Comments on: Penn Masala, DJ Rekha and the…White House? [Updated]

By: Punditaa

Punditaa — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:05:41 +0000

Regarding Smartas and Vaishnavas. Smartas do panch upasana (worship of five deities: Ganesh, Shiva, Vishnu, Durga and ??? (fill in the blank, perhaps Surya), while Vaishnavas worship only Vishnu and Vishnu's various avatars.

However, in some Vaishnava sects, Shiva is considered non-different from Vishnu, so a Shiva Vishnu Temple is not a contradiction. Hari-Hara (the combined form of both Vishna and Shiva in one) is also a deity in India.

By: Nitasha

Nitasha — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 07:11:21 +0000

I’m surprised Penn Masala chose to sing Ayesha. From a class I took, I know this song was sung by Cheb Khaled (French Algerian Pop Rai singer) for his young daughter (named after Mohammed’s wife Ayesha) in French and Arabic. No offense, but if they are celebrating Diwali, couldn’t they at least chose a Hindu song or a song relating to Diwali?

By: Idiot Watch

Idiot Watch — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 04:20:54 +0000

Brown ass kissing brown ass.

By: jyotsana

jyotsana — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 21:35:52 +0000

@jyotsana: what’s worse he’s a Y-namam wearing priest,

I missed that one! I am a Smarta from Northern Tamil Nadu, and in my neck of the woods the SriVaishnavas are for many intents and purposes indistinguishable from the Smartas. So much so that some Thengalais (the Y types) dismiss the Vadakalais as Smartas in disguise! There is a doctrinal dispute that some scholars – notably Shri Anbil Ramaswamy – consider insignificant. But knowing Barry’s penchant for thorough decision making, the next time he has to decide whether it will be a Y or a V, he might want to take at least a year making the choice!!

By: pyro

pyro — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:04:54 +0000

this article fails to point out that it was pres bush who first celebrated diwali

didnt light diya.

By: as

as — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:49:22 +0000

this article fails to point out that it was pres bush who first celebrated diwali, having a celebration of the same magnitude as this one, every single year.

By: lizzie (greeneyed fem)

lizzie (greeneyed fem) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 04:59:04 +0000

Gautam S, I'd say that including Diwali (and other non-Christian) religious events on the President's "utterly congested" calendar actually sends a powerful message to all Americans that those who celebrate Diwali are just as American, just as much a part of this country's culture, as those who do not.

Just because a White House Diwali celebration is symbolic ("all religions are equally valid") does not mean that it is also meaningless. Yes, to have important non-Christian holidays recognized by the Christian First Family is symbolic. And you're right, it is not the same thing as having the President make specific pledges about specific policies to specific communities. But neither is the White House celebration of Christmas.

By: Gautam S

Gautam S — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 14:17:13 +0000

Indian Americans get excited because they grew up in a society that knew nothing about India and where "Indian" more often than not refers to Native Americans, denying them even a name. So they think they're finally getting recognition that they deserve. I'd hate to break the mood here but a U.S. President's schedule is utterly congested with events like these, so much so that they have no real meaning. It's nothing more than superficial pandering to constituents from a guy who knows next to nothing about what Diwali actually is and the speech was simply written by some professional. These sort of things go on (and prevent actual work being done) because they somehow do work and people feel that the President is actually focusing on them (see the above comments from Indian Americans being "so proud").

Anyway, happy Diwali to you all.

By: Akash

Akash — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 04:18:44 +0000

while the Sri Lankan govt are killing and maiming those boys

This is completely off topic, moderators please see that this issue is not played in all the forums no matter what the topic is.

Laksmi, Thanks for clearing that up, I had no idea. Kudos to Obama for representing the AAPI.

Atheist AA's are screaming "what about us, Obama?"

By: ravi

ravi — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 01:59:43 +0000

It is very heartening to learn of our President Obama celebrating Diwali in the White House. At this time of the year, we must never forget that thousands of our fellow Hindus (and Christians and Muslims) Tamils are languishing in the refugee camps in North and North East Sri Lanka, while the Sri Lankan govt are killing and maiming those boys, esp above the age of 16 years old; and girls get raped daily in these camps and villages they had overrun. And to the departed civilians who were killed during this Civil War - numbering about 50, 000 just in the last one year - by carpet bombing, artillery, etc. by the Sri Lankan Army. And to the Sinhalese journalists and editors who were kidnapped and killed by the regime, making Sri Lanka one of the most dangerous places to work for journalists, in the World.

We must not forget all of them, esp at this time of the year.

GOD BLESS THEM.