In a new book, a Hindu priestess writes about her attempts to make rituals more queer-friendly
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The smell of incense, the echoes of mantras being chanted, the melodious music, the chiming of worship bells, the sound of the sacred conch shell being blown and the delicious aromas and flavours of Mom’s home-cooked food – these were the sensory elements of my upbringing. I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, by my beloved parents Panditji Mahendranauth Doobay and Srimati Kamla Dhanmati Doobay. They hail from the beautiful land of Guyana in South America. Carrying the torch of our ancestors from Bihar, India, my parents migrated from Guyana to New York City, where they established a mandir and became an integral part of the growing Hindu Indo-Caribbean community in the city.
Growing up, my siblings and I frequently attended the mandir and the community-based functions with my parents. My father was the head priest at the Bhavanee Maa Mandir Inc, located in Brooklyn, New York. Aside from having to wake up early on Sunday mornings, which I did not enjoy, I truly liked going to the temple to feel the powerful vibrations there and to listen to the pravachans (sermons) given by my father. These usually involved discussion of the scriptures and how they relate to one’s day-to-day...