haya bhaan
charity without judgement
The haya bhaan is a semi-formal organization of elderly Vid'Oshi women in the outer slums of Chaodyatan Sho. They are largely known for providing free meals to poverty stricken refugees and pilgrems in the "New Town" of the sacred city.
While the Vid'Oshi are often shunned and dismissed by the average citizen for their dubious beliefs and association to magic, the "old cooks" are welcomed and respected by almost all. They have even been known to a bring steaming bowl and cup of water to the various members of city watch at their guard stations. The haya bhaan will set up a table and portable cook pot on the edge of market squares every morning, and by mid-day they will start filling any empty bowl proferred to them with whatever soup or stew they have been simmering. By mid afternoon their pots are empty, they clean up their table, and return to the Vid'Oshi enclave.
While the charity of the haya bhaan feeds hundreds of people every day in Chaodyatan Sho's New Town, there is far more to their actions than this. Every eldery woman participating in the tradition is accompanied by at least two young men and a young women to carry, chop, help, and shoo away the more disturbed and disturbing passers by that might become disruptive. The women also use a special moh'jaato to heat their soup pots. While relatively common and simple as moh'jaato go, it is the only exposure to such magical devices that the average poverty stricken citizen of Chaodyatan Sho would have ever seen at work. Some of the more ardent and zealous pilgrems or other jhuu’giaan refuse to eat the haya bhaan's food, as it was cooked using magic, no matter how indirectly or legally.
Public Agenda
When questioned or challenged, the haya bhaan wave away concerns saying they only wish to feed those need feeding. If pressed further, they will insist that their faith is built on helping others in need, no matter who they are, and in Chaodyatan Sho they are surrounded by many in need.
There are those amongst the city administrators and the zhoyaalas that believe the women are in fact working to soften the public perception to their faith in an attempt to normalize heresy and magical associations. They cite the public use of moh'jaato, and the constant presense of the womens "grandchildren" as evidence that they are not doing simple charity work. Since the women, and even their supposed "grandsons" never commit any sort of crimes, and they have indeed won over some degree of publish support, not to mention the optics of arresting old women, and of course the ongoing traditions and laws of the city, no tangible steps have been taken to stop the old cooks from doing their daily charity work.
Assets
Like most residents of Chaodyatan Sho's New Town, the elderly women of the haya bhaan own very little. Within the Vid'Oshi enclave many resources are treated communially, and the elderly tend to live with their grandchildren or great-grandchildren.
Considering the relative poverty across New Town, and the fact that Vid'Oshi are barred from most professions that might earn a higher income, it is not fully known where the haya bhaan get the near endless supply of ingredients for their daily market square offerings.
History
There is no clearly known history or origin of the haya bhaan.
The Vid'Oshi have been in Chaodyatan Sho since before the city walls went up centuries ago, and it is coloquially accepted that the tradition of elderly women feeding the needy has been going on for the whole of that time.
"I came here from Hanchuu on pilgremage four years ago. I was beaten and robbed on my second day in the city and have been unable to return home. Without the haya bhaan, I would have starved to death long ago."
- Anonymous beggar in Chaodyatan Sho's New Town (806AS)
Type
Activist, Charity
Alternative Names
the feeding mothers, the old cooks,
Location
Related Species
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