and want one more…
you might already know – that jesus was never born in december. the birth of christ happened in may — so all that christmas in december is assosicated with some festivities of ‘ i don’t wht exactly community celebration ‘ to spread the religions
me: In Russia, Christmas is celebrated in Jan.
it is always a celebration when so many people are around.
me: Yes..it is.
That’s how cultures and social customs influence religion everywhere Solilo. Soon both are so mixed we forget which was which
me: Misshhed you so much, IHM. {{{{Hugs}}}}
Interesting information!
me:
everything looks so red now
me: That was the idea.
Wine red..baby! 
looks more like blood
me: Yeah..you devil can only see blood everywhere.
*sigh*
OG!!!
*wondering what to do with this devilish mind*
it isnt blood red……..its a warm, beautiful, life affirming red
*Indy goes away feeling proud of her brains *
me: Devils can only see blood.
again, I didnt see this comment. So, its not me alone !!!
me: That’s because you two devils, OG and you share a brain.
Good come back Solilo.
Sorry Vimmuuu & OG….
hey!! new header again…. love it!!
me: Thank you, IM.
Oh, I love, simply LURVE the new banner! Very cool.
me: Thanks Pallu.
hey this is an interesting news you have shared
thankuu
me:
Do you also know that they have ‘pookalam’ in front of some churches in Kerala during Onam?? And there are many homes where they light the ‘nilavilakku’ same as in Hindu homes. Like Sandhya says, I too have heard songs sung in praise of Jesus sung in the Carnatic (classical) music style.
me: My parents’ close friends were mostly Malayali Christians and auntie use to tell us that they have ‘pookalam’ and celebrate Onam the traditional way.
BLOOD-Y BLOG !!! Why is it all blood red here ???
me: Oye! the color is wine red.
heyy where have you been? Have a great weekend,my friend
HUgs to Peanut.
me: Thank you, Mish. How are you sweetie? {{{Hugs}}}
Hey Solilo .. This is an interesting bit.
Communities taking a leaf from each others lessons – this is how it should be.
me:
Alle wah! congratulations! u have started the Ramayana Maasam!
that pic is full nostalgia Soli!! that velaku…we have a huge one at home…one hanging near the main door outside…but that’s only show-sha….coz it leaks oil!
bible masaam! this is great news!!! really!
there is hope!
i missed u! hugssssssssssss
but crafty is back n so r the smileys!!!!
just for that…let me just celebrate here…
me: Good to see you back, Crafty.
beautiful header! and where art thou, my friend..?
me: Thank you.
Mish, I was just on your blog.
omg! u changed ur header again!!! yells of “no fair..no fair…no fair!!!!!! ” followed by lound sobbing sounds from a gimp/photoshop impaired person…
high drama really is my thing, i think!
me: Mandu, you were not like this.
oh but people change!! each time that header of ur’s changes, i shall transform into a drama queen.
me: LOL
next post pleaseeeeeeeeeeee
me: Wokayyyyy.
come back…
Nice info. Never knew about it
Solilo, Ekdummmm Mast header hai
me: Thank you-Shank yu hega.
To be absolutely frank it was a surprise to hear Karkidakkam being known as Bible maasam!
But then as with anything that might infuse wisdom and lofty idealistic notions, we ought to welcome it
By the way… awesome header! ABsolutely stunning in fact!
me: I am so so so so so happy to see you back, Ushus. Abhi and I really missed you. You chose friendship day to return. Didn’t ya?
{{Hugs}}
Miss you all too.. you know how much
me: Yessss..
Interesting!