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Silverdome Potentially SOLD!
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Nintendo's Mario endures even as games come and go
By Colette M. Jenkins
Beacon Journal religion writer
POSTED: 12:52 p.m. EDT, Oct 16, 2009
KENT: Catherine Cartwright-Jones is giving away ''blessings'' to help women feel beautiful as they celebrate Diwali.
Those blessings are in the form of henna art designs, which are customarily applied to the hands of women during the five-day Hindu celebration of Diwali, also known as The Festival of Lights. The festival, which begins Saturday, is a major holiday across India. It is also observed by Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists.
Diwali is a festive time of year for Indian families which carries the thankfulness of another growing season and its harvest. The spiritual theme at the heart of the holiday is reminding oneself of the triumphant power of inner light.
''It's somewhat like Christmas for Christians. We give gifts to family and friends — a lot of sweets and gifts are exchanged,'' said Surinder Bhardwaj, a practicing Hindu and professor emeritus at Kent State University. ''The day before Diwali, we thoroughly clean up the house. It is symbolic of removing the dirt, or the evil, to create a heavenly atmosphere.''
Diwali means ''rows of lighted lamps.'' Illumination is central to the holiday because it represents goodness and truth. It is customary to light small oil lamps, known as diyas, and place them around the home, in courtyards, verandas and gardens, as well as on rooftops and outer walls. Candles usually are substituted for diyas in urban areas.
Homes are decorated with multicolored rice flour in various patterns. Festive meals are prepared and families dress in new clothes and jewels and go visiting with friends and family members. Because there are many regions in India, there are different manifestations of the Diwali festival, but they all signify the renewal of life and represent the belief that good and true things always conquer evil.
Bhardwaj, who is from India's northern region, said his plans to observe the holiday include visiting the Hindu temple in Parma, worshipping Lakshmi (the goddess of prosperity and wealth) and lighting lamps around his home. He is also a state-licensed minister and a scholar and writer on the Hindu religion.
''We try to keep a lamp lit throughout the night as a way of inviting Lakshmi in to bless us with prosperity in the next year,'' Bhardwaj said. ''Hindu business people view the holiday as a time to start a new accounting year because of the festival's association with Lakshmi.''
While the festival has religious significance, its social aspects are the focus for Debarchana Ghosh, a nonpracticing Hindu and a professor in the geography department at Kent State University. Ghosh, who is from Calcutta in eastern India, said she has fond memories of gathering with family and friends in India, including the noise of firecrackers, which are a popular Diwali tradition.
''When I was a teenager, we would burst different kinds of firecrackers, which were not dangerous. The thing I like most about the holiday is that it is a time for people to come together,'' said Ghosh, 30. ''I don't actually celebrate the holiday but I do use it as a time to invite friends over and share some food from my culture.''
Other Diwali traditions include gambling, crafting multicolored lanterns and the decorating of women's hands with henna designs.
Henna, which is extracted from a tree, is used to dye hair, skin and fabric organically. It is used in ritual skin painting, called Mehndi, for birth and marriage celebrations. Western cultures have adopted henna to make temporary tattoos and organic hair dye.
''Henna is lucky and considered to be blessed,'' said Cartwright-Jones. ''It's pretty and it's part of dressing up for Diwali. Traditionally, body art is to be treated as a blessing that will light up the soul, which is consistent with the celebration of Diwali.''
On Saturday, Cartwright-Jones is offering free henna on a first-come, first-served basis at her store, Empire, located at 135 E. Main St. in Kent. In addition to the body art, Empire offers henna supplies for do-it-yourselfers, natural bath and body products, henna hair color and handmade chocolates. Henna designs at Empire start at $5 and increase in price based on size and complexity.
Cartwright-Jones, who has been a henna artist for nearly 20 years, likens applying henna to a penmanship exercise and said it is basically staining the top layer of skin. She began studying henna in 1990 and is a professional artist. She earned a graduate degree in liberal arts (with a focus on henna) at Kent State and is currently preparing her doctoral dissertation on henna.
''Some people consider me to be the world's foremost scholar and researcher on henna. Others disagree with that and I certainly don't take myself that seriously,'' Cartwright-Jones said. ''The store is here because we want to be available for holidays when people want henna.''
Colette Jenkins can be reached at 330-996-3731 or cjenkins@thebeaconjournal.com.
About Hinduism
Hinduism is the third-largest organized religion in the world, with almost 1 billion followers. Most Hindus are in India, and there is a growing population is the United States. The Hindu American Foundation, an advocacy group for Hindus, estimates that 2 million Hindus of Indian origin are in the United States and another 1 million practicing American Hindus are not of Indian origin.
Hinduism is not one religion but a collection of traditions with many variations. In India, beliefs and practices vary by region. Those variations are sometimes maintained in America.
The religion has no one founder, teacher, prophet or set of beliefs. Its primary belief is that the soul does not die. Its rule of karma is that every act affects how the soul will be reborn. The cycle of birth and rebirth continues until the soul achieves spiritual perfection and is united with the supreme being.
Hindus worship deities, which are representations of the one god they believe in. Their worship involves meditating, chanting and worshipping icons of the deities.
Although Hinduism has many deities, the primary trio is Brahma, the creator; Vishnu, the preserver; and Shiva, the destroyer. Hindus believe animals have souls, and some are worshipped as deities.
The religion includes many sacred texts. The best known is the Bhagavad Gita, a philosophical conversation between the deity Krishna and the warrior Arjuna. The primary texts of Hinduism are the four Vedas, which contain hymns, rituals and incantations.
Diwali, the five-day festival of lights, is the most popular Hindu festival.
Sources: Surinder Bhardwaj, Hindu scholar and Hindu American Foundation
KENT: Catherine Cartwright-Jones is giving away ''blessings'' to help women feel beautiful as they celebrate Diwali.
Those blessings are in the form of henna art designs, which are customarily applied to the hands of women during the five-day Hindu celebration of Diwali, also known as The Festival of Lights. The festival, which begins Saturday, is a major holiday across India. It is also observed by Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists.
Diwali is a festive time of year for Indian families which carries the thankfulness of another growing season and its harvest. The spiritual theme at the heart of the holiday is reminding oneself of the triumphant power of inner light.
''It's somewhat like Christmas for Christians. We give gifts to family and friends — a lot of sweets and gifts are exchanged,'' said Surinder Bhardwaj, a practicing Hindu and professor emeritus at Kent State University. ''The day before Diwali, we thoroughly clean up the house. It is symbolic of removing the dirt, or the evil, to create a heavenly atmosphere.''
Diwali means ''rows of lighted lamps.'' Illumination is central to the holiday because it represents goodness and truth. It is customary to light small oil lamps, known as diyas, and place them around the home, in courtyards, verandas and gardens, as well as on rooftops and outer walls. Candles usually are substituted for diyas in urban areas.
Homes are decorated with multicolored rice flour in various patterns. Festive meals are prepared and families dress in new clothes and jewels and go visiting with friends and family members. Because there are many regions in India, there are different manifestations of the Diwali festival, but they all signify the renewal of life and represent the belief that good and true things always conquer evil.
Bhardwaj, who is from India's northern region, said his plans to observe the holiday include visiting the Hindu temple in Parma, worshipping Lakshmi (the goddess of prosperity and wealth) and lighting lamps around his home. He is also a state-licensed minister and a scholar and writer on the Hindu religion.
''We try to keep a lamp lit throughout the night as a way of inviting Lakshmi in to bless us with prosperity in the next year,'' Bhardwaj said. ''Hindu business people view the holiday as a time to start a new accounting year because of the festival's association with Lakshmi.''
While the festival has religious significance, its social aspects are the focus for Debarchana Ghosh, a nonpracticing Hindu and a professor in the geography department at Kent State University. Ghosh, who is from Calcutta in eastern India, said she has fond memories of gathering with family and friends in India, including the noise of firecrackers, which are a popular Diwali tradition.
''When I was a teenager, we would burst different kinds of firecrackers, which were not dangerous. The thing I like most about the holiday is that it is a time for people to come together,'' said Ghosh, 30. ''I don't actually celebrate the holiday but I do use it as a time to invite friends over and share some food from my culture.''
Other Diwali traditions include gambling, crafting multicolored lanterns and the decorating of women's hands with henna designs.
Henna, which is extracted from a tree, is used to dye hair, skin and fabric organically. It is used in ritual skin painting, called Mehndi, for birth and marriage celebrations. Western cultures have adopted henna to make temporary tattoos and organic hair dye.
''Henna is lucky and considered to be blessed,'' said Cartwright-Jones. ''It's pretty and it's part of dressing up for Diwali. Traditionally, body art is to be treated as a blessing that will light up the soul, which is consistent with the celebration of Diwali.''
On Saturday, Cartwright-Jones is offering free henna on a first-come, first-served basis at her store, Empire, located at 135 E. Main St. in Kent. In addition to the body art, Empire offers henna supplies for do-it-yourselfers, natural bath and body products, henna hair color and handmade chocolates. Henna designs at Empire start at $5 and increase in price based on size and complexity.
Cartwright-Jones, who has been a henna artist for nearly 20 years, likens applying henna to a penmanship exercise and said it is basically staining the top layer of skin. She began studying henna in 1990 and is a professional artist. She earned a graduate degree in liberal arts (with a focus on henna) at Kent State and is currently preparing her doctoral dissertation on henna.
''Some people consider me to be the world's foremost scholar and researcher on henna. Others disagree with that and I certainly don't take myself that seriously,'' Cartwright-Jones said. ''The store is here because we want to be available for holidays when people want henna.''
Colette Jenkins can be reached at 330-996-3731 or cjenkins@thebeaconjournal.com.
About Hinduism
Hinduism is the third-largest organized religion in the world, with almost 1 billion followers. Most Hindus are in India, and there is a growing population is the United States. The Hindu American Foundation, an advocacy group for Hindus, estimates that 2 million Hindus of Indian origin are in the United States and another 1 million practicing American Hindus are not of Indian origin.
Hinduism is not one religion but a collection of traditions with many variations. In India, beliefs and practices vary by region. Those variations are sometimes maintained in America.
The religion has no one founder, teacher, prophet or set of beliefs. Its primary belief is that the soul does not die. Its rule of karma is that every act affects how the soul will be reborn. The cycle of birth and rebirth continues until the soul achieves spiritual perfection and is united with the supreme being.
Hindus worship deities, which are representations of the one god they believe in. Their worship involves meditating, chanting and worshipping icons of the deities.
Although Hinduism has many deities, the primary trio is Brahma, the creator; Vishnu, the preserver; and Shiva, the destroyer. Hindus believe animals have souls, and some are worshipped as deities.
The religion includes many sacred texts. The best known is the Bhagavad Gita, a philosophical conversation between the deity Krishna and the warrior Arjuna. The primary texts of Hinduism are the four Vedas, which contain hymns, rituals and incantations.
Diwali, the five-day festival of lights, is the most popular Hindu festival.
Sources: Surinder Bhardwaj, Hindu scholar and Hindu American Foundation
Comments
Click here to post your comments
Akron, OH
Posted 02:00 PM, 10/16/2009
Who are the Dalits?
The "untouchables."
The Dalits, also called the “untouchables,” “outcastes,” and most recently “slumdogs,” comprise nearly one quarter of India’s society, with population estimates of 250 million people.
The term “Dalit” means “those who have been broken and ground down deliberately by those above them in the social hierarchy.”
Dalits live at risk of discrimination, dehumanization, violence, and enslavement through human trafficking every day.
By all global research and reports, the Dalits constitute the largest number of people categorized as victims of modern-day slavery.
From Dalit Freedom Network website
Rittman, ohio
Posted 03:04 PM, 10/16/2009
Beautiful! Thank you for this lovely story :)
Richfield, OH
Posted 04:19 PM, 10/16/2009
Where do they buy the dot jewelry. I always wondered. Cool stuff.
Walnut Creek, Oh
Posted 05:40 PM, 10/16/2009
''It's somewhat like Christmas for Christians.
Are you kidding me? How dare you even blaspheme God that way? Hinduism isn't even close to Christianity. We go to heaven when we die.. and you???? yeah thats what I thought.
kent, oh
Posted 05:47 PM, 10/16/2009
bass43player: your not better than everyone because your a christian.
Akron, OH
Posted 09:51 PM, 10/16/2009
What a neat story! Thanks!!
Posted 12:43 PM, 10/17/2009
So, this is all about getting business?
ProChoice, OH
Posted 01:10 AM, 10/18/2009
Nice story about the Diwali festival. As for the other comments, ignore them as they're just radical right xtians.
