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Published: January 19th 2007
My Adopted Family
In front of the Golden Tower. I headed up to Amritsar as soon as I could upon arriving to Delhi. Amritsar is situated in the northwest Punjab province and its claim to fame is the impressive Golden Temple, one of the holiest places of the Sikh religion.
As I stood outside the Golden Temple entrance, barefoot and bewildered about how to proceed forward without desecrating the site, a young Canadian girl, Ravin, approached me along with her family composed of mostly women and one bearded, turban-clad man.-
"You're suppose to cover your head to go inside, you know?"
"I know but all I have is this sad, little knitted scarf... Do you think this would be enough?" I asked. "Yeah, that will do." And so, I began to court the family who consisted of a matrix of my mother's brother's wife's daughter and a web of other family lineage that I could not keep straight.
"Are you alone?" Ravin translated for her mother.
"Yes" I answered where upon their eyes took pity on my lonesome self and they invited me to join them as they made their pilgrimage to the Golden Temple.
I couldn't have asked for a better tour. Ravin, who was 12 years old, and her cousins, 16 and 18 years old, guided me with their family as we circled the holy crystal blue waters surrounding the Golden Temple. I mirrored their actions as they knelt and bowed their heads to the ground at certain spots and directed me to bathe and drink from the sacred healing waters, Amrit Sarovar. I gave offerings of money and food at various guru stations. They told me where NOT to step and when I should pray or make a 'dream'. The girls told me about their gods and about the scared text, Adi Granath, that is read continuously and broadcast on a loudspeaker throughout the Golden Temple grounds in a harmonious trance-like chant. Despite the fact that I was completely foreign and clueless, this wonderful and generous family, in the spirit of one of the tenet of Sikhism, valuing the family, invited me into their family as one of their own.
By the end of our journey, they joked with me about taking me back home with them so that they could marry me off so that I would not have to travel alone anymore. I responded- "Yes, Please- I'm single!" which made them laugh and smile. I thanked them profusely for their kindness and generosity as we parted ways. I'll always be grateful for their warmth and guidance at the Golden Temple.
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Jorge Fernandez
non-member comment
I'm breathing again (I think)
This is more like it... This is the India we know and love to see in person. My envy keeps growing exponentially!!! I'm sorry, your spiritual experience should help ME keep negative thoughts out of my head. Stay safe and keep your eyes open. You're a New Yorker for crying out loud! Lov u!