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India Should Host an Annual Paganfest
Ledzius
Brazil has Mardi Gras, the US has this as well as the Burning Man festival, and Germany has its Oktoberfest. It is high time we Indians hosted a theme-based international event that is, frankly, a bit whacky.
I have been mulling this for some time and think that one theme which we Indians should celebrate should be paganism. Coming to think of it, Hinduism is itself a bit pagan. And there is a resurgence of paganism in other parts of the world. The ancient pagan religions of Asatru and Druidism, as well as new age Wiccanism are gaining followers from around the world. A lot of Wiccans flock to Hampi every year.
Although there are disparate festivals here and there all over the world concerning these movements, so far there isn't one on a grand scale that celebrates all forms of paganism with international prominence. And before it is too late, India should capitalise on this opportunity and host a yearly Paganfest that attracts pagans of different types from all over the world. And being the home of the largest number of Hindus, pagan by definition, it is all the more fitting for India to host such a festival.
I have come up with some ideas and outlines for such an event. I am warning anyone who is reading this that many of them are intently a bit outrageous. But I believe that those factors would only make it more popular, especially among the pagan crowd.
As far as the venue is concerned, I am thinking of somewhere near Pushkar or Ajmer in Rajasthan. The reasons are many-
a) It is better for this festival to take place in Rajasthan. This way, the foreigners could club the pilgrimage with experiencing the splendors of Rajasthan, including Jaipur and Udaipur.
b) A desert atmosphere is conducive to this kind of event. I have the Burning Man festival that takes place in Nevada in mind.
c) Pushkar already attracts many foreigners because it is a bhang and opium haven. These would be a major part of the event, so it would seem like an ideal venue.
As far as the date is concerned, I think this should take place just around the time of Holi. In fact, it should be 2-3 day and night event with the last day coinciding with the Holi night where people spray each other. Plus the fact that bhang is consumed widely all over India during this period would naturally spill over into this event. And being early March, the weather would also be ideal for such an event.
What about the festival itself? I would model this loosely on Woodstock, with an arena and an amphitheatre. These structures would be constructed with a sandstone theme, in keeping up with the traditional architecture of Rajasthan. And speaking of Woodstock, yes, there would be plenty of sex. There would be "campgrounds", with sandstone rooms and cubicles where couples (or groups) can get some privacy and spend the night. Each cubicle may or may not have an attached toilet depending on the price. But these cubicles will have no roofs, so the desert moon (which would be a full moon during the time of Holi) would shine into them. And there would be no beds or electricity, so people would have to bring their own sleeping bags and flashlights. There would be several camps, for straight Wiccans, lesbian Wiccans, straight Asatru followers, gay ones and so on. These different camps would be permanent structures, used once a year solely for this purpose. And depending on the camp, there would be different motifs on the sandstone walls, with those of Khajuraho, or Gaia, for instance. The number of such cubicles would be quite limited and get sold out, so bookings have to be made months in advance. These camps would be situated a little away from the main amphitheatre, so that it's a ten-minute walk in between.
There would be several stalls near the main venue, some catering food, some catering bhang or ganja, some catering sex toys, condoms and Viagra, and so on. There really would be nothing that is quite taboo. There would also be souvenir stalls run by the different groups to sell their memorabilia and literature.
In the mornings, there would be presentations given by the various pagan groups and their chapters. During the late afternoon, the shows would start in the amphitheatre. Again, like Woodstock, there would be a lot of bands that play music related to Asatru, Wiccanism or any other form of pagan worship. Heck, we Indians can have our own Vedic bands. Who wouldn't want to listen to a good Prakrit punk rock number praising Soma? The shows would go on past midnight, by which time, many of the participants would have already left for their cubicles to cuddle up, but with the faint music still reaching them through the open roofs.
On the last day, where people spray each other, there would be a highlight of the closing. Taking a cue from the Burning Man festival, where a giant effigy gets burned, I want it to be as dramatic. I have in mind three giant walking robots (each about 30 feet high) in the shapes of Asuras walking past the venue at a distance, silhouetted by the moonlight. This, I believe, is now technologically feasible. They would appear out of the darkness, and disappear into it. Where they come from and where they go would remain a mystery. But that would conclude the show, and people would retire back into the campgrounds for the last night of romping.
All in all, this is just an international version of Holi on steroids, with some twists to it. But if you look at the economics of holding such an event, it seems quite profitable. I assume an attendance of 10,000. This is not too optimistic considering the Burning Man festival in the US attracted 47,000 people last year. If we assume the average attendant spends about 200 Euros over the three days (including the accommodation), the net proceeds would be around 11 crores. I would assume the actual expenses of organising and conducting this event to be quite small compared to this amount (the event would rely heavily on volunteers). Plus one can safely assume that there would be an equal amount of money spent on tourism in Rajasthan by many of the participants. It seems to be a win-win situation for everyone.
The only role for the government of Rajasthan as far as this event is concerned is to stay away from it and not try to police it. Law enforcement would be called in only when there is a real need (like when there are fights/scuffles).
I wish there are some creative people who could put this or a similar idea into practice. Any takers out there?
India Should Host an Annual Paganfest
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Aaman
URL
October 10, 2007
11:23 AM
I find it serendipitous that we have an article on Paganism, another on a chimerical cat, and one on witchcraft all together on Desicritics:)
Deepti Lamba
URL
October 10, 2007
12:31 PM
Its amavas ke raat! Need I say more?;)
DesiGirl
URL
October 10, 2007
12:40 PM
Why is Hinduism pagan?
According to Wikipedia, paganism, "from a Western perspective, has come to connote a broad set of spiritual or cultic practices or beliefs of any folk religion, and of historical and contemporary polytheistic religions in particular.
The term can be defined broadly, to encompass the faith traditions outside the Abrahamic monotheistic group of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The group so defined includes the Indian religions (such as Hinduism, Jainism), Native American religions and mythologies and Shinto as well as non-Abrahamic ethnic religions in general."
I think the operative word in that whole para is "western" - Hinduism is pagan from the western perspective. Ok, fine. So why are we also seeing it from the Western perspective, as pagan?
Aaman
URL
October 10, 2007
12:41 PM
We need a (Hindi) horror movie review to top it off then:)
Ledzius
October 10, 2007
01:01 PM
Deepti,
According to several websites, Holi is celebrated on the night of Phalgun Purnima or the full moon. See http://in.rediff.com/news/holi06.html for instance.
Can someone set the record straight?
Desigirl, this festival is intended mainly for pagan Westerners, who define themselves as pagan by the Western definition. So Hindus are pagan going by that, and let us capitalise on it.
Deepti Lamba
URL
October 10, 2007
02:03 PM
er...I was talking about tonight
KhanThang
URL
October 10, 2007
07:24 PM
I doubt that a pagan festival will ever happen in India. Indians are too sophiticated for that. Look for a religion like Matrixism to take off though.
Chandra
October 11, 2007
01:13 AM
A festival on Kamasutra at Khajuraho is a better option.....
All we need to do is replicate Amsterdam's famous red light area. People should have the option to visit various stalls to try out various KS positions......
This wll beat your pagan fest by 20: 1 ...hehehe
Parmdan
October 11, 2007
01:42 AM
really Ledzius? must have been a day of few original ideas. There are many problems with your "festival." First, your assumptions on Burning Man, Oktoberfest, and Mardi Gras are just wrong. Mardi Gras is a Christian celebration that happens during Lent. And Mardi Gras takes place in New Orleans, USA. In Brazil it's called Carnival, though they are both related to Lent. Nor is Oktoberfest a pagan celebration. One could argue that Burning Man may be pagan, but it has no pagan religious overtones.
It's sad that you need to look at Hinduism through "western" eyes. I agree with DESIGIRL, why are we looking at Hinduism through "western"...or should I say Christian eyes? India has many great festivals and places where tourist go to have sex and get high. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Besides the police and religious zealots would never allow this. I went to a rave outside of Jaipur last year and it was shutdown by the police half way through.
Ledzius, you falsely assume that drugs and sex are an integral part of Wicca and Paganism. Druids would not be impressed. European paganism, since we're comparing that variety to Hinduism, was centred on mankind's relationship with nature, focused on the female aspect as much as the male, and revolved around the solar calendar not the current one.
Besides, 200 years of Euro-Christian imperialism have greatly altered what Hinduism (those who worship Shiv, Vishnu, Kali, Vedanta, etc. etc.) is today into this monolithic faith- one that is very much misunderstood in the "west". the modern meaning of Hindu is quite different from the original.
India does not need foreigners to through a great party, she does fine without them...trust me.
Ledzius
October 11, 2007
03:32 AM
Chandra- maybe you can blog on Kamafest then? :)
Parmdan- I never implied these other festivals are pagan. I only said they are theme-based.
And you may be right, not all practitioners of the pagan movements are into sex. Maybe we can then have a tantrik movement then.
And in any case, the backdrop of the festival, paganism, is just an excuse to get high and have a good time. How many of us celebrating Holi even cares about why it is celebrated?
smallsquirrel
October 11, 2007
04:06 AM
ledzius... well I think the point parmdan was trying to make is that having a festival that seems essentially hedonistic is just fine. but calling it pagan is not accurate and is probably offensive to pagans and druids because their practices do not revolve around drugs and sex at all. It would be like me having a festival, needing a name, and calling it a Hindu festival but basing it around, I dunno... something with nothing to do with Hinduism. Hindus would rightly be offended.
Parmdan
October 11, 2007
04:36 AM
Ledzius...I never need a reason to get high, any excuse will do.
You said "I never implied these other festivals are pagan. I only said they are theme-based." true, but the point I was making was that Mardi Gras was religious based, Oktoberfest celebrates a king...I'll drink to him anytime, and Burning Man..well yes that might be themed-based but it's in a category of its own.
You said "Maybe we can then have a tantrik movement then."-
it's my understanding, that the ideas of free orgasmic sex are not the main point of tantra. but were "added" by foreigners. the same goes for yoga; it's been commodified in europe and north america...well everywhere really. where I live there is a "naked yoga" class (men mostly). this is not what the rishis intended. I hate using the word "western"...it implies civility and we all know what Gandhi said about "western" civilization...
smallsquirrel
October 11, 2007
05:09 AM
parmdan
you said "I hate using the word "western"...it implies civility and we all know what Gandhi said about "western" civilization..."
well, it's also used as a not-so-accurate catch-all, too, for everything people don't like. it's kinds of tiresome, really
kela
October 11, 2007
07:27 AM
Forget Asatru and Druidism, Hinduism is a great(not just a lil bit) pagan religion and we already have great festivals in place the mother of all being the Kumbh Mela and you have everything you could possibly want in it.
Chandra
October 11, 2007
09:32 AM
Kela,
will you attend Kama-fest?
The Buddha Smiled
URL
October 11, 2007
09:59 AM
Smallsquirrel: well, it's also used as a not-so-accurate catch-all, too, for everything people don't like. it's kinds of tiresome, really
The Buddha Smiled: Ironically, your grouse against the "catch-all-ism" of the word "Western" is precisely the same grouse that so many people in India have had with the words "Orient" & "Eastern"...perhaps its part of the famous white man's burden...
kela
October 11, 2007
10:02 AM
Chandra ,are you talking about that event at the Kamakhya temple in Assam ? I have been tempted to go there but only for smoking some high quality ganja from those sadhus,so far things haven't worked out.
Chandra
October 11, 2007
11:53 AM
As far as Ganja is concerned, SULFA brothers are a good source. Do you know any?
No..Kama Fest is something we will organise in India...may be at Khajuraho....India's version of Mardi Gras ;)..............will be the Chief Guest
smallsquirrel
October 11, 2007
12:15 PM
buddha smiled... um, so everything is again the fault of the white man? sorry, not buying it. maybe you need to go with kela and chandra, smoke a bowl and chill :)
Parmdan
October 11, 2007
12:29 PM
smallsquirrel,
look at history in the last 500 plus years..everything IS the white man's fault.
kela
October 11, 2007
12:38 PM
are you serious Chandra? I bet those self appointed moral guardians would make a fuss off it.and you say you're going to be the chief guest? cool,you should invite all the bloggers here too,i'm sure SS would be eager.
so are you planning a modern mtvclub version or a traditional erotic bharatnayam,kuchipidi kind of event?
As regards the ganja and sulfa ,i would think they would have more lucrative businesses.Sadhus are a good source of himalyan grown cannabis
Chandra
October 11, 2007
01:54 PM
Kela
I left the chief guest option blank.......i was thinking of a prominent Madhya Pradesh ex-chief minister :-)...yea..dances and all ...of course....we will invite moral police also.......we can have all sorts of prizes for attending....hain na
speaking about Ganja...come on man...SULFA guys are good quality suppliers.......how far are u from gangtok?...some good sikkimese dope should also do...:D
kela
October 11, 2007
02:26 PM
btw Chandra are you by any chance the marketing consultant of Durex or Hindustan Latex ? :0
Chandra
October 11, 2007
04:32 PM
Kela
I did speak with them a few times on a few product launches but no luck. :-)
Deepa Krishnan
URL
October 12, 2007
12:13 AM
I have a suggestion: Since your love-cubicles are open to the air, how about selling moonlight balloon rides over the desert at $100 a ride. Free shows below to add to the surreal landscape.
- Deepa
temporal
URL
October 12, 2007
05:53 AM
led:
opinion?
this should be under satire
;)
The Buddha Smiled
URL
October 12, 2007
09:12 AM
smallsquirrel... um, so everything is again the fault of the white man? sorry, not buying it. maybe you need to go with kela and chandra, smoke a bowl and chill :)
The Buddha Smiled: No, I didn't say its all the fault of the white man - I was merely pointing out that perhaps what you now find so tiresome is really just the converse of stereotyping that has been taking place for so long... read the comment. And before you hearken to my "white man's burden" comment, I was pointing out that perhaps, just maybe, that blanket accusation that you find so tiring could have been started elsewhere. History's a messy thing to deal with, and perhaps your time in the continent should have exposed you to the effects that 400 years of colonialism and Eurocentric imperialism has had. The end result is that we're all grey, with no side black or white, so chill and stop getting so wound up.
By the way, don't really approve of smoking up to chill out - so thanks, but no thanks
Julian
October 23, 2007
05:29 AM
I'd go and I know a few thousand other pagans that would...
Andy
URL
November 1, 2007
08:19 AM
Reading through these comments, and the article, it seems many people for some strange reason are confusing Paganism with hedonism. It isn't; Paganism is an umbrella term for sincerely held spiritual beliefs and practices - not to be confused whatsoever with dreadlocked ravers shaking glo-sticks in the air and shouting 'aciiiied' as if it were still 1989 while looking for a dealer to sell them pills and dope.
if you're wanting a rave festival, go ahead. Just don't call it 'Pagan' because that isn't what being a Pagan is about for the overwhelming majority of adherents to different paths and traditions within it. Like Hinduism, Paganism is a very broad church in which some find commonality with others, sometimes disagree. But overall we Pagans do recognise the importance of respect for other beliefs and other Gods.
As for Hinduism being defined as pagan from a 'Western' viewpoint, yes, it undoubtedly is. Is this a problem for any specific reason for anyone? Does such a definition devalue or dishonour, or worse, ridicule Hinduism? You won't find many Pagans doing that. It's simply the case that Hinduism is seen as being something other than monotheistic and patriarchal, unlike Islam, Judaism and Christianity. But those, too, get respect from Pagans unless we are facing prejudice and fundamentalist hostility.
So why talk about Pagans in derogatory terms, when we, more than any other so-called Western spiritual belief system, respect your rights, your culture, your choice of faith? It seems apparent to me, reading some not all the above, that there is little recognition that Pagan paths involve devotion, discipline, education and hard work. Instead, Paganism is presented as trivial, shallow, and more about smoking the perfect joint than communing with the Great Mother. I can assure you such a view is woefully and prejudicially misinformed.
Blessed be.
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