Julia Roberts” Eat, Pray, Love shooting launched with “hawan”

Hindus have applauded the makers of Hollywood movie “Eat, Pray, Love” and its star Julia Roberts for reportedly launching the India leg of the shooting with a hawan (a fire sacrifice).

According to acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, hawan, central to Hinduism, is sacrificial ceremony in which ghee (clarified butter), grains, flowers, etc., are offered (to the gods) into fire accompanied by samans (chants) and stotra (hymns), which is performed by priest/priests.

Before shooting started on Sunday at Ashram Harimandir hermitage in Pataudi, about 60 kilometers from India”s capital Delhi, priests reportedly performed hawan for the success of the shooting and the film.

Oscar winner Roberts participated with her four-and-a-half-year-old twins-Hazel and Phinnaeus-and two year old Henry, and she also joined in langar (mass lunch), reports suggest.

On the first day”s shooting, Roberts wore ruddraksh (seeds of the tree Eleocarpus ganitrus) mala (rosary), black salvar (a kind of trousers), purple kurta (loose-fitting upper garment) and ate matar-panir (peas-cheese), aloo-gobhi (potato-cauliflower), rice and chapati (Indian thin bread) with her bare hands and found Gulab-Jamun (an Indian sweetmeat) her favorite.

To keep the buzzing flies, heat and humidity away, Roberts was seen using hand fan. She is said to have written the 182-verse Sanskrit chant in English, which she has to recite as part of the script, and is said to be rehearsing it.

Her living area in the nearby hotel has been furnished with a unique yoga center per her wishes. Roberts reportedly commented: “India is really amazing.”