Know Thy Goddesses

t for trivia
I’m lying on my bed and pretending to be a cold bunch of grapes. But Sky stops me from fermenting. She plonks herself down and goes on and on about something.
“so then.. I don’t know what he means…”
…”had a fantastic meeting today…”
“… that’s a masterpiece scene Sky, sir said…”
“… have to go to a Saraswati temple tomorrow…”
There’s a pause so I come out of my fog.
“What?”
“Do you know any Saraswati temple?”
I am bewildered, “No.” I say as if it’s strange to ask. And it really is. Sky asking anyone else directions to temples is a little absurd. She’s probably visited every God in the vicinity.
“Fine. Then a temple that has a Saraswati idol?”
Now I’m roused, “no.” Emphatic. Then to stress, “I don’t even know what a Saraswati idol looks like.”
It’s her turn to look astounded. “you don’t!”
She looks so shocked like Mr. and Mrs. H have failed in some way that I hasten to add, “I mean if I look at one I’ll know it’s Her but just from memory… she holds a book right?” I’m quickly putting things together in my head – Saraswati, we pray to her on dussehra when Mrs. H makes us put out all our books and music and paints and creative things for blessings in the puja. So I figure book is a good guess.
“No! she hold a veena.”
“Well... doesn’t one of her hands hold a book?” I plead.
“No.” Sky says drily.
“Oh. Ok. She should hold a book then. She’s our Goddess of intellect and creativity right?”
“the Veena is a sign of creative gifts. You really can’t tell your Goddesses apart.”
“I really can’t tell our Goddesses apart. I mean the Gods are easy. Shiv’s got a third eye. Ram looks goody goody, Ganesha has a well... trunk and Krishna’s Krishna. The ladies all look alike.”
Sky still looks like a dear stuck in headlights.
“Sarawati wears a white sari with a red border and holds a Veena with usually a peacock near her. Laxmi stands on a lotus with two of her hands holding a lotus each and a third one pointing palm down showering coins. Durga is usually on a tiger.”
“I like tigers,” I say to shut her up, “I don’t know if a subjugated tiger is good representation of the dwindling tiger wildlife.”
Sky leaves my room and I return to being fruity.