UPDATED, REPUBLISHED Opinion: Did you know that most East Indians in Redmond are Hindu? These pictures and 1.5 video clip tell the story. In October, 2008 I was driving by the Redmond High School and saw lots of East Indians walking into the school. I happened to have my camera so I cautiously walked into the school cafeteria to see what was up.
There must have been several hundred men, women and children dressed in their finery. They were all members of "UTTORN of Greater Seattle" - a non-profit fundraising organization that celebrates their culture with an event 4x a year. (Just a few days ago on 2/5/11 they had another festival at Redmond High!)
This event is a celebration of Goddess Durga (right). Durga is beautiful, has many arms and is always accompanied by a tiger or lion. Can you find her in the festival photo, below? Sometimes Durga is warrior-like and carries multiple weapons to fight off demons.
I met this nice family, the Guha's. Mr. Guha works at Microsoft. He said most East Indians in Redmond are Hindu. There are four temples outside of Redmond area but none in Redmond. The closest temple is in Bothell. Mr. Guha said about 50% of the East Indians in Redmond attend services. These folks were warm, happy and kind. I felt comfortable being there....like part of the family. They liked me taking pictures and didn't mind if I kept my shoes on! Lots of children and families!
This video clip was taken in October, 2008: 1.5 min.
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| The Guha Family |
Art forms of Goddess Durga
shoes in piles
eclectic grouping of plants, food, blossoms.
Do you have an international story to tell?
By Bob Yoder
Photos by Yoder
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