Upon my first homecoming with the new bike I was greeted by my adoptive family and excitedly told to come to the courtyard. There, we blessed the bike in a puja (ritual) befitting such a major purchase, washing it, adorning it with garlands, and painting auspicious symbols on it. Needless to say, it is only in India that one proudly festoons new motorbikes with swastikas.
Before proceeding to work, I stopped at a sweets shop to prepare for the other necessary ritual called for by major life changes. Arriving at the NRCC with two kilos of cashew cake made for a fun morning.
Here, Jitu (l) and Raz (r) perform the rites:
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