23-Aug-2020 12:00 AM
2046
Thanks to technology for the handy cameras on our cell phones. With one click you can capture the beautiful moments of your life and save them forever.
The first time parents are the most overwhelming people who want to record everything about their baby. Ever since our son was born I took his pictures and made videos of his developments. Sometimes, I posted them to share the moments with my family and friends. But my mother disapproved of it and told me not to post photos of a baby because of the Nazar.
During the initial months when I was homebound, I couldn’t help taking his photos when he was sleeping. Babies look cute, ethereal, and blissed-out when they are sleeping. You can spend hours looking at the little miracle in your life. When my MIL saw one of these pictures, she said I should not take photos when the baby is sleeping. It is not good for the baby.
She always believed in the myth of Nazar and used to adorn his eyes with a kajal and put a black dot at the corner of his forehead.
We are three siblings and from experience, my mother knows that a newborn baby doesn’t have a fully developed immune system. It starts evolving on its own at about 2-3 months of age. And there is a development to some extent by the time he is one year old. In the initial years, babies are more susceptible to catching a cold with the slightest change in the weather. But the adoring grandmothers relate every problem of their grandchildren with NAZAR. Whenever my boy got cranky without any reason or did not eat well or if there was a sudden change in the no. of times he pooed or if the poo was very smelly, or if he looked droopy, my MIL called it the NAZAR.
I would nod with a smile and ignore it. But when my friends repeated the same thing about Nazar, my mind split into two parts and the myth of Nazar worked on my psyche than my rationale.
Once my baby caught a cold and the cough got worse at night. He couldn’t sleep properly and threw up anything that he ate or drank. There was no relief from the medicines prescribed by his pediatrician. I decided to follow the advice of my friend and take off the Nazar by taking a rock salt or a glass of water in one hand and rotating it seven times around my son and burn the salt or throw the water. My husband thought I was nuts. And the next day the little fellow gobbled on his plate and ran wildly in the house.
My maid said all the water I had thrown away got absorbed because the Nazar was very strong.
Medicines took the time to show their effect and MIL was also content that the apple of her eye was happy and hale and all the Nazar was warded off.
When I think about that incidence, I ponder on how a rock salt or a glass of water or a black dot takes off Nazar? It is a questionable thing.
I feel it’s wise to be realistic and not believe in myths and superstitions without scientific evidence.