It's Lakshmi Puja here in Bengal today - unlike other parts of India where the goddess of wealth and prosperity will grace households on Diwali. On this day of Kojaagori or Sharad (autumn) Poornima, when the full-moon shines forth on a pleasant Ashwin (Sep-Oct) evening, households beam bright to welcome Fortune's footsteps with much fanfare and celebration. It is believed that it was on this day Lakshmi, in her avataar as the goddess of wealth, was born from the depths of the milky-ocean during samdura-manthan. In Bengal legend says that Lakshmi tiptoes into households in the depths of the full-moon night, to make sure, as it were, if householders are awake to welcome her - 'Ko jaagori' she asks, which literally translates to 'who is awake?'. Thus the custom in Bengal to paint her nimble feet at doorsteps - an ironic reminder almost to the fleet-footed and changeable nature of fortune and wealth.
Lakshmi is Lord Vishnu's consort, and among her many virtues are also mentioned beauty, grace, charm, wisdom and lustre. No wonder then that a cosmetic giant chose her name to brand their products which would lend women in India (through usage of their products of course) the much-needed charm and beauty that the goddess herself embodies! But they opted for a French derivative of the Indian name, Lakmé, and not the more hackneyed Lakshmi. So in essence Lakmé (mind you not Laskhmi) stands for all things Indian yet with a French twist - probably to lend some international appeal, which our revered Goddess in her red (often golden) saree so gravely lacks!
Interestingly the name Lakmé, that the famous makers chose to christen their brand of products, was adopted from a legendary French opera of the same name composed by Leo Delibes. The opera celebrates the oriental charm captured through the romance of an Indian girl called Lakshmi and her British paramour Gerald.
Lakshmi is Lord Vishnu's consort, and among her many virtues are also mentioned beauty, grace, charm, wisdom and lustre. No wonder then that a cosmetic giant chose her name to brand their products which would lend women in India (through usage of their products of course) the much-needed charm and beauty that the goddess herself embodies! But they opted for a French derivative of the Indian name, Lakmé, and not the more hackneyed Lakshmi. So in essence Lakmé (mind you not Laskhmi) stands for all things Indian yet with a French twist - probably to lend some international appeal, which our revered Goddess in her red (often golden) saree so gravely lacks!
Interestingly the name Lakmé, that the famous makers chose to christen their brand of products, was adopted from a legendary French opera of the same name composed by Leo Delibes. The opera celebrates the oriental charm captured through the romance of an Indian girl called Lakshmi and her British paramour Gerald.
3 comments:
Awsummm...never knew this!!!! Good job Soma, it's a pleasure coming back to your blog again and again
Thank you so much and keep logging in here!
Thanks for the wonderful revelation. Wonder what the Hindu political lobby will have to say about this. It will be interesting to know what can be the French/ Anglican names for the other Hindu gods.
Keep blogging.
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