jcp@brl-tgr.ARPA (Joe Pistritto <jcp>) (01/30/85)
The local Bengali community in Baltimore is having their annual Saraswati Puja next weekend, and usually attend these events, although I usually don't participate in the Puja itself. Some of my Indian friends have encouraged me to do so, (I don't have any religious objections), but I have worried about offending the other Hindus there. Are there any Hindus out there that would care to comment on this? Would you be offended? Do you expect others would be? Joseph C. Pistritto
agrawal@csd2.UUCP (Mukul Babu Agrawal) (01/30/85)
> >Relay-Version: version nyu B notes v1.5 12/10/84; site csd2.UUCP >From: jcp@brl-tgr.ARPA (Joe Pistritto <jcp>) >Date: 29-Jan-85 23:24 EST >Date-Received: 30-Jan-85 07:42 EST >Subject: Saraswati Puja >Message-ID: <7840@brl-tgr.ARPA> >Path: csd2!cmcl2!seismo!brl-tgr!jcp >Newsgroups: net.nlang.india >Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site brl-tgr.ARPA >Organization: Ballistic Research Lab >Distribution: net >Lines: 11 >Xref: seismo net.nlang.india:3 > > > The local Bengali community in Baltimore is having their >annual Saraswati Puja next weekend, and usually attend these events, >although I usually don't participate in the Puja itself. Some of >my Indian friends have encouraged me to do so, (I don't have any >religious objections), but I have worried about offending the >other Hindus there. Are there any Hindus out there that would >care to comment on this? Would you be offended? Do you expect >others would be? > > Joseph C. Pistritto I do not think anybody should be minding. ( though I have no idea about how it is in USA ). I have never been to any Saraswati puja celebrations , My experiences in India are that whenever people from different religions come , we are most happy to greet them . We have in the past invited several Muslims to our Deepawali celebrations and I know a number of families both Hindu & Muslim who do the same... Mukul Agrawal agrawal@csd2.arpa cmcl!csd2!agrawal
naren@ut-sally.UUCP (Narendran Nachiappan) (01/31/85)
I personally would not in the least be offended by a member of any other
religion participating in a Hindu function .
I would like to think ( and I think I am justified in doing so )
that the Hindus in general have the proud tradition of being among the most
tolerant of people . I am sure that my view would be espoused by the Indian
community in Baltimore and I think that you will not only be 'tolerated'[: -)]
rather , you will be welcomed into the fold .
Narendran Nachiappan
[ naren@ut-sally.ARPA ]jcp@brl-tgr.ARPA (Joe Pistritto <jcp>) (02/03/85)
Well, taking the 'net's advice, I attended the Puja and participated in the offering, etc. No one seemed to mind, and a couple of the local Indian girls were amused even. (a little snickering...) Anyway, always happy to entertain... -JCP-