Yesterday was a Solar Eclipse..Some of us were viewing the eclipse with safe lens while some were busy with traditional rituals like having bath at the particular time in religious ponds..
From my childhood I have been hearing that one should not consume food starting 5 hours before the eclipse till you finish a complete bath including washing hair after the eclipse. Also, a kind of dry grass called darbey is put on all food items before the eclipse starts-the reason being given is that the food will turn into poison had it not been for the small piece of grass.
But there are so many people who dont follow any of these traditions..so what happens to them..nothing at all..I dont have access to the dry grass since the past four years..After my marriage, we have not been using it on food items before the eclipse starts due to its unavailability and also a constant thought to overcome this fear of what will happen if it is not used. However we continue to have the traditional bath after the eclipse..
Another interesting thing is that some Indians in other countries follow the timings for the eclipse as in India rather than the country they stay in..
Any ideas as to the origin of the customs of having bath and the dry grass ??
From my childhood I have been hearing that one should not consume food starting 5 hours before the eclipse till you finish a complete bath including washing hair after the eclipse. Also, a kind of dry grass called darbey is put on all food items before the eclipse starts-the reason being given is that the food will turn into poison had it not been for the small piece of grass.
But there are so many people who dont follow any of these traditions..so what happens to them..nothing at all..I dont have access to the dry grass since the past four years..After my marriage, we have not been using it on food items before the eclipse starts due to its unavailability and also a constant thought to overcome this fear of what will happen if it is not used. However we continue to have the traditional bath after the eclipse..
Another interesting thing is that some Indians in other countries follow the timings for the eclipse as in India rather than the country they stay in..
Any ideas as to the origin of the customs of having bath and the dry grass ??
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