Admirer of India’s ‘inner treasure’

Jisha Surya
First Published : 01 Mar 2010

This is the third Pongala for Catherine Lee, 74, who has accepted Thiruvananthapuram as her home. A former US journalist, Catherine has a rich knowledge of Indian culture, history and spirituality.
 She has been to major religious centres in India, including Haridwar, Dharamsala and Rishikesh, and has attended religious events like the Kumbh Mela in 2001. However, Catherine still feels that the Pongala is unique as it offers a special feeling of togetherness.
 ‘‘Kumbh Mela takes place once in 12 years and the Maha Kumbh Mela comes in 144 years. But, the Attukal Pongala is amazing as it takes place every year with not much flaws. The local people are making all arrangements for the event. We can’t see such a strong feeling of togetherness anywhere else,’’ she said before offering the Pongala at her friend’s house in Sreekanteswaram on Sunday.
 Catherine first came to India in 1970 as the editor of renowned Indian writer Raja Rao. After a series of Indian tours, she finally bought a flat in the city and has been staying here since 2003.
 ‘‘Pongala is special since every community is working in unison for the event. It is not necessary for you to be a Hindu to offer Pongala,’’ she said.
 ‘‘The specialty of Kerala, particularly Travancore, is the ability to imbibe and respect other cultures. Like, for example, the Tamil community in Thiruvananthapuram was invited here 400 years ago by the then Travancore ruler as priests in temples. Also, where else in the world can you see Communism and religion going hand-in-hand,’’ she asked.
 Catherine said that the failure to recognise the treasure of rich culture was the main problem with Kerala. ‘‘Here, the spiritual energy is so strong that it is visible on occasions like the Pongala. But, the people fail to recognise that,’’ she said.
‘‘People used to ask me what I hate in India. I would say Indians do not realise the treasure they have, the inner treasure. They are looking at the West, forgetting the rich tradition, culture and spiritual energy you have here,’’ she said. People must take the initiative to conduct further studies on the Vedas, she added.
 Catherine’s five children, eight grandchildren and two great grandchildren are all staying in the US. Her sister Sylvia, a yoga teacher, is staying with her. Catherine, though having travelled to many parts of the world, feels Thiruvananthapuram as the best place to live.
Even at this age, Catherine does a lot of reading, studies and editing and is an active member of NGOs like Thanal. She is a strong advocate of yoga and ayurveda.
jisha@expressbuzz.com