American pop-star Miley Cyrus ditched the Super Bowl for the ‘fruit bowl’ over the weekend as the Wrecking Ball singer startlingly performed a Lakshmi Puja at her home instead of watching the Patriots stage an epic comeback against the Falcons.
As seen on her Instagram, the singer’s house was decked with various essentials – diyas, incense sticks and rose petals – for the puja and even a guru can be spotted along with the setup. With another high-profile western celebrity gazing eastwards for spirituality, this obsession seems to only get more intense.
The Beatles’ throw spotlight on India
The international entertainment arena’s first popular tryst with Indian religious elements dates back to The Beatles’ guitarist George Harrison, who was intrigued by Hinduism. The iconic British band even travelled to a Maharishi’s ashram in Rishikesh in early 1968, calling it one of their most productive periods soon after. This visit helped change Western attitudes about Indian spirituality and encouraged the study of Transcendental Meditation. The influence of this trip can be observed in the band’s famous numbers like Across The Universe and Norwegian Wood.
Later, artists like Madonna would explore Sanskrit prayers in her music and also experiment with the traditional Indian ‘shringar.’ Androgynous singer Boy George, a Buddhist, also collaborated with Asha Bhosle to render the popular Bow Down Mister with its predominant chants of Hare Rama Hare Krishna.
Film stars follow
This fascination with Indian spiritual practices was soon discovered among A-list actors like Julia Roberts, who is believed to have adopted them during the shooting of her movie Eat, Pray, Love. “I’m definitely a practising Hindu. I’ve been so spoiled with my friends and family in this life. Next time, I want to be just something quiet and supporting,” she had said.
Other prominent actors to jump on this bandwagon include Hugh ‘Wolverine’ Jackman and Will Smith. Buddhism has also been a popular belief among celebs like the Iron Man Robert Downey Jr, Uma Thurman, Sharon Stone and Richard Gere. Estranged couple Brangelina openly expressed their interest in Buddhism after adopting their son Maddox from Cambodia.
Culture, attire and ink
Indian outfits and attire seem to be a hit with the folks in the West as well. Stars like Anne Hathway and Halle Berry have rocked the saree on screen while popstar Britney Spears even donned one such costume during a show. Even Indian designers have found their stock rising with the West as former American first lady Michelle Obama, singers Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj and actresses like Liz Hurley have flaunted their designs on international platforms.
Desi tattoos are also commonplace in the West now. Former football star David Beckham had been among the first to popularise the idea after getting his wife Victoria’s name inked on his forearm in Hindi. Maroon 5 lead singer and heartthrob Adam Levine also flaunts the Hindi word Tapas, implying meditation, on his left shoulder.
Jessica Alba and Russel Brand also feature in this long list of names that includes Miley Cyrus’ Om tattoo on her wrist. The Hannah Montana star might be among the first few from her generation to look East for inner peace, but certainly doesn’t look like the last.
