Ommmmmmm, Haarrii Ommmm.....

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Rishikesh, town of ashrams, yogis, temples and meditation, has been a fantastic insight into Indian religion. Although, unfortunately, my knowledge of Hinduism and Buddhism has been only very slightly increased, I have been surrounded by the sound of mantras and temple bells throughout my days here, and been greeted by the vibrant colours of women's sarees and the clothing of sadhus (holy men) as i wonder the streets.
The town is based around the River Ganga, much like Varanasi, except without the pollution, and the backpacker area is monitered mainly on two sides in the north of the town, in two areas known as High Bank on one side of the river, and Laxman Jhula on the other side (where i am staying). There are many ashrams where one can practice yoga and meditation, which i have been doing this week. As a newcomer to yoga, the 4 hours a day (going up to 7 hours from today) have been incredibly hard on the bones and muscles of my body, but the healthy feeling and sense of calm that the stretching and meditation brings has been well worth it. This is a course that i will be continuing for the next few days, but there is so much more to my days than just exercise. The chances to relax have obviously been gratefully received, and so ive spent much time in a certain cafe where i have become known by the staff as i have relaxed in their cushioned seating area whilst reading, staring out into the beauty of the surrounding mountains and River Ganga, or playing the traditional Indian board game Carrom. This game is similar to pool or billiards, except it is played with discs instead of balls, and a flick of the fingers rather than cues. And it is bloody hard!!

Just down from the laxman area i am residing in is Swarg Ashram, an area of the town full of pilrims, holy men and lots of cows. It is a common virtue of Indian pilgrims to give money to the beggars, in search of better karma, with a lot of these beggars being holy men. I have yet to increase my karma, however i did experience the tragic irony today of being approached by an evidently habitual child-beggar, dirty and asking for a few rupees, swathed in what was either a fake or real Gucci neck-scarf. It is hard to say o to the children, but when you see their mother just a short way off also begging, you wonder at the extent of their situation...just a thought.

As a few of you know i am not a religious person, however it has definitely been an eye-opener to a different form of religion here than the monotheistic, rather arrogant religions that we are used toin the West. Buddhism and Hinduism are so so spiritual, and is hard not to get caught up when in such a religious place, however i have managed to avoid the palmistry and astrological options that are open to me, and rtather setteled for an Ayervedic massage yesterday...an all-over, very oily affair that was incredibly relaxing, and well-worth the 5 pound spent on it!!

I have a 5-hour yoga and meditation class soon, so off i trot, and im soon off to Dharamsala and McLeod Ganj, where His Holiness the Dalai Lama resides....

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