Ha ! Thanks A N N NA !

Sent this to my gf - she freaking loves chubbers too !!

Aw, I thought this would be a serious post about adoption and South Asians and how there are zillions of brown babies penned away in an orphanage waiting for homes, etc. But oh well, I like pictures of chubby babies as much as the next person.

Oh, Krishna is so adorable. Love it:)

That's a fantastic pitch for adoption!

Fun fact from Wikipedia: "According to Bhagavata Purana some believe that Krishna was born without a sexual union, by "mental transmission" from the mind of Vasudeva into the womb of Devaki"

2 · phillygrrl said

Aw, I thought this would be a serious post about adoption and South Asians and how there are zillions of brown babies penned away in an orphanage waiting for homes, etc. But oh well, I like pictures of chubby babies as much as the next person.

I wouldn't dismiss it so quickly. ;) While it may not be wordy, and while I couldn't resist commenting on the irresistible chub, I think the image speaks volumes about why it's fantastic to bring home one of those zillions of brown babies, penned away in orphanages, to love as your own.

Krishna is dark as the night, as is Rama. Krishna in fact means black, Draupadi too in the Mahabharata is referred to as Krishna for vast stretches of the epic. But Krishna is a high maintenance guy. He started as navaneetachora and then graduated to big time with the gopikas! Apart from all those demons he finished off from his infancy! V. pretty picture.

Very cute picture of one of the most lovable figures in Hinduism!

I do hope though that any prospective baby that is adopted isn't as naughty as this one; caused no end of trouble for his parents!

I love this pic...and now have a new way to pitch the idea of adoption to my anti-adoption relatives. Thanks!

Krishna has such wide appeal. Chughtai's paintings and Bawa's works are among my favorite representations of Krishna. Meanwhile, just a couple days back I read this investigative piece on international adoptions originating in India (ht: ultrabrown).

Your anti-adoption relatives need a good harsh dose of reality. If someone dares to call himself an Indian, and then stops a relative from adopting an Indian orphan, I consider them a traitor and an enemy of the state. Indian parents are always going on about importance of the family, and while this is true, this fits as part of a larger framework.

Family before individual.
Village before family.
State before village.
Nation before state.

If you are unwilling to help the nation, you should expect no respect from your own children.

9 · portmanteau said

Meanwhile, just a couple days back I read this investigative piece on international adoptions originating in India (ht: ultrabrown).

That was heartbreaking to read. Thank you for the link.

The more posts you write ANNA, the more I imagine you as an Indian Liz Lemon. Do you happen to know where that portrait is hung?

If someone dares to call himself an Indian, and then stops a relative from adopting an Indian orphan, I consider them a traitor and an enemy of the state.

I think that is a bit harsh really; though I wouldn't agree with anyone trying to prevent an adoption unless there was a good reason. I think we should understand that 'family' means different things to different people. I came across a number of cases in rural and small town India; where a wife had become a widow and lost her husband and with great difficulty got remarried; in so many cases the children from the first marriage were adopted by the grandparents or a childless sibling and when I remakred on this I was told that it was partly out of fear that the children would not be accepted as equals iby the step-fathers' households and partly to prevent future quarrels about property. These kinds of problems are endemic in many 'families' so I don't think we can assume that simply being part of one guarantees one love and security, particualrly in patrairchical/traditional family structures.

Conrad, the adoption by relatives actually sounds like a good idea. Step-children often have it really hard and it's not just Indian ones who get the bad end of the stick either.

12 · Yoga Fire said

The more posts you write ANNA, the more I imagine you as an Indian Liz Lemon. Do you happen to know where that portrait is hung?

That's the most delightful, befuddling compliment I've ever received (I'm a huge fan of 30 Rock). :D

The image is actually from a post on Amitabh Bhachan's blog. Someone sent him an email with it, and he felt it should be shared with his billion or so readers. ;)

Portmanteau, thanks for that link. The story made me nauseous. I couldn't help but wonder why it was a foregone conclusion that the child would be better off in the U.S. Certainly, access to more opportunities, etc., but also a sense of dislocation and lack of knowledge of where he's from, and very likely, a completely misguided idea of his birth parents. (The American parents themselves said that he had no idea where India was, which leads me to believe that cultural competency isn't a strong suit of theirs.) I think that foreign couples need to be more mindful of things like ensuring that their adopted children have some sort of connection to the culture that sired them--not to indoctrinate them with some essentialist idea of valuing where they "come from" but to emphasize their children's multi-facetedness, since realistically, adopted kids can have identity issues in their later lives, 'specially if their parents aren't from the same ethnic background and choose to promote color-blindness over self-knowledge.

The adopted parents' complete dismissal of the Indian parents was painful to read.

The adopted parents' complete dismissal of the Indian parents was painful to read.

That's the most delightful, befuddling compliment I've ever received (I'm a huge fan of 30 Rock). :D

I read that article posted above by Portmanteau about Indian children being kidnapped and then sold into adoption by westerners and found this blog in the comments section,

http://pushpaduncklee.wordpress.com/about/

It is by an Indian woman who was adopted from India, but later in life found out that she was kidnapped from her mother in India and sold to an orphanage and now she is trying to find out who she really is. It is so interesting and different from the typical "Ohhh Im Indian and confused" kind of thing.

Yes, I can understand and sympathize with the adopted parents, as well. But I don't think that shutting off dialogue with the grieving family members in India is particularly ethical, even if there may not be much that can technically be done in a court of law. It's a complicated mess all around, and it's not like I have any immediate resolutions myself, but as someone who is considering adopting an Indian child in a few years, taking into account the likelihood of a similar situation is definitely something I'll be doing.

as a big believer in adoption, i was really happy to see this psa - it seems far more effective to certain target audiences than other potential formats might have been. plus, it's pretty :)

17 · Yoga Fire said

Just don't go patting kids on the head unless you get a good look at their faces first. ;-)

awesome. but if you do, you can always console your gaffe with some sabor de soledad (ahora con mas semen de toro)

There is (of course!) an anti-adoption movement. . . .

A N N A, Satya, and Yoga Fire: that particular ethical tangle had me weeping, as I read the article.
Meanwhile, Slate has a letter from a woman who fears having 'ugly' babies with her 'unattractive' boyfriend, and would like to adopt instead. It is an interesting read, and I'm not sure what to think of this woman.

It is an interesting read, and I'm not sure what to think of this woman.

Heh--I agree with the columnist, who nicely paraphrases George Bernard Shaw by warning of the kids having "his looks and your personality"!

20 · ak said

sabor de soledad

ak: "Well, that explains your hair's thickness and shine."

Yoga Fire - that is a good point and I agree; but I guess what I was trying to say (not too successfully) is that 'family' can be a highly subjective and restricted concept and isn't necessariy very warm and fuzzy. I particularly objected to the sliding scale that was being suggested from 'family' to 'nation'; many Indians are extremly exclusionary in who they admit to their families and this obviously has an impact on who they would consider to be part of the 'nation' as well. Things are never quite so simple as they seem.

Re: the step-children, what bothered me so much was the way that it was accepted by all the parties involved; as if it was natural for the new husband's family not to be expected to care for the step-children. I think this is an attitude which needs to be changed.

4 · amreekandesi said

by "mental transmission" from the mind of Vasudeva into the womb of Devaki"

the original mindf**k.

26 · brown man said

by "mental transmission" from the mind of Vasudeva into the womb of Devaki"

Which is only marginally better than Ekta Kapoor's magical-sparkly-peacock-feather conception.

27 · BlackCat said

magical-sparkly-peacock-feather conception.

hey, my ladeez love when i use a peacock feather...

first worthwhile thing any bachcan has done in probably decades....

you on the other hand Anna could sin for the rest of your life and still end next to the BTiC in the picture....

Tells a lot about the deeply scarred hindu psyche that indian artists cannot imagine that baby Krishna could be cute and adorable if depicted as black-skinned, which is how he is described in the hindu scriptures. The artists somehow feel compelled to portray him in a foreign skin tone that is exceedingly rare in India. Another example of the deep racial self-loathing among desis.....

Tells a lot about the deeply scarred hindu psyche that indian artists cannot imagine that baby Krishna could be cute and adorable if depicted as black-skinned, which is how he is described in the hindu scriptures. The artists somehow feel compelled to portray him in a foreign skin tone that is exceedingly rare in India. Another example of the deep racial self-loathing among desis.....

Lets remember that Krishna himself has evolved since the story was originally written. The flirtatious naughty Krishna is mostly a creation of the last 1500 years or so.

30 · babalu said

Tells a lot about the deeply scarred hindu psyche that indian artists cannot imagine that baby Krishna could be cute and adorable if depicted as black-skinned, which is how he is described in the hindu scriptures. The artists somehow feel compelled to portray him in a foreign skin tone that is exceedingly rare in India. Another example of the deep racial self-loathing among desis.....

In the picture he is blue (foreign skin tone?martian??) ...so black that he is blue ...

Tells a lot about the deeply scarred hindu psyche that indian artists cannot imagine that baby Krishna could be cute and adorable if depicted as black-skinned, which is how he is described in the hindu scriptures. The artists somehow feel compelled to portray him in a foreign skin tone that is exceedingly rare in India. Another example of the deep racial self-loathing among desis.....

Dude, before you go on..............

Why don't you research for less than a minute on internet on why Hindu gods (Vishnu, Shiva, Krishna, Kali, Ram) are always depicted blue.

Here is the reason:

Vishnu is depicted with a blue skin. The colour blue symbolises the infinite expansion of the blue sky and the blue ocean.

why Hindu gods (Vishnu, Shiva, Krishna, Kali, Ram) are always depicted blue.

i thought it is because of their excessive commitment to chastity?

i thought it is because of their excessive commitment to chastity?

35 · Lupus Solitarius said

Hanuman

I believe he originated the phrase - spanking the monkey.

I believe he originated the phrase - spanking the monkey.

One word for you--Moldova.

I believe he originated the phrase - spanking the monkey

Krishna and Kali are not always depicted as blue. They are frequently depicted as black, especially in statues and carvings. In reality, once you get past the justifications wheeled out by I would say orthodox brahminnical interpretations it is because; at least in Krishna's case he was dark-skinned. Very dark-skinned. Kali is rarely depicted as blue AFAIK. Along with Shiva they were very popular deities of autocthnous groups that didn't subscribe to the Vedic pantheon.

Portmanteau, thanks for that link. The story made me nauseous.

Yes, I can understand and sympathize with the adopted parents, as well.

I like Yashoda's sari.

apparently child trafficking is legal - sick

Kali is rarely depicted as blue AFAIK.

Most of Kali's depiction are blue.

Proof Positive - A simple search on google images will tell you/b>

Along with Shiva they were very popular deities of autocthnous groups that didn't subscribe to the Vedic pantheon.

Kali of course as the name suggests, is the black goddess.

Not strictly in that way, not at all. It has a far deeper meaning.

Kali, also known as Kalika (Bengali: কালী, Kālī / কালিকা Kālikā ; Sanskrit: काली), is a Hindu goddess associated with death and destruction. The name Kali means "black", but has by folk etymology come to mean "force of time (kala)". Despite her negative connotations, she is today considered the goddess of time and change. Although sometimes presented as dark and violent, her earliest incarnation as a figure of annihilation still has some influence. More complex Tantric beliefs sometimes extend her role so far as to be the "ultimate reality" or Brahman. She is also revered as Bhavatarini (literally "redeemer of the universe"). Comparatively recent devotional movements largely conceive Kali as a benevolent mother goddess.

NB: Sure, you see Hindu gods and goddess in all hues (black, brown, blue, pale) but blue is the dominant color.

Most of Kali's depiction are blue.

Hmmm, interesting. Most of those seem to be artistic renderings; the main Kali temples I have been to have depicted Kali as black. The figureines and representations of both that most Hindu members of my family keep in their shrines are also black. Very rarely did I see any Kali renderings in blue while in India. But on your evidence I take it back that it is rare. I don't think I would say that it is the most common though. Also google searches are great but I think Hinduism as it is actually practised in its variety, especially in India is a better guide rather than internet searches of a few select images. (this is not a dig at you btw just an observation).

Conrad, Rudra and Gayatri are the proto Shiva/Shakti equivalent deities in the Vedas, and Rudra is referred to as Shiva in yajurveda - (Mahamryutunjaya). Kali of course as the name suggests, is the black goddess.

I think that depends on your interpretation of "equivalent deities" the Rudra and Gayatri mentioned in the Vedas are very minor deities compared to the significance of Shiv and The Mother; they certainly didn't have the significance that Shiv had of an aspect of the Supreme God. There are many differences and while they merged, I don't think it is accurate to label them as equivalent; they did merge but the characteristics of Shiv and Mother that we today are very different from the Vedic forerunners. In Vedic times, I beleive there were actual restrictions on where shrines/temples to Shiv could be built, ie not within a certain distance of major urban centres, since he was seen mainly as a God of Hunters and tribesmen at that time - I could be wrong about this and will need to check. Scholars tend to disagree to what degree Rudra and Shiv can be seen as related; I don't have a problem linking the two but Shiv incorporated many aspects that were not part of the Vedic tradition and so should be considered as a distinct development. IMO anyway.

44 · Lupus Solitarius said

Kali of course as the name suggests, is the black goddess.

I thought Ka Lee was Chinese because of her fighting prowess.

South Asians never adopt, from what I've seen. A westerner is much more likely to adopt a brown baby than a Desi (is likely to adopt a brown baby). Case in point: Bridget McCain. The typical method of "adoption" amongst South Asians, from what I've seen, is this: A sterile family adopts a poorer nephew/niece from their brother/sister. But I *hardly* see an Indian adopt someone from a totally different family/caste/languageGroup. Perhaps India needs to make formalized abortion more available and/or work hard to lower population growth.

Regarding the Blue Krishna:

I has always assumed that it was because painting someone blue is just easier than painting them black. Look at this picture. Look at the character's hair. Notice how the black haired people have mostly blue highlights in the hair?

When you are printing with ink and paper it is extremely difficult to get any kind of depth and definition with just the color black. Lighting is hard to do and if you put too much black on there it bleeds through the page. Drawing dark people is hard! It can be done, but it takes more work, especially in the days when paint was solidified into bricks and had to be dissolved and mixed in every time you wanted to paint something.

Its funny how Kush Tandon always comes out of the woodwork to vehemently deny the blackness of Krishna or Kali whenever it is mentioned. Why do these facts bother you so much Kush? Why so traumatized by the balckness of hindu gods and goddesses? Are you afraid of what the whites will think of hinduism? Did you buy into the Aryan Invasion Theory hook line and sinker? Inquiring minds want to know :)

The very words Krishna and Kali mean black. Krishna is described as shyama sundara which means black and beautiful. Deal with it.

Its funny how Kush Tandon always comes out of the woodwork to vehemently deny the blackness of Krishna or Kali whenever it is mentioned. Why do these facts bother you so much Kush? Why so traumatized by the balckness of hindu gods and goddesses? Are you afraid of what the whites will think of hinduism? Did you buy into the Aryan Invasion Theory hook line and sinker? Inquiring minds want to know :)

Dude/ Dudette,

I came out of woodwork to deny complete bullshit that started with the comment #. 30 by babulu.

When did I deny the blackness? Holi was last week, the effect of bhang has not worn out on you apparently.

What do I care about white thinking about Hinduism, and Aryan Theory ?.......I have been commenting on SM (it used to be very regular, almost daily) since 2004, and go and google my name on search bar up on the right hand corner on SM. The answer will be clear in a minute, my friend. And check out how much I have commented on religion in past, and kali - this is the first time, I am even commenting on these topics because of ......

Now to Kali, don't you think understanding her origins a little more makes more sense. Here from wikipedia:

Kālī is the feminine of kāla "black, dark coloured" (per Panini 4.1.42). It appears as the name of a form of Durga in Mahabharata 4.195, and as the name of an evil female spirit in Harivamsa 11552.

The homonymous kāla "appointed time", which depending on context can mean "death", is distinct from kāla "black", but became associated through folk etymology. The association is seen in a passage from the Mahābhārata, depicting a female figure who carries away the spirits of slain warriors and animals. She is called kālarātri (which Thomas Coburn, a historian of Sanskrit Goddess literature, translates as "night of death") and also kālī (which, as Coburn notes, can be read here either as a proper name or as a description "the black one").[2]

Kali's association with blackness stands in contrast to her consort, Shiva, whose body is covered by the white ashes of the cremation ground (Sanskrit: śmaśāna) in which he meditates, and with which Kali is also associated, as śmaśāna-kālī.

PS: Email me if you want to know more, inquiring mind, tata. Please do.

Or Don't adopt. Because you never know what you are going to get. See this recent mother jones article on "The Dark Side of Overseas Adoptions" about how children in India are kidnapped form their birth parents and sold by adoption agencies to American families.
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2009/03/meet-parents-dark-side-overseas-adoption

"have been commenting on SM (it used to be very regular, almost daily) since 2004, and go and google my name on search bar up on the right hand corner on SM. "

SINKER!

52 · gekogeko said

See this recent mother jones article on "The Dark Side of Overseas Adoptions" about how children in India are kidnapped form their birth parents and sold by adoption agencies to American families.

We did see it, when Portmanteau linked to it way up in comment #9. It inspired half of this comment thread. Wow, you guys really don't RTFT, do you? ;)

54 · SM Intern said

52 ·said

We did see it, when Portmanteau linked to it way up in comment #9. It inspired half of this comment thread. Wow, you guys really don't RTFT, do you? ;)

Ha ! I think these threads move so fast that it is easier to prepend every statement with "Apologies if someone already stated / posted this".
As soon as it gets to 50+ comments, harder to keep up your thoughts after reading all the posts - these threads are so organic it's awesome.

afaik: Kali is depicted as blue-complexioned and black-complexioned in visual representations (even in ink-and-paper representations). I can't say what percentage or which art schools show her as blue/black.

Interesting backstory to why Siva is shown to be blue :)

Nilkanth is a name used to refer to Shiva, one of the Hindu trinity of Creator (Brahma), Preserver (Vishnu), and Destroyer (Shiva).

According to the Purnas, Shiva received this name as he drank the poison that emerged from the oceans after it was churned for getting 'amrut' - the nectar of immortality. With his yogic powers, he stopped the poison in his throat, preventing it from going any further and harming his body. But the poison did turn his neck blue, so he has been known as Nilkanth - the Blue-Throated one.

Port linked to this adoption story:

this investigative piece on international adoptions originating in India (ht: ultrabrown).

Since the child in question is male, I am inclined to think he was stolen. Stories come up all the time of male children being stolen and the extent to which the parents, even very poor parents, will go to get their son back. There may even have been such a story posted on SM back in 2007.

Kush declared:

NB: Sure, you see Hindu gods and goddess in all hues (black, brown, blue, pale) but blue is the dominant color.

Green too. Meenakshi, an important goddess in my neck of the woods, is green, and another interesting detail, three breasted.
Also, I'll have to do a histogram or something. but I think a lot of the gods are fairer than wheatish. Even the blue ones are often depicted fair. Kush, maybe you have been spending too much time with the Vraj bhoomi crowd. There is more plurality than Krishna/Rama. Personally, I really really don't like Krishna and not just because he is a blue philanderer. Saraswati, the pretty white one, I like her the best. And the nice Raja Ravi Verma painting helps me appreciate her all the more.

I would say blue is the dominant colour for the most popular major deities; like Vishnu in his avatars Ram and Krishna, Shiv and Kali. the only major figure that breaks this trend and is represented as blue to my knowledge is Draupadi and her popularity lies more with the nomadic and Dalit communities of northern India. Quite a few of the simple idols of The Mother are either made from yellow or caked in yellow as well. Most of the other deities though are represented as having fairer or less colourful skin-tones.

The strong historical association and the still important place many of these 'blue-skinned' deities enjoy amongst marginalised communities that lie outside the orthodox caste hierarchy, and the way that blue and black were interchangeable when protraying these figures in the npast indicates that the use of the former is an artistic way to depict darker skin. I don't think this is too surprising given that they drew on religious traditions that didn't place a high premium on their Gods/Goddesses having fair skin; unlike the more orthodox Vedic tradition and it wasn't necessary to justify it by philosophical metaphors or mythological episodes. These were brought in later to synthesise contradictions in merging the various streams into the established orthodoxy. I think they have little impact on the vast majority of practising Hindus, who have no problem in aorshipping these deities without seeking the need to explain their 'blackness' (or lack of).

On the actual matter of the original post; yes, it is true that adoption raises many problems in a country like India. However, both practises and attitudes are changing and some forms of adoption are much more common than is realised. Very often you will find, children who have been suddenly orphaned taken in either by long-standing neighbours or friends of their parents; when no appropriate next of kin can be found. In a situation where social welfare services are non-existent and mortality still quite high, this is a prevalent practise that while not a sufficient response is significant. Given the economic conditions that much of the population live in, I think it says a lot about the existing generosity of spirit that still exists.

Once we stop assuming that the Vedas are canonical documents and are some sort of apex for the history of "Hinduism" discussions become more fruitful. Conrad, Draupadi is v.popular in Tamil Nadu. There are some parts where you have a Draupadi Amman kovil/mandir, that are known by 2-3 different names. For some of these kovils, there is a regular priest (or cretaker) and then on festive occasions you may have a brahman priest coming in to perform special pujas. So while the locals would call it Draupadi, it may be better known as, say, Mundakanniamman Kovil. Hindu lore reaches before the Vedas with even better assembled narrations such as the Srimad Bhagavatam describing the stories of kings who supported the writing of the Vedas. Coming to Krishna, the South too has contributed to the tradition. Maayon (Maayaavi) a pre-classical Tamizh deity of the river valley (or Marudham) is like Krishna. He is dark as the clouds that bring rain, and also plays tricks upon people, and takes care of them.

While the small blue Kali icon is sometimes kept at home, the murti that is brought out for Kali Puja at home in Eastern India (coincides with Divali) is black. At the Kali Pujas I have attended Bengali/Maithili, meat (mutton made without garlic and onions) and alcohol are a part of the feast. There is also a more elaborate Kali Puja that is conducted at the smashaan ghat, where one can find the blue Kali. This puja usually starts well after midnight and goes on till about daybreak, after which they serve the finest khichdi you can have with some fried veggies and lots of kheer. The Kali of Eastern India sticks out her tongue, but with her big eyes and chubby visage, looks more like a naughty kindergartener!

Once we stop assuming that the Vedas are canonical documents and are some sort of apex for the history of "Hinduism" discussions become more fruitful.

I agree with this strongly, I dislike attempts to try and "semitise" Hinduism by codifying it; it is hard to do so. There is are many underlying interlinkages in the variety that exist; there is bias towards written and elite versions of Hinduism to be privileged over other more demotic versions, which are quite often looked down for various reasons. This is a matter of regret since what I would perhaps term as popular Hinduism contains far fewer prejudices than what we see in the more orthodox forms. Caste plays a role as well here.

Conrad, Draupadi is v.popular in Tamil Nadu.

Thanks, for those details, I didn’t know that but then my knowledge of the South – particularly the rural areas is very limited. It was always irritating that when the epics were discussed many disparaging comments were frequently directed towards the character of Draupadi by some of my ‘respectable’ peers simply because she did not fit into their, predominantly conservative notions of what a virtuous woman should be. There are several faultlines within Hinduism with some streams looking down on others for practises like meat-eating, consumption of alcohol, selection of deities worshipped etc. I find this ‘holier-than-thou’ attitude extremely condescending but this is present through most religions in one form or another.

So while the locals would call it Draupadi, it may be better known as, say, Mundakanniamman Kovil. Hindu lore reaches before the Vedas with even better assembled narrations such as the Srimad Bhagavatam describing the stories of kings who supported the writing of the Vedas.

This is not dissimilar with how Draupadi is linked to a lot of adivasi and nomadic religious figures. The classical combination of Great tradition-Little tradition linking up. There was an excellent book by Alf Hilbeitel that examined collated oral histories of Draupadi across many communities without a written tradition and which pieced together how those who didn't have access to formal literacy had their own understanding of the religious epics. Great book, though this kind of work demands a breadth of linguistic knowledge that few people have these days.

Since we are on the topic of adoption, it would help to look at the many epic characters of Hindu folklore. One popular saying in Tamizh suggests that it is pointless to study rishimoolam (the origin of rishis) and nadimoolam (source of rivers). These are so tangled, obscure and unconventional that the knowledge may upset our pretty drawing-room notions.

Personally, I really really don't like Krishna and not just because he is a blue philanderer. Saraswati, the pretty white one, I like her the best.

Yo, my dog, maybe if you picture baby Krishna as white instead of black maybe you wouldn't dislike him so much? Lol. There are millions of white westerners who do not seem to recoil from the worship of the "Dark Lord", thanks to the hindu missionary Praphupada.

So when did hindus start painting the goddess Saraswati white? After the white europeans conquered India? The ancient statues look non-white: http://www.lotussculpture.com/images/saraswati2.jpg

I can see why the hindu gods are depicted as black or bluish-black. It could be anthropomorphism or, more likely, the color black being the color of infinite space/sky is meant to remind us of the infinity of God.

Actually Boston Mahesh @48, I'd say a high percentage, if not the majority, of the Indian children internationally adopted to the U.S. in the last 5 years were adopted by families with one or two desi parents. My famiy is one of them. And domestic adoptions withiin India have increased dramatically. Things are changing.

The ancient statues look non-white: http://www.lotussculpture.com/images/saraswati2.jpg

I would say blue is the dominant colour for the most popular major deities; like Vishnu in his avatars Ram and Krishna, Shiv and Kali..........The strong historical association and the still important place many of these 'blue-skinned' deities enjoy amongst marginalised communities that lie outside the orthodox caste hierarchy, and the way that blue and black were interchangeable when protraying these figures in the npast indicates that the use of the former is an artistic way to depict darker skin. I don't think this is too surprising given that they drew on religious traditions that didn't place a high premium on their Gods/Goddesses having fair skin; unlike the more orthodox Vedic tradition

The above reads like western racially inspired psuedo-scholarly nonsense. Who are these "fair-skinned" gods worshipped by the "orthodox caste heirarchy"??? It is patently illogical to claim that the dark deities Vishnu, Shiva, Rama and Krishna are only worshipped by "marginalized communities" when in fact they are the main deities worshipped by hindus in general.

So when did hindus start painting the goddess Saraswati white?

Just google Saraswati. She is known as shwetambari. Whiteness/purity is her essential character. All our gods has things associated with them. For Shiva, it is Nandi, Varanasi etc... So Saraswati is white-skinned and always dressed in white. As for me referring to her as the white one--well that is the color she is associated with. I wouldn't like Krsna if he were white, black or purple--for reasons that are off-topic. I'm actually an atheist. Hinduism is my culture, not my religion.

It is patently illogical to claim that the dark deities Vishnu, Shiva, Rama and Krishna are only worshipped by "marginalized communities" when in fact they are the main deities worshipped by hindus in general.

I am talking about their historical origins; they certainly were not worshipped by most "Hindus"(however you choose to define this term) over large parts of history. Many like the emergence of Saivism and the cult of Krishna are later developments that clearly borrowed fron non-Vedic sources. You can see the tensions inherent in this in the Puranic tales that tell of the displacement of Brahma by Vishnu and later Shiv and the competition that occurred between Vaishnavism and Saivism. I am grossly simplifying the picture again here but there are space constraints.

The above reads like western racially inspired psuedo-scholarly nonsense.

Hardly. This kind of response might be popular amongst hyper-nationalists but it indicates an ignorance of history and literature. Although the most detailed empirical works would be produced mainly by scholars based in the West (which doesn't make them either 'racist' or 'pseudo-scholarly' despite what some might claim) the original line of thinking can be traced back much further to figures like eminent social reformer and philosopher Ramouhan Roy and the anthropologist NK Bose. I don't think having an indigenous source for these critiques makes them more authentic but it speaks to a lack of knowledge to try and paint such thinking as some sort of Western-inspired ideological ploy.

Who are these "fair-skinned" gods worshipped by the "orthodox caste heirarchy"???

You mean the rest of the deities who aren't portrayed as blue-skinned or the orthodox caste hierachy who have populated most urban centres and dominated written traditions for most of recorded history? I would have thought the terms and definitions were pretty self-exlanatory.

How did a post about cute chubby babies and adoption turn into a discussion regarding racial / skin color
characteristics of deities in the Hindu pantheon ? Let's just agree that chubby babies are cute
and more brown kids need adopting from India. Let's start a letter writing campaign to get more
celebrity adoptions in India :)

But seriously - one of my aunts was also adopted by my grandparents, and this was after they
already had like 8-9 kids already, mostly daughters - always been proud of that.

Maybe since Anil Kapoor kept yelling about how all the awards won by Slumdog were dedicated to the children,
maybe he should start a foundation for all of the street kids, or adopt / hire some himself
- especially the child stars who are now literally back on the streets (still can't wrap my
head around that part).

But yes - chubby babies rock......until they get older :)

dude... dont.diss.Mr India. The guy donated all his proceeds from dawg to a mumbai charity focused on alleviating child poverty. also rubina and azharuddin are in today's G&M's photo section walking the catwalk in delhi for some fashion show and not quite in a state of pecuniary want as you stated.
fact based arguments are generally superior, old baingan.

I love Mr. India as well and have grown up with him like many others.

Was just weird to see Frida and cast attending fashion shows and parties around the world, while these kids went back to the slums one
week after the oscars and the movie has now made over 100M dollars. They didn't know the movie would do this well, and I know they
set up a trust for them, education, etc - But for now they are back in the slums (which will be
demolished soon for development). Alot has already been posted about this subject and these kids
- I hope we hear some more positive news regarding their situation. Maybe this has already changed.

Making a tongue in cheek comment - not attacking the guy. Anyone who watched
the awards shows knows what I mean in relation to his exuberance (which is understandable
considering the excitement and acknowledgement).

Jai Ho !

hare is the pic of the kids on the catwalk.

Looks like their both cast in Kal Kisne Dekha as well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubina_Ali

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azharuddin_Mohammed_Ismail

Great that they're getting exposure (fashion shows, etc) - but I am looking forward to finding out when they and their
families are able to reap more benefits from SM and move out of their current situation. Maybe this has already happened.