Really. Kool-Aid? I was informed after accepting the blessed holy liquid in my hand to drink during the morning puja in honor of my friend’s mother, and a few other people, including my mother, that the bitter tasting stuff was not the asafoetida water I figured it was, but cow urine.
Perhaps I should have guessed. This is a Hindu ceremony, and I know that the ancient cousins of the Hindus, the Zarathushtris, also consider it holy and a healing remedy. Their modern children are not convinced. However, a famous book about the ancient people notes that it was the only disinfectant they had. Well, if I live, I guess I can tell them so the next time I visit them in Chicago. 🙂
Furthermore, I already had been informed that the central dias had been built from bricks and then plastered with cow dung from a virgin heifer cow. See photos before and after final decoration. My friend tells me that although the bricks were expensive, his neighbor who is building a new hotel was happy to loan him some from his supply, as their blessedness, after being chanted over for a week, will ensure the good luck of the hotel for the future.
