Ukuhamba Ngephenyane Kwichibi LaseKerala

NGUMBHALI KAVUKANI! EINDIYA

YIBA nomfanekiso ngqondweni uhamba ngephenyana elikumgangatho ophezulu kwiintili zemilambo engama-44. Lo mbono mhle wenzeka kwichibi lephondo laseKerala elilingana neekhilomitha ezingama-900, emzantsi-ntshona weIndiya. Ngamava angalibalekiyo, nangenakuthelekiswa nanto. Njengokuba iphenyana lithe chu ngcembe, ubona amachibi amahle ajikelezwe yimithi yekhokhonathi, amasimi aluhlaza yaka erayisi, amachibi nemijelo yamanzi. Ngenxa yala machibi, iNational Geographic Traveler iye yaquka iKerala “kuluhlu lweendawo ezingama-50 ‘zeendawo omele uzityelele nakanjani.’”

Abanye abantu omele ubabone nakanjani ngabantu abahlala elunxwemeni lwala majelo. Bakhumbula ixesha apho kwakungekho bakhenkethi nazihotele zodidi oluphezulu kule ngingqi yabo. Kodwa ke, ubomi babo abutshintshanga kangako. Nangona abanye babo besebenza kwezi hotele zisandula ukwakhiwa okanye kweminye imisebenzi enxibelelene nokhenketho, inkcubeko nendlela yabo yokuphila ayitshintshanga kangako. Balima amasimi abo erayisi nemithi yekhokhonathi, ukongezelela ekulimeni bayaloba baze bathengise iintlanzi.

Ukuloba Echibini

Ukuloba yinto yemihla ngemihla apha. Enye yezinto ezinqabileyo ezenzeka kweli chibi ngabafazi ababamba iintlanzi ngezandla. Eyona ntlanzi ithandwayo kweli chibi laseKerala, yintlannzi ekuthiwa yikarimeen yaye amaIndiya nendwendwe zimunca iintupha xa ziyitya. Xa abafazi beloba ezi ntlanzi, bathi bhazalala kweli chibi berhuqa iimbiza zesitovu. Zithi zakubona abafazi mgama ezi ntlanzi, zizinyhale ngentloko eludakeni. Abafazi barhangqa lo ndawo zizifihle kuyo ezi ntlanzi, baze bantywile, bazibambe ngezandla emva koko baziphose kwiimbiza zesitovu. Xa bebambe inani elaneleyo, bayahamba baye kuzithengisa evenkileni. Intlanzi enkulu neyona ibiza imali eninzi ithengiselwa ihotele, apho iphekelwa izityebi ezingawothiyo umlilo, ngoxa zona ezincinane zithengiselwa abantu abangathath’ intweni.

Iminatha Yokuloba YamaTshayina

Eyona nto ixhaphakileyo elunxwemeni lwala machibi yiminatha yokuloba yamaTshayina. Le minatha iyathandwa nangabakhankethi.

Abantu bakholelwa ukuba abarhwebi bamaTshayina abavela eKublai Khan ngabo abeza nale minatha eCochin (ebizwa ngokuba yiKochi) ngaphambi konyaka wama-1400. Abantu bokuqala ababesebenzisa le minatha yayingamaTshayina kamva yangamaPhuthukezi. Namhlanje isetyenziswa ngamaIndiya, nangabanye abantu kanye njengokuba kwakunjalo kwiminyaka engama-600 eyadlulayo. Eyona nto ibangel’ umdla kukuba umnatha omnye unokubambisa iintlanzi ezinokondla bonke abantu abahlala kulo lali. Abakhenkethi abaninzi bayakuthanda ukufota le minatha xa yanekiwe, ilanga lisiya kunina.

Ayiyominatha yamaTshayina yokuloba kuphela ebenza abakhankethi baquqe bebuyelela. Ugqatso lwamaphenyane, lutsala amawaka abantu minyaka le.

Ugqatso Lwamaphenyane

La ngamaphenyane amade enziwe ngomthi. Umva wala maphenyana umile okwentloko yesikhotsholo, kungenxa yeso sizathu lento abizwa ngokuba yinyoka. Mandulo, ookumkani babesilwa ngamaphenyane kula machibi. Zathi zisakuphela iimfazwe, waphela nomsebenzi wawo. Kule mihla asetyenziswa xa kukho amatheko amakhulu kuphela. La maphenyane ambejembeje, ayehonjiswa kuze kuboniswe ngawo esidlangalaleni njengomsebenzi wobugcisa wasekuhlaleni. Ngamaxesha eziyolo, amaphenyane ayekhuphisana ukuze konwatyiswe iindwalutho. Esi sithethe, esaqala malunga neminyaka eliwaka eyadlulayo, sisaqhubeka nangoku.

Kolu gqatso kudla ngokungenelela amaphenyane angama-20, ngalinye kuwo libheqwa ngamadoda ali-100 ukusa kwali-150. Amadoda angaphezu kwekhulu anamiphini amafutshane ahlala ngapha nangapha axhake iphenyane. Amadoda amane anamaphini amade ema entloko abheqe iphenyane. Amadoda amabini ema embindini wephenyane, ebetha ingqongqo ukuze akhuthaze ogxa babo njengoko bebheqa. Nabanye ababheqi abakwamanye amaphenyane nabo babetha ezabo iingqongqo. Amanye amadoda ayaqhwaba, antyontye, acule iingoma ezikhuthaza oogxa babo ukuba bangayekeleli. Emva, kokubheqa ngononophelo ixesha elide, abafana bakhupha nawokugqibela amandla xa bekufutshane emgceni.

Ngowe-1952, inkulumbuso yokuqala yaseIndiya, uJawaharlal Nehru, yatyelela eAlleppey, idolophu ebamba olu khuphiswano, wachukunyiswa kakhulu lugqatso lwamaphenyane. Wachukumiseka kangangokuba, akazange ananze kwanemithetho yokhuseleko, wambonzeleka kwiphenyane elaphumelelayo kolu gqatso eqhwaba ecula kunye nababheqi. Ekubuyeleni kwakhe eDelhi, wathumela isipho, sephenyane elisiliva, linotyobelo lwakhe nombhalo othi: “Kwabaphumelel’ ugqatso lwamaphenyane imbalasane yobomi basemaphandleni.” Kolu gqatso iqela eliphumeleleyo lifumana iphenyane lesilivere elibizwa ngokuba yiNehru Trophy Race. Abantu abamalunga newaka lamakhulu bayathontelana beze kubukela olu gqatso minyaka le. Xa kukho olu gqatso abantu baba ngumbo nomxesibe.

Iihotele Zodidi Ezindanda Emanzini

La maphenyane asingawo kuphela atsala abakhenkethi. Amanye amaphenyane athandwayo ngamaphenyane ekuthiwa yirayisi—iinqanawa zakudala ezijikiweyo zenziwa izindlu ezingamaphenyane.

Nangona amaphenyane amaninzi esetyenziswa ngabakhenkethi ematsha, amaphenyane erayisi asele engaphezu kwekhulu leminyaka, enzelwe abakhenkethi. Ekuqaleni ayebizwa ngokuba zikettuvallam, eli gama lithetha “amaphenyane anamaqhina.” Lonke eli phenyane lenziwe ngohlobo oluthile lomthi laze ladityaniswa ngentambo ngaphandle kwezikhonkwane. La maphenyane ayesetyenziselwa ukuthumela irayisi, iziqholo nezinye izinto kwiilali ezahlukahlukeneyo nakwiindawo ezikude. Kwathi kusakufika izithuthi zala maxesha, la maphenyane aphelelwa ngumsebenzi. Usomashishini okrelekrele weza necebo lokuba la maphenyane mawenziwe izindlu ukuze kutsalwe abakhenkethi. La maphenyane anevaranda, amagumbi okulala atofotofo, amagumbi okuhlambela namagumbi okuhlala amahle kunokuthiwa ziihotele ezindandayo. Kukho ababheqi abanokukusa naphi apho ufuna ukuya khona baze bakuphekele nantoni na oyibawelayo.

Xa kurhatyela, la maphenyane abotshelelwa ecaleni konxweme okanye abo bangayithandiyo indawo enengxolo, bangena phakathi echibini. Echibini kuvakala ingxolo yamanzi etsho kamnandi, neentlanzi eziman’ ukubilisa.

Akusoloko kusenziwa into enye apha. “Abalobi babantu” baphaphile yaye banenzondelelo ngomsebenzi wabo.

‘Ukuloba Abantu’ Echibini

Ibinzana elithi “abalobi babantu” livela kumazwi athethwa nguYesu kumadoda awayengabalobi aza aba ngabafundi bakhe. Wathi: “Ndilandeleni, ndonenza abalobi babantu.” Apha uYesu wayethetha ngomsebenzi wokunceda abantu babe ngabafundi bakhe. (Mateyu 4:18, 19; 28:19, 20) Olo thumo lwenziwa ngamaNgqina kaYehova ehlabathini jikelele, kuquka nakwabo bahlala kweli chibi.

Kukho amabandla amaNgqina kaYehova ali-132 eKerala namabandla ali-13 kule ngingqi. Amalungu amaninzi ala mabandla aphila ngokuloba. Ngoxa eloba iintlanzi, akwathetha nabo bantu aloba nabo ngoBukumkani bukaThixo. Ngokukhawuleza kutsho kuthi qwenge ubonakale umahluko phakathi kweemfundiso zecawa nezeBhayibhile. Umfazi wale ndoda nabantwana bayo abane nabo baba nomdla. Kwaqaliswa isifundo seBhayibhile nabo. Benza inkqubela ngokukhawuleza amalungu amane ale ntsapho sele ebhaptiziwe. Abantwana ababini nabo benza inkqubela esa ekubhaptizweni.

Amalungu elinye ibandla ahamba ngephenyana ukuze ashumayele kwisiqithi esincinane. Ekubeni engasoloko ekho amaphenyane aya kwesi siqithi, abantu balapho basibiza ngokuba yikadamakudi, gama elo elithetha “umgibe.” Apho amaNgqina kaYehova adibana noJohny nomfazi wakhe uRani. Nangona baphehlelelwa kwicawa yamaKatolika, bebenxulumana nenkonzo ekhuthaza ukucamngca baze banikela ngemali yabo yonke kuyo. UJohny wabonisa umdla omkhulu kwisigidimi senyaniso yeBhayibhile, kwaqaliswa isifundo seBhayibhile naye. Waqalisa ukushumayela kwabanye ngezinto ezintsha awayezikholelwa. Inyaniso yeBhayibhile yamnceda wayeka ukutshaya nokunxila.

Umsebenzi wakhe wawungqubana neZibhalo, kwafuneka awutshintshe. Ekuqaleni oku kwayitsalisa nzima intsapho yakhe. UJohny wabambisa oononkala wabathengisa waza ngalo ndlela wakwazi ukunyamekela intsapho yakhe. Wabhaptizwa ngoSeptemba 2006, umfazi wakhe nabantwana bakhe ababini babhaptizwa emva konyaka. Ithemba lokuphila ngonaphakade kumhlaba oyiparadesi liyitshintshe ngokupheleleyo imbono yabo ngobomi.—INdumiso 97:1; 1 Yohane 2:17.

Eneneni, ukutyelela eKerala ngamava amyoli. Oku akubangelwa yiminatha yaseTshayina yokuloba, amaphenyane, namaphenyane azizindlu kwanangenxa “yabalobi abangabantu,” amaNgqina kaYehova athembekileyo.

[Imaphu ekwiphepha 22, 23]

(Ukuba ufuna inkcazelo ehlahlelwe kakuhle, yiya kwimpapasho)

INDIA

KERALA

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Ukuloba yinto yemihla ngemihla eKerala

[Inkcazelo]

Top photo: Salim Pushpanath

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Abafazi ababamba iintlanzi ngezandla

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Ugqatso lwamaphenyane

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“IKettuvallam”

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Iphenyane eliyindlu

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UJohny nomfazi wakhe, uRani

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Salim Pushpanath