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Getting a new Brahmin-string - photo-series of rituals involved
nabadip - Thu, 17 Jun 2004 14:33:31 +0530
These photos are from Puri, from that street where only brahmanas live, on the way between Tota Gopinath Mandir and Jagannath Mandir. Unfortunately I did not get the very beginning and ending. I'll add two video sequences in the end, even though not of very good quality (Mpeg) as long as I am not able to capture material in better quality.
nabadip - Thu, 17 Jun 2004 14:35:29 +0530
1.00
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nabadip - Thu, 17 Jun 2004 14:36:53 +0530
Stringing the thread
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nabadip - Thu, 17 Jun 2004 14:38:08 +0530
a wider view
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nabadip - Thu, 17 Jun 2004 14:41:44 +0530
in direction Jagannath Mandir
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nabadip - Thu, 17 Jun 2004 14:49:23 +0530
handing it over
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nabadip - Thu, 17 Jun 2004 14:50:45 +0530
putting it on
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nabadip - Thu, 17 Jun 2004 14:54:18 +0530
taking the old one off
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nabadip - Thu, 17 Jun 2004 15:47:51 +0530
just checking
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nabadip - Thu, 17 Jun 2004 15:49:23 +0530
giving water
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nabadip - Thu, 17 Jun 2004 15:53:09 +0530
pouring water three times
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nabadip - Thu, 17 Jun 2004 15:54:32 +0530
for sipping three times
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nabadip - Thu, 17 Jun 2004 15:56:38 +0530
in order to then say the first mantras on the string
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nabadip - Thu, 17 Jun 2004 15:58:04 +0530
again water for washing three times
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nabadip - Thu, 17 Jun 2004 16:01:14 +0530
pranams while the priest says prayers
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nabadip - Thu, 17 Jun 2004 16:02:59 +0530
continuing
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nabadip - Thu, 17 Jun 2004 16:04:14 +0530
and ending the prayer
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nabadip - Thu, 17 Jun 2004 16:05:46 +0530
fingering for paisa
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nabadip - Thu, 17 Jun 2004 16:06:56 +0530
handing it
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nabadip - Thu, 17 Jun 2004 16:08:12 +0530
checking
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nabadip - Thu, 17 Jun 2004 16:17:34 +0530
and leaving
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nabadip - Thu, 17 Jun 2004 16:21:56 +0530
now begins a series of purification rituals of the officiating priest: first some gestures around his body which he ends with clapping his hands
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nabadip - Thu, 17 Jun 2004 16:37:57 +0530
then some rounds of pranayam which he counts with his left hand
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nabadip - Thu, 17 Jun 2004 16:40:46 +0530
then taking and sipping water three times
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nabadip - Thu, 17 Jun 2004 16:46:31 +0530
and shaking water with his right into his left hand
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nabadip - Thu, 17 Jun 2004 18:24:37 +0530
then it's getting kind of complicated, for which I refer you to the video;
at some point he has this highly artistic way of throwing water behind his shoulder so that he is like taking a shower for a moment
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nabadip - Thu, 17 Jun 2004 18:26:58 +0530
until at the end he says his gayatri a last time
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nabadip - Thu, 17 Jun 2004 18:35:07 +0530
here is the first video-clip from beginning until the leaving of the brahmana. I ask forgivenness for the bad viewing quality, since it is in Mpeg format. I'll put in a better quality as soon as I can capture it in such. Joy Nitai
[img]./html/sys-img/nabadip.gif[/img]
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nabadip - Thu, 17 Jun 2004 18:42:27 +0530
here is the second part which ends this series of photos
[img]./html/sys-img/nabadip.gif[/img]
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Keshava - Sun, 27 Jun 2004 10:30:45 +0530
Dear Nabadip, namaskaram
Nice photos! But I don't see tilaka on these guys. Do you know if they are Vaisnavas or not? I have a 2 hour video of a friend of mine, a Sri Vaisnava Brahmana in Melkote near Mysore taking ritualistic bath, doing gayatri, puting on dvadasa urdhva pundra (tiruman/tilaka) and changing his thread. Apart from other things. Perhaps I should send some stills from that.
By the way if anyone wants the prayoga for changing the sacred thread let me know. It is basically the same for every brahmin Vaisnava or not.
Probably there are not a lot of Gaudiya Vaisnavas out there who bother with such things as sacred threads at least outside ISKCON/GM.
Keshava
nabadip - Sun, 27 Jun 2004 12:14:51 +0530
Hi Keshava, namaskar
The brahmins living at that particular road in Puri are all Pandas of Jagannath. I have no idea what their diksha status is, I assume hereditary. I have never seen anyone wear tilak, except the kind that you see on a photo on the "Views on Ratha Yatra" thread, third page.
Why don't you upload some pictures here or on another thread, with your learned comments? Would be nice. I think for us traditional Gaudiyas it is more of a cultural interest than of a spiritual attachment, considering the views on brahminhood and gayatri.
nabadip
Keshava - Sun, 27 Jun 2004 14:20:38 +0530
Dear Nabadip, namaskaram
I viewed both your mpegs. In the first one 555.mpg the bearded gentleman is certainly is giving the younger man a thread. However there seems to be very minimal ceremony. Just acamana and some hand washing. Then the bearded gentleman seems to be chanting some japas with his hand covered and raised over his heart. There is a prayer uttered before this but the audio is indistinct. It almost seems to be a sankalpa of some kind. Then the young man gets up and leaves.
In the second clip 556.mpg the bearded gentleman seems to be performing sandhya vandana. However it is very quick. He clearly performs acamana, marjana, prasana, acamana, punar marjana, even arghya (and perhaps prayascitta arghya assuming that it is noon), however there does not seem to be tarpana. Again acamana followed by 3 pranayamas, then gayatri japa. So this seems like a bit of a short cut procedure. Clearly at the end after the japas the man is showing anjali/pranam mudra in different directions. However there is no abhvadanam, etc and the ending seems too short for the usual surya upasthanam. No mudra for surya darshan is shown as would be expected at noon. I could be wrong and it could all be some form of tantric sandya but it seemed like a short cut vedic sandhya to me.
Just my impressions.
If they were smartas one would expect a longer more complete ritual.
Keshava
How exactly did you post that? Just as an attachement? I'd like to try to post something like that.
nabadip - Sun, 27 Jun 2004 15:08:48 +0530
Keshava ji, at some point the bearded gentleman is heard saying the name Narayana. I took the scene zooming in from some distance, that is why it is inaudible in general. Do you think this man is kind of a priest (what is the proper name for that position?) appointed by the brahmins for this kind of job?
About posting: Before trying to post a video-clip you have to make sure it is not more than 2mb. Then you browse, click on your file and upload it. Same with photos. Madhava can give you a Smartftp account, then you can upload bigger files. For info on working with smartftp see
http://www.gaudiyadiscussions.com/index.php?showtopic=1801
Keshava - Sun, 27 Jun 2004 17:11:58 +0530
Dear Nabadip, namaskaram
I have successfully uploaded a newer picture of my deities on the personal deity thread. Now I will attempt to up load a small movie on this one. Yes, I heard the name of Narayana too that is why I said that he sounds like he is saying a sankalpa. In the sankalpa one might say "sriman narayana prityatham sandhya vandanam karisye" meaning that one is doing all this for the pleasure of Sriman Narayana.
Keshava