Coconuts

[Peter X]

This article gives a bit of explanation of what it's about for Hindus:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/22/nyregion/hindus-find-a-ganges-in-queens-to-park-rangers-dismay.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

and states "Hindus must go to the shore and leave offerings to Mother Ganga, the goddess of the river, to show respect and ensure blessings in this life and the next".

Apparently the whole coconuts-in-water thing is not especially to do with Diwali?, which seems to mainly involve lighting up one's house and is still two weeks away on 23rd October this year.

[Roxy]

Nothing to do with Diwali....I went through Leicester end of July there were hundreds of coconuts, asked a C&RT guy what it was about......Yup it was a dead member of there family etc in it and yes got got a sari wrapped around my prop, took an hour and half too remove it! Apparently the council are trying to stop it as it's littering the canals.....according to the C&RT guy I spoke too....

[Peter-Bullfinch]

In Penang in Malaysia in February there is the Hindu festival of Thaipusan. Here the devotees attach small vessels with hooks through their skin and followers pull them up the hill to the temple.

Huge mounds of coconuts are smashed to cool the road and the council follow behind the proession with small bulldozer vehicles to clear up.

The thousands of people watching are fed from free stalls along the way.

The procession passes by a member of our family's house and on our last visit we took part to show our respect. Coconuts have a symbolic role for many Hindus in their ceremonies.

[Pykebird]

so have we............and we were also told that some of the coconuts will contain relatives ashes along with a little money to help them along in the after life

So I could have been burning bodies and money!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[blackrose]

Nothing to do with Diwali....I went through Leicester end of July there were hundreds of coconuts, asked a C&RT guy what it was about......Yup it was a dead member of there family etc in it and yes got got a sari wrapped around my prop, took an hour and half too remove it! Apparently the council are trying to stop it as it's littering the canals.....according to the C&RT guy I spoke too....

 

Yes, you're right, we used to take out Indian families on passenger boats at Windsor for them to chuck stuff into the Thames as part of the funeral service. Diwali is the "festival of lights" - coconuts in the canal has got nothing to do with Diwali.

Edited October 12, 2014 by blackrose

[ditchcrawler]

This article gives a bit of explanation of what it's about for Hindus:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/22/nyregion/hindus-find-a-ganges-in-queens-to-park-rangers-dismay.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

and states "Hindus must go to the shore and leave offerings to Mother Ganga, the goddess of the river, to show respect and ensure blessings in this life and the next".

Apparently the whole coconuts-in-water thing is not especially to do with Diwali?, which seems to mainly involve lighting up one's house and is still two weeks away on 23rd October this year.

Which coincided with the waste of money lights in Newbold tunnel

Not sure how you get ashes and money inside a coconut but then again if cows don't eat coconuts how dose the milk get inside?

[Emerald Fox]

"Surprised the resident racist haven't had a moan!!"

 

Yes, that'd be me, I guess

 

OK, so, my religion involves dropping coconuts down the chimneys of houses in which are known to live Asians who chuck coconuts into canals.

 

Lateral thinking = pick up coconuts floating in canals and chuck them to see if you can knock the teapots off narrowboat roofs? Teapot shy! Howzat!!

[Hawkmoth]

 

Not so much fun when they place offerings of clothes in the cut though. A Sari around the prop on the way down to Brentford isn't a great experience.

Had that in Engine Arm some years ago. One of the worst things I've had to cut off. God they're heavy quality cloth.

Bob

[ditchcrawler]

I have often thought about fishing one out and cracking it open, would it still be edible

[Wanted]

This article gives a bit of explanation of what it's about for Hindus:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/22/nyregion/hindus-find-a-ganges-in-queens-to-park-rangers-dismay.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

and states "Hindus must go to the shore and leave offerings to Mother Ganga, the goddess of the river, to show respect and ensure blessings in this life and the next".

Apparently the whole coconuts-in-water thing is not especially to do with Diwali?, which seems to mainly involve lighting up one's house and is still two weeks away on 23rd October this year.

Cheers, I always thought the two were connected, good to learn.

[TaffyRon]

Theres a great program called jungle hooks with jeremy wade off of river monsters.

theres a fish called a goonch that has developed a taste for human flesh in the ganges, cut a long story short the hindus cremate loved ones on the bank on a big pyre, as soon as they hear a crack they beleive that is the sound of the skull releasing the spirit, they then push the half burnt remains into the river where apparently the goonch then feeds.

 

get the book river monsters by jeremy wade, great read

[colmac]

The trip boat River King in Stourport regularly takes Asian families bearing urns down the Severn. Presume of

r the same reason ?

[TaffyRon]

We pour a lot of our money into the canals, but its less symbolic

The trip boat River King in Stourport regularly takes Asian families bearing urns down the Severn. Presume ofr the same reason ?

the severn floods which washes it away, the canals cant take ash disposal without the need for dredging

[FadeToScarlet]

We pour a lot of our money into the canals, but its less symbolic

the severn floods which washes it away, the canals cant take ash disposal without the need for dredging

It's got to be a pretty minimal quantity. Anyway, I like the idea of my ashes being scattered in the cut.

 

Also, CRT collect ash from various places, and use it to seal leaky lock gates, by tipping it in so it gets sucked into the cracks; if anything, cremated remains may well, eventually, help seal a leaky gate!

[Daiboy]

I don't mind ash thrown in the canal, I quite like the idea that my remains will float (or sink) for eternity in the place I enjoy. Coconuts will float about and maybe clank against your prop for a short instance and cause no damage. BUT clothing of any sort is a pain to boat users and is an offence as fly tipping. If the people can be identified then they should be prosecuted under British law. They are in Britain now and not in their part of the world with their beliefs and customs.

[Sabcat]

I don't mind ash thrown in the canal, I quite like the idea that my remains will float (or sink) for eternity in the place I enjoy. Coconuts will float about and maybe clank against your prop for a short instance and cause no damage. BUT clothing of any sort is a pain to boat users and is an offence as fly tipping. If the people can be identified then they should be prosecuted under British law. They are in Britain now and not in their part of the world with their beliefs and customs.

 

As they live here this is their part of the world.

[Daiboy]

I quite agree Sabcat and I have nothing against people adhering to their own beliefs and acting accordingly. AS long as is does not break the British law. If I was in the Middle East and consumed alcohol or had sex on the beach, that would be unlawful according to their law and I would be prosecuted and sentenced according to their law. This I accept.

 

So it should be over here. If it's against our law then you're nicked. Simple as that.

 

Don't want this to become a racist thing, as I'm not a racist person just a realist.

[Sabcat]

I quite agree Sabcat and I have nothing against people adhering to their own beliefs and acting accordingly. AS long as is does not break the British law. If I was in the Middle East and consumed alcohol or had sex on the beach, that would be unlawful according to their law and I would be prosecuted and sentenced according to their law. This I accept.

 

So it should be over here. If it's against our law then you're nicked. Simple as that.

 

Don't want this to become a racist thing, as I'm not a racist person just a realist.

 

If you lived in the Middle East it wouldn't be their law it would be your* law. I'm not arguing that tipping in the cut should be legal or even that culture should be respected - I believe very strongly that it shouldn't, culture is nothing more than a load of stuff that's been done for a long time and has no value in and of itself and certainly deserves no respect, sometimes quite the opposite - I'm just pointing out there is no them and us, no British and other.

 

*In as much as any law is owned by the people subject to it. I gave no consent and wasn't asked for it for the laws that govern my life.

Edited October 12, 2014 by Sabcat

[Peter X]

In the article about the Hindus in New York I linked to earlier, it said that the police there are making some effort to negotiate compromises, and I'd like to think the same could happen here. Coconuts, garlands and ashes boaters can live with, saris seem a bit of a problem, and it may be that the people putting them into the GU don't know the trouble it causes. Maybe the river gods would be OK with some alternative to a sari which won't end up wound round a boat prop?

[Dave_P]

I heard that, when dried, the coconuts make good firelighters. Would that be an act of desecration?

[Barry]

Dessication perhaps

[Paul G2]

Most of the Indian Hindus I've known have been quite considerate of their surroundings. I would imagine that if if Hindu church leaders were approached and explained the problem that clothing in the canals poses to boaters they would find a work around, like throw the sari in but then fish it out and dispose of it, or come up with crepe saris that would dissolve.

 

There are no problems, only solutions...

[ditchcrawler]

, or come up with crepe saris that would dissolve.

 

There are no problems, only solutions...

There could be a marketing opportunity there

[blackrose]

Most of the Indian Hindus I've known have been quite considerate of their surroundings.

 

You've obviously never been to India.

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/05/india-river-pollution-sewage_n_2810213.html

 

http://indiaopines.com/litter-litter-indians-public-spaces/

 

This was on TV last night. The "sacred" Ganges seems to be in an even worse state than when I was there 30 years ago.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b04lsngz/sacred-rivers-with-simon-reeve-2-the-ganges

Edited October 13, 2014 by blackrose