Gotta Have That Butter!

The predominant religion in India is Hinduism. It runs on a lunar calendar so holidays are not the same day every year. This year, Gokulashtami, took place on September 4^th. Gokulashtami is the celebration of the birth of the god Krishna. As a boy, Krishna would always get into his mother`s butter so she hid it up high so he couldn`t reach it. Clever boy that he was, he got his friends together so they could reach the butter and eat it. Mumbai has the best recreation of this in India. Clay pots called Handis are hung up high in the air. Towers of people called Govinda Pathaks then climb on top of one another to reach and break the pots. The professionals can get up to 40 feet high! Amazing! My school, Welingkar, had one girls and one boys team. The day started with prayers and offerings of a buttery dessert to Krishna. Then came all day dancing, spraying of water, and dusting with red powder. We rode in the back of huge trucks singing songs and going completely crazy. Thane, the celebration site, had thousands of men but few women, for some reason, I don`t know what. Anyway, it was fun. And, guess who, along with some other students, ended up in The Times of India, the country largest English newspaper? Yep, that would be me. The picture highlighted international students` love of Gokulashtami. Sweet. And buttery. Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nugubSNn2qw to dance. Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgbugDsiuW0 to sing.