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Caryl and I at the party
We are stading at the front door, just before the party begins, me in a sari I bought in Rajasthan.I have changed my departure date to June 2, and am now into my last two weeks in India. Luckily, the intense heat of early May -- where it was 41-47 C. every day -- has brought some thundershowers, which has cooled things off a bit. It was down to 21 C. the other night -- a miracle! -- though it is still at least 38 C. each day.
(Varada is standing beside me as I write, trying to teach me some Hindi. She just taught me: "Mereko Bharat pasant hai!" It means: "I like India!")
I am starting to say goodbye, to people and places, and to think about what I have learned on this trip and what I have gained. The thing I have gained most is probably Ajay and his family: his parents, brother Vijay, Meera and of course Varada. I feel like I have a new family -- and I certainly didn't expect this to happen when I was planning my trip last year. It has been the biggest, and best, surprise of this entire journey. It will be very hard to say goodbye to them next week.... though I have promised to be back
front door magic
These girls came by just before Caryl's party started to create a rangoli from chalk and flower petals. for Diwali. (Diwali takes place in October or November. It is a festival of light, the Hindu version of Christmas. I have long wanted to be in India for Diwali .... it is supposed to be amazing: spirit-lifting and fun, full of warmth and family togetherness ....)
In the meantime, I am still touring Delhi, hanging out with new friends like Sona (Ajay's cousin) and Amrieka, Rebecca's friend (who is from the U.S., though her father was born in India), and trying to get to all the places in Delhi I want to go. I have been to several new markets (new to me -- some of them are probably centuries old!) and several temples, including Chatturpur in south Delhi -- a very big, impressive and important temple. (Ajay laughed when I described the Chatturpur temple complex, which is huge, as "Disneyworld for Hindus." No disrespect intended.) There is an enormous Kali figure, seated on a lion, her many arms brandishing various weapons. I also went to the National Museum of Modern Art, which is in the former mansion of the Maharajah of Jaipur. I saw a few lovely paintings, though overall I was not that impressed.
I
shopping in Karol Bagh
Ajay's cousin Sona took me shopping in her neighbourhood, which has one of the biggest markets in Delhi. spent an afternoon with my friend Kailash, who took me to lunch at a revolving restaurant in the central Connaught Place area. The food was great and so was the view. It gave me a real panorama of Delhi. Then we went to Bangla Sahib, which is probably the second most important gudwara (after the Golden Temple in Armritsar) in India. Sikhs worship at gudwaras, and this was the first one I have ever been in. Although India has many mosques and gurdwaras (and churches), I feel most drawn to Hindu temples, and have visited many, all across India.
I don't have pictures of many of these outings, though, because my camera was out of commission for a few days.
Last weekend, Ajay and I attended a party at Caryl's place. She is also leaving India, for a post in Beijing, so she had a party to clean out the fridge. It was a fun party -- there were people from many different embassies. I have moved out of Caryl's place, to stay at Ajay's for my last 10 days or so. I will miss her, and Seamus the cat. (And swimming in the Canadian compound pool!) It
Sona in her favourite shoe store
These shoes are exquisite -- and each pair costs only about $30 Canadian. was a very comfortable place to stay and I will always remember and appreciate Caryl's generosity.
When I planned this trip, and departed on December 3, I felt like I was jumping off a cliff. I had no idea what would happen; what would await me. It was a leap of faith into the unknown. But I don't think I would ever have expected to have such a soft landing. It feels like the universe reached out with both arms and caught me, bringing me incredibly warm and generous people like Caryl, Ajay and his family (and others); comfortable places to stay; and wonderful experiences. I am sure I thought this trip would have been much harder -- some kind of test of faith, a "dark night of the soul" experience, full of difficult, lonely, challenging but ultimately rewarding experiences.
However, that has not been the case. I think the experiences I have had on this trip have taught me that the universe is beneficent and abundant -- and perhaps I had forgot that after many years of loss, grief and hardship prior to deciding to take this journey. The universe is always a great teacher, and always
enjoying a fresh lime soda
These are delicious and rehydrating. I bought a lime squeezer and I'll be making them in T.O. gives us what we need to learn -- it's just not always what we think it's going to be!
So, tomorrow I start on my last adventure for this trip to India. I am going to Aurovalley ashram, outside of Rishikesh, on the recommendation of Kailash. He was the one who also recommended Shinshiva Ayurvedic ashram, and I loved it, so I trust his judgement! I will spend a few days doing yoga, meditating, having a dip in the sacred Ganges, thinking about this journey, and just generally sending "love vibes" out to India. I have fallen in love with this country, and feel I am now attached to it, the people, the place and the culture. I felt very compelled to come here, and I have discovered a whole new world that somehow seems to fit with me. I feel more complete. And I feel my relationship with India is not over ... indeed, it is just beginning ...
I have had a lovely comment from an Indian writer, Ed Viswanathan, who wrote a book called Am I Hindu? He has asked me to write about Hindu beliefs and rituals. I am certainly no expert and my
I often see women in gorgeous saris ...
... riding side-saddle on the back of motorbikes. Sometimes you see entire families on bikes. knowledge is very limited, but I do feel interested in this religion, which does not have a central authority or body of dogma, the way Catholicism does. I find it very exuberant -- 30 million deities! -- and also very personal. Although Hinduism can be described more as a culture or way of life than a religion, people do engage in very intense and profound rituals. (The largest gathering of humanity on earth is the Kumbh Mela, which takes place every year, but there is a big one every 12 years that attracts literally millions of Hindus to a sacred place on the banks of the river Ganges. Apparently, it can be seen from outer space.)
But Hindus are free to worship in their own way, to the gods of their choosing. A Hindu temple is a chaotic place, in comparison to a Christian church, but certainly no less sacred and reverential. Entire extended families attend temples, many go daily (like Ajay's parents), and they perform pooja, listen to music, or just spend time together, sitting or standing in groups. The kids run around playing, and everyone and everything is accepted (except you have to take your shoes off).
I love Lajpat Nagar market
It is a very typically oriental bazaar -- and where the locals shop. Full of atmosphere and bargains. I have had many moving and delightful experiences in temples throughout India. Sometimes there is almost a carnival atmosphere, like at the big temple in Chennai during evening darshan, which made me realize the extent to which Hinduism is a vibrant, living religion -- a big part of the daily lives of many, many Indians. (About 85% of India's one billion people are Hindu.) Shrines and temples range from a tiny altar in a store or by the side of the road to enormous complexes that take hours to visit. People who do not get enough to eat will buy prasad to offer to their local temple. The constant and highly visible involvement in spirituality and religion is one of the most distinctive things about India. And of course something that makes it very different from Canada and the U.S.
Hinduism also has an enormous, complex and ancient mythology, which appeals to me because of my life-long interest in mythology. One of the major sources, The Mahabharata, is an epic tale and the longest book ever written. It is essentially about a war between cousins and the most sacred text in Hinduism, The Bhagavad Gita (which is also
pooja flowers
This man, in Lajpat Nagar market, is selling flowers to be offered to the local temple. one of the most important works in yoga), is taken from it.
But one of the most fascinating things to me about India and Hinduism is that you can travel around the country -- and indeed, many do -- visiting sites in the Mahabharata, the Ramayana (another epic tale) and other mythological sources. You can actually go to the spot where Krishna counselled Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita -- in fact, it is only a two hour drive from Delhi -- or visit the place Krishna was born. The landscape of India and the mythology of Hinduism are inextricably bound, with no regard to the division between "reality" and "fantasy" that is so all-important in the west. I love this view of the world, which imbues everything with a sense of the sacred and also creates a different type of psychology in people.
For me, India is a great antidote to the extreme materialism and rationalism of the west.
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Sona
non-member comment
Your snap with the soda has come out very nice! :) You forgot to mention Gyans hehe