I’m a Hindu, I rose from the land of the seven rivers and more, Don’t give me the name of religion and stifle me. I flow unrestraint, I can’t be bound within a frame.
My gods are diverse Just as nature is diverse I pray to life in its myriad forms The rivers, the caves, the trees, The earth, the ash, the fire, the wind, I bow down to the snakes, I worship the crops, I meditate into ether. The sound of conch shells at ceremonies, The fragrance of sandalwood smeared on my Ajna, my the third eye, Permeates through my house, I adorn my crown with lotus of thousand petals, With folded hands I pay my reverence to the sun, moon and stars, My festivals celebrate all that I see The seasons, seas and mountains are sacred to me. I rejoice in the entwined energy of the masculine and feminine, Shiva’s dance Durga’s courage I greet with a ‘Namaste’ - And embrace the divine in you and me.
The creator, the preserver, the destroyer, Is the cycle of life itself And in my language, I call it Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara Don’t label me as organised I evolve I change I’m not neat For the sound of the Aum is even in the chaos In the dualities In the micro and macro In life, death and beyond.
I’m a Hindu I’m a survivor Whose ancient temples and Vedic verses, Survived the wrath of hammers and alms in kind The body can be slayed, morphed, seduced or shamed, But the spirit of my land remains untouched, It travels with pride through the genes I sailed through time, through generations I cannot be initiated into, I cannot be expelled out of, I’m made of this soil See it in the colour of my skin, Its rivers run in my veins, Its earth I touch with my hands, Its sounds reside in my soul, Its language gives me a voice, Its dance I rise to, Its music I dive into, The vibrant earthy hues Paints my dreams I’m known to be eternal I am expansive Don’t slam narrow religion on me.
I’m a Hindu Born out of the land of the yogis and mystics Where yoga, Ayurveda and mediation Are not ‘alternate’ but practices core, Where science is no different to spirituality Where there are no codes to follow But Dharma is unique to each individual Where breath takes me inwards To meet the seven chakras of energy- The rainbow which resides in me.
I’m a Hindu Of the land of Bharat Where ‘shoonya’- the zero, emerged My traditions, fabrics, food, stories and philosophies evolved from its elements, Don’t box me into a religion. It never was It never will be.
I am fearless I bow down in your places of worship Just as I welcome you to mine I see God in my guests Nothing threatens me, Nothing makes me small, I’m safe within me So I change with times I question rules that don’t serve me, I don’t raise swords to assert my worth, But won’t stop to defend when attacked The courage of Durga, The fire of Kali, The love of Krishna, Are energies which make me I’m secure in my fluid identity No codes to dim my light Rather, like a princess I adorn myself to my heart’s delight I embrace you, I embrace all I’m a natural heritage, Unique and native to my land Preserve me, I’m not a threat, See the beauty of variance in me.
I’m a Hindu You can find me in the soft delicate folds of a saree, In the crimson of a sindoor, In the jingles of bangles and anklets, I’m seeped in the aroma of the jasmine, In the glow of incense sticks and oil lamps, In the petals of the lotus, In the cascade of the monsoon, In the wet fields of paddy, In the taste of dal, roti, ghee and kheer In the vessels of clay, copper and silver In the jingle of the Ghungroo to the beats of the tabla, Interlaced in the strings of the sitar, In the melody of the ragas and taals of Dhrupad, In the erotic sculptures on temple walls, In the sticky clay idol sculpted from the riverbed.
You will hear me in the ripples of Ganga, Feel my obeisance in the frozen white of the Himalayas, My defiance in the scorching sands of Kutch, My roar in the waves of the Indian Ocean, My echo from the Dakshin ghats, My breath in the lush North East, Don’t see me as your version Don’t trick me into using your words I’m not a pagan, I’m broader than the ‘-isms’ I’m above the right and left, Raw and barefoot is my stance On the throbbing earth I’m not a religion I’m a Hindu I’m a culture, Let me be.
A mother not only gives birth A mother not only feeds the body, A mother nourishes the mind and the spirit too A mother creates and provides opportunities So that her child can be, Who they are meant to be.
A mother allows her child to bloom into their natural selves Not into what others think they should be A mother accepts and celebrates her child for who they are Unapologetically free.
A mother is fearless She fights against impositions and conditions of society To protect the uniqueness of her child That intrinsic expression of self The beauty of the child’s own identity.
Let me be such a mother to not only my children, But like Mother Earth, to all the children of the world Let me feel their pain and joys, Let me see their shine Above all, let me be love and hold each child by their hand To lead them to their own true selves Let the mother in me Celebrate diversity.
ShowerScape 