– I get up at 5 a.m. Prepares breakfast and lunch. He goes to school, then comes back. Most often he is home only in the evening. Either he is still going to the temple or organizing some event. He always has something to do. (…) When he gets involved in something, he puts his whole self into it, says Suganya’s husband. They have been living in Poland for 12 years and trying to rebuild the reality they left behind thousands of kilometers away. You can watch the “Little India” reportage below:
From India to Poland. Marriage and new life
Suganya and Sasisekar got married in 2009. Their marriage was not decided by love, but by family. – I come from a family that believes in horoscopes and astrology, so when he asked my parents for my hand in marriage, they first compared our zodiac signs and checked whether the horoscopes matched. At that time he lived in the United States. We couldn’t even meet, Suganya recalls. It is estimated that over 90 percent marriages concluded in India are arranged marriages. Not only did Suganya not know what the man she was going to build a house with looked like, but she had also never talked to him before. Only after the proposal did they start getting to know each other. They were separated by an ocean, so they exchanged their first words over the phone.
-I had no idea who he was or what he looked like. We talked on the phone for several weeks. Then our parents gave us the green light: “The signs match. You can get married.” Then I told him, “I haven’t even seen you, I don’t even know what you look like, how tall you are. You have to come back to India and meet me.” He did it for me, he says.
There was a spark already at the first meeting. When she returned home, she knew the wedding would take place. – I told my mother about it and she jumped with happiness that her daughter would finally get married – she recalls. And a thought appeared in Suganya’s head: “What will my life be like after marriage?” Previously, she was actively involved in the community and worked at the airport. Shortly after the grand wedding, Sasi, as she affectionately addresses her husband, had to move to Singapore on business, and she moved with him. In 2012, eight months after the birth of their son, they had to move out again. They packed their bags and boarded the plane to Wrocław.
Wroclaw. New chapter
Everything in Wrocław was new for them. Mundane things like going to the store or getting around the city were a challenge. – I experienced culture shock. I didn’t know the language. I started learning basic phrases, e.g. how to shop, how to ask about the price of vegetables, she recalls. At that time, the Hindu community in Poland was much smaller. – Only five families from India lived in Wrocław. We only knew five families, he says.
Suganya knew that in order to pass on the culture she came from to her son, she had to rebuild her “little India” here. Step by step, she began to transfer Hindu traditions to Polish reality and, together with her husband, tell their children stories about the country they came from. – As parents, we faced a huge challenge to pass on our culture to him. He started talking quite late. He grew up surrounded by Polish customs, he only knew Russian dumplings, etc. My husband is still very committed to educating him about India. She explains to him how to deal with our traditions. There are usually a lot of questions: “Why are we doing it this way?”, “Why did something like this happen in this story?” Some things are really hard to explain. In India, grandparents do this, he says.
In 2015, the Hindu community began to grow. It turned out that they could easily establish contact. – We have a WhatsApp group. There is a group of people we meet. Everyone brings something to eat, we make dinner, we celebrate holidays together. This is how we get to know each other, he says. Since 2019, Suganya and her family have been living in Warsaw.
“Good Karma will help you in life”
When we meet in the Hindu Bhavan temple, her friend says a sentence that stays in our memory for a long time: “We shouldn’t miss India, we should feel at home in Poland.” Today, Suganya can call Warsaw her second home. Actively involved in community life. She helps organize events at a temple near Warsaw, founded an association for immigrant women and encourages them to engage in joint activities. He also advises them on how to find their way in the new reality after moving.
– I receive about 500 messages a day. When I’m at work, notifications pop up on my phone screen all the time. “Suganya, where is it?”, “Suganya, where can I go? What events are organized for children?” They ask me about everything. Once, a woman from Sri Lanka called me and said she wanted to move to Poland with her family. “Where should I apply and how to look for a school for my son?” – says.
As she emphasizes, the most important thing for her is helping others and creating Good Karma. It is the people she met on her journey in Poland and the good that happened to her that give her the strength to continue acting. – I pray that everyone will be able to be themselves and share goodness with others. Think positive, create Good Karma. Good Karma will help you in your life. Show sympathy and respect to everyone, regardless of who you meet on your way, he emphasizes.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
