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Published: February 12th 2014
December 31
st2013
“
On bended knee is no way to be free
Lifting up an empty cup, I ask silently
That all my destinations will accept the one that's me
So I can breathe” Eddie Vedder, Guaranteed
The promise of a
shanti Dwarka with warm climate, clean waters and holy
ghats draws me westwards from Porbandar on a gorgeous sunny morning along the Arabian Sea coastline. There is a slight foreboding about the climate brought on by the vast wind farms and their turbines along the way (OK – this place might be a bit blowy). I am also full of expectation about meeting my new friend who is arriving the next day by train from Pushkar.
I need to find a good place to stay, as the promise is also about spending some time in this Krishna town and experiencing the fullness of a place that only comes from getting into the street life and trying to blend a little into the local pace. I view a sign for Shiva Guest House on the way into town and tuck it away as a back-stop (it's out of town and I want to be
in the thick of things – next to the river
ghats amidst the action of Dwarka and Hindus doing their daily
pujas, the thrust of the central market, and the chaotic charm of the main Krishna temple complex).
It is not easy – everything is either full or not available to foreigners (and I see no foreigners at all). There is strict police paperwork required for foreign tourists that must be complied with in registering them into accommodation and it seems there is a real reluctance to bother and/or guest houses are simply not legally approved to take foreigners. To boot, it is New Years Eve and the place is full of Indian tourists on holiday combining their sojourn to the sea with the blessing of Krishna that comes of making
puja in this significant holy place.
After nearly 2 hours of searching unsuccessfully for a room, I end up back at Shiva Guest House ('all roads lead to where I stand'😉, albeit is out of the main market and 1.5 km from the ghats and sea. At first I am disappointed by this, but the place has a charm enhanced by the friendly manager/owner and the fact
that all other guests are Indians. The room is clean and 'well appointed', there is the required terrace for morning yoga, the bed is comfy, I can use the kitchen to make my ginger lemon tea, the plumbing works, and hot water is assured (in the mornings only). I am told I am good for 6 nights after which the place is fully booked for a marriage party. The 600 rps tariff is a bit more than I expected but cheap enough. I set up, wanting to make the room a little homely – I hang my Buddha brocade and Tibetan flags, and purchase a few items (foot drying mat, a small broom, and bathroom floor scraper). I erect the mandatory 'line' across the room for hanging clothes and towels. All good and ready.
After an exploratory walk through the market and along the
ghats I am excited about spending at least the next 6 days in Dwarka. It has charm, beauty and character. At high tide the
ghats are enticing and I know I am going to swim here. The wind is there, but so too is the warm sun.
New Years Eve is alive and well
just outside my room in an empty block set up with full stage and lighting and sound. While I elect to go to bed early, the noise keeps me very close to the surface of consciousness and at 12 midnight there is a din of celebratory fireworks across the town. I wish myself the best for 2014 and go back to sleep.
I nearly miss my friend at the railway station the next day and come within minutes of her walking off (she has been waiting over an hour when I arrive). The train arrival board told me it would be 3 hours late, but it was wrong (experience would tell me, actually, that it was just right in line with Indian time). I am reminded of 'Sliding Doors' and thankful it all worked out in the end.
The next 5 days are full of lazy wandering and delighting in the many picturesque scenes, the friendly people, the discovery of local culinary treats, and peace of the sea. Through my friend's meeting skills, we get invited to lunch by a local family followed by a guided tour of the main Krishna temple which proves to be a wonderland
of shrines devoted to various members of the Krishna family with accompanying furniture and apparel. The funky lighting and general devotional behaviour of the pilgrims brings smiles to our faces as we wonder through with our new friends explaining in their broken English the many significant aspects of this place.
By the time we have to vacate for the guest house booking, we are sad to go and sure we would have opted to stay a longer time in enchanted Dwar
ka.
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Marguerite
non-member comment
Luving the journey thanks my my friend. And so happy that you have now introduced Beb, even though we don\'t know her name yet!!!! Best hugs Marguerite